Ride Sally Ride
The First Female American Astronaut Takes Her Final Voyage.
Moses Avalon
I know this is a little off the beaten path from my usual rants on the music industry, but don’t worry. I promise that within the next 300 words I will tie it in.
A great American hero has fallen today and fallen far too soon. Sally Ride, the first American woman in space has succumb to pancreatic cancer at the age of 61.
Few women have contributed so much to American culture as Sally Ride. Not only did she show that a women can also go boldly where no man has gone before, but she also inspired 1000s of other young women to pursue careers in science, yet another domain where few without the Y chromosome have ventured.
While many know of her achievements in space few know she that was also an author who wrote six science books for children, including one that explained how to make a sandwich in space. (She advised eating it fast, before it floated away.) She was also the founding member of a science Institute and sat on numerous committees for NASA helping to plan America’s future in space.
The New York Times can do a far better job of explaining the life of Sally Ride than I ever could in my humble blog. And they did so in a four-page spread today?
For us in the music space Ms. Ride contributed only a small somewhat anecdote, but one that resonated well with me because it exposed how unbelievably pigheaded we can be sometimes.
Ms. Ride became known to me well after headlines about her diminished and when NASA was contacted for a performance license by copyright holders of “Mustang Sally” (registered with BMI at the time) It seems the feminist icon sang “ride, Sally ride” during a press conference… while orbiting the Earth.
In their demand letter they claimed BMI’s territory is “the known universe.”
Sometimes, I just don’t have the words.
Farewell Sally. You have inspired the dreams of many and we thank you. Rest in peace.
Mo out
3 responses to “Ride Sally Ride”
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Mr. Avalon,
Thank you very much for this. I was also very inspired by Sally Ride and would have been even more so if I knew about her authoring children’s science books. If as a child I had read how to make a sandwich in space I would have considered myself ready to go!
Thank you for the beautiful eulogy. And story on BMI. Good to know.
Well said, and thanks for sharing the Ride Sally Ride story.
BMI stated BMI’s territory is “the known universe.” Yeah okay we get it… sometimes these contracts make me laugh and and then I realize I have a headache.
Thank You for sharing this Moses.
Indeed since Amelia Earhart one of the greatest physical losses within our world for individuals who have aided to define Air Travel.
It’s ironic… my biological father passed from cancer too.
I’m sorry to hear this.
However, the soul knows secrets we can only begin to explain.
As for the name and person Sally Ride , we shall not certainly forget.
Although I’m a dude I often find my friends calling me a feminist of kinds one way or another but I simply am just myself.
Just F.Y.I. I am metro-sexual. =3 [And attracted to my opposite]
Thanks for sharing this Mo’.
Great read.
P.S. Placed this on the forum, but wanted to make sure you got it.
Thanks again for sharing Mo’
F.I.L.,
-Tiger M. Gales aka WAM! DJ, TIGER M! ^_~*