In present-day Chicago, septuagenarian Earlon "Bucky" Bronco, a former soul singer, is struggling to get by. Childless and recently widowed after a 50-year marriage to his beloved Maybelline, he's feeling bereft, as if he's "slowly fading from view". He's also addicted to opioids to retain his mobility, the pain he suffers in his hips a "constant blaze that burnt to the core of his bones".
He has received an unexpected invitation to perform songs he hasn't sung in half a century at a Northern soul weekend in Scarborough, a seaside town in North Yorkshire. Despite his physical impairment, and having never travelled outside the US, Bucky accepts the invitation.
He doesn't realise that Northern soul, heavily influenced by Detroit's Motown sound, was popular in the 1960s and 70s in the UK, when the music was played in dance clubs throughout northern England and the Midlands.
Denne historien er fra August 10-16, 2024-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra August 10-16, 2024-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.
