You gave me fortune
You gave me fame
You gave me power in your God’s name
I’m every person you need to be
I’m the cult of personality

I was still a teenager when this came out. I remember sitting in my room, squinting at a 13” TV as Arsenio Hall introduced the night’s musical guest.

White kids my age didn’t remember Hendrix, and only knew Chuck Berry because of Happy Days and Back To The Future, so there was a moment when I looked at these dreadlocked black dudes with guitars and assumed I was in for Earth, Wind, and Reggae or something. It’s possible I considered changing the channel.

Then Vernon Reid lit up the stage with that opening riff, and gave me a rapid, mind-opening education.