One year my Christmas present was a big soft-covered book on rock n' roll history. Each page was about a different act and gave a thumbnail sketch of the people whose music I would hear on the radio and on records but knew nothing about. I kept it by my bedside for years and would refer to it almost every night before I slept like some kind of secular bible. The information on many of the people was so sparse and mysterious it left you wanting more. Sam Cooke being shot in a motel room; Buddy Holly dying in a plane crash at the impossibly young age of 22. Hendrix, Joplin and Morrison passing away under mysterious circumstances. Then there was the story of Frankie Lymon who became a teenage star then in later life descended into a heroin habit before dying at 25. All these stories suggested deeper dives but there weren't many places to turn  for more. 

Now I listen to an excellent podcast called A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs that is an exhaustive detailed look at the people who created all the important songs in the history of Rock. Another one I listen to takes a granular look at the Arab/Israeli conflict. The next episode is over 3 hours long. This is the world we live in now. The music podcast is often fascinating but also veers into obssessive-compulsive minutiae. The host fills in gaps, adds colour to sketches and dispels myths. Things I thought I remembered or believed were true for years are proven false. If for some reason I want to enhance my knowledge even further, shelves of books are a click away and thousands of other experts and hobbyists are just waiting to give me their version of events in as much mind-numbing detail as I can stand.

But no matter how many times I hear Frankie Lymon sing and see his sweet smiling face I can't reconcile the 13 year-old with the falsetto and the man he became 12 years later before disappearing. Some things will always exist below the surface of what we see and hear.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lU9Q7hEhQjY