I’m personally very fucking sad right now. I guess my favorite singer in the world has now left us. I’m sad I never got to meet her. I was always so intimidated by her talent and enamored with her style and beauty that I shied away from being introduced to her when I had the chance. I guess it’s fitting to say something like “she’s left us amateurs behind and is now singing in a chorus with all her favorite soul icons.” I hope so. Because she’s on par with the best of them. She really is. I’m just bummed there’s not going to be more music coming. That part is over. And that’s sad. RIP Rachel, please except this belated love letter from your biggest fan you never met.
I am a Japanese fan. In 2007, I watched Coblas show at Logan Square in Chicago. Explosive performance, cool appearance.Everything was wonderful. Both Rachel and guitarist Mary were very kind. When I said, "I'm from Japan!" Rachel was surprised and took a picture with me. I won't forget. Thank you for that time. It's so hard to accept she's gone. Rachel, you are the greatest singer I ever heard.
I just found out that Rachel Nagy died... she had one of my all time favorite voices. I honestly can't remember how I discovered The Detroit Cobras, but I'm definitely glad that I did.
What stays with me about this is that they were always kind of the same band they were. I imagine most people who saw the Cobras saw them 30-40 times, me only 3-4. The guys were just classic backbeat--ever listened to Little Esther or Varetta Dillard? The rhythm section both went with the singer & sent them to their limits. Mary was just the right hide & seek. You didn't know she was there until you felt it. She pushed Rachel, too. And Rachel, as Mary said, was Rachel. She could be incredibly disappointing, but even her presence was exciting. That must be why the band kept putting out for her, & fans like me couldn't stop not going to see. One reason we have artists and musicians & so forth is so that they feel while we don't have to. We watch them & congratulate ourselves that we feel, too, but we only get it from them. After that we go back to work, and they go back to work, putting out & feeling for us. A DC gig could sure be a mess, but somehow they always stayed tight. Almost no band could ever be so exciting, so annoying, and still deliver on the deliverables. When I'm 80 I'll still listen, & fadoodah the record industry. ek