Gordon Parks was a trailblazer and my story with him is this…. I was watching an HBO piece on Gordan Parks and after it was over I turned to my wife and Said, “I'm going to meet this man”. It was 6 months later when I was driving uptown on 1st Ave and made a left on 49th street, and as soon as I made the turn I see Gordan Parks walking towards 1st ave with a bag of groceries. I stopped my car got out and said are you Gordan Parks (it couldn't be anyone else) and he said yes and told him how much I admired him and said what do you do? I said I was a music writer and producer. He said would you talk to my grandson? “He's into that rap shit”. I said don't be so hard on him and I said of course I would talk to him. We exchanged numbers and I made an appointment for him to come to my studio. But alas he stood me up. I called Gordon and told and he was pissed. After that we kept in contact and I would visit and talk to him about his incredible career and the many movers and shakers he knew. I videotaped him on one occasion and his stories were fascinating. Including one story about his friend Malcolm X. The night before Malcolm was shot he stopped over at Gordon's home and the one thing he wanted was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Something so simple and touching. Gordon was a kind man with a history few have matched.