The difference between beauty, talent and integrity

There's nothing more impressive than a beautiful actress or actor--pick your favorite--but what do they look like in reality?

When I was a young, aspiring musician I went to Hollywood and while I was at a phone booth (remember them?) calling prospective agents and record labels, I enjoyed the show. It so happens that phone booth was located near a noted plastic surgery center. While I stood there making calls, I was treated to seeing dozens of the most famous celebrities walk past me on the way in to the center. I have to tell you, some of the most beautiful people in the world were downright average looking or worse. Some had beauty-- a ghoulish beauty.

Some of the my favorite songs were written or performed by recording artists that had a lot of personal addiction issues or they cheated on their spouses or threw TV sets through hotel room windows.

Then there are people that I didn't really love as performers--Neil Young, as an example--that I now admire because of his integrity. Yeah, he may have a whiny voice, yeah, he has stringy hair. But, he has integrity in his life. He's trying to save the world with his souped up '59 Lincoln biodiesel car.

As I get older, I'm less interested in surface-level beauty and more impressed with what's deep inside.