A Dream That Won't Come True

Today is the day after Osama bin Laden's death. I suppose I don't need to go into detail for you who he is, and actually, he's not the subject of this post. Let's change our focus, shall we?

This morning as I had iTunes DJ playing while preparing for a hotel departure, the Carpenters came on. The song (not one of their well-known hits) was called "Now".

You know, it's guaranteed that every time I hear Karen Carpenter's voice, I will melt...chills! What a voice! Simple and pure.

Here's something you may not know about me:

It's always been a secret dream of mine ever since I can remember since Karen, Richard, and their parents, were fellow Downey, California residents like I was, to sing with Karen someday. Of course that will never happen because she sadly died in 1983 of anorexia complications. So while I was living my childhood life and spending hours on end hunkered down playing my guitar in my bedroom on the west side of town, Karen and Richard Carpenter lived and we're rising to the heights of worldwide musical fame on the northeast side of town!

Kind of cool to think about!

But now Karen's no longer with us. There a plenty of singers who I greatly admire, but she remains to this day my all-time favorite female singer. I enjoy her not only for simply the heart-warming entertainment she brings but also as a fellow performer. Of course, you'll probably read this a lot in my posts, but I'm so blessed and grateful to be singing for a living and always learning something from admiring the talents of the best!

I can't but help but think there's a little "bit of Karen" I've absorbed into whatever performance skills I may have acquired along the way from watching and listening to her.



A quote that went along with this posted video from NedNickerson2010 for the song "Now":
"Following Karen's death, Richard returned to the studio and worked on his and Karen's last recordings, including two of the songs she recorded in 1982 as well as other songs from previous recording sessions over the years before. "Now" was a work lead, recorded in one take, and was intended to familiarize the musicians with the song as well as Richard's arrangement. After a complete music track had been recorded, Karen would have returned to the studio and recorded new vocals for the song. But as it was, the work lead turned out to be the last song Karen ever recorded."

A Dream That Won't Come True

I Reflect Therefore I Am and Therefore I Shall Continue The Journey

Yours truly pondering in a meadow somewhere in Missouri.
Photo: Kevin Lovelady

I'm a very reflective guy. That's why I try not to look in the mirror too much.

Ha, ha - funny!

Seriously, I HAVE been reflective (Of the most meditative kind minus the "transendental" aspect) of late. I believe I'm on my 6th year with Hotel California A Salute To The Eagles. Goal #1 was to take part in some really cool musical situation where I didn't have to play in bars 5-nights-a-week for a buck, but where people were actually paying attention to the music. I found H-Cal. and Holy-Divine-timely-intervention! - it was a perfect match!

This gig I knew would support my songwriting "habit" (Goal #2), which consists of learning the songwriting craft, writing, and recording the best songs and instrumental tracks I could possibly write and continue improving with the passage of time.

Lo and behold, I found out how much I enjoyed performing on the big stage and how much I enjoyed learning THAT whole thing. Connecting with the audience, hitting those necessary high-notes on certain songs, playing my parts correctly (ha ha!), etc. This as well is a never-ending, though rewardingly exciting, path of continued learning.

So this is where I am. Double-edged sword, double-whammy, however you want put it. I was formerly just a guy wanting to write songs and play some cool gigs. Now I'm a guy who I think has grown to love the stage as well. From the feedback I get, wow! - I'm touched.

Putting out a CD in the future? I don't know. Not a very focused...umm,...focus... to get somewhere in the music biz. I've just reached my 50th year on this planet. Guess this late bloomer/dreamer is just re-evaluating. I'm very blessed to do what I do. In the words of California PBS Television host, Huell Howser, "The Adventure Continues"!

Thanks for reading. God bless you in your endeavours!

I Reflect Therefore I Am and Therefore I Shall Continue The Journey

Warm-up with Kenny

Just found this cool, short behind-the-scenes clip from Kenny Loggins, one of my musical inspirations (unbeknownst to him).  Some of you singers out there can maybe relate - when you're younger and you try to sound like your favs and then you realize it would behoove you to get past that stage (not that it's a bad thing!) to find your own "voice". Yeah, Kenny was one of those guys for me.

PS. (about a week later as to "finding your own voice") Of course, if you get PAID to sound like some of your musical heroes, like I do in Hotel California (Henley, Frey, etc.), that's a different story!

Warm-up with Kenny

Pick One!

I was reflecting after that last show we did at the Desert Diamond Casino in Sahuarita how I didn't have to use any extra picks that I always have placed in waiting on a guitar stand specifically for "emergency-drop" situations.  I played the whole show with one pick! (with the exception of course of my customary pick throw during a rousing rendition of Joe Walsh's "Rocky Mountain Way" in which said flying plectrum is quickly and ever-so-slight-of-handidly replaced by it's waiting replacement just underneath the guitar pickguard).

Not one pick fumble during the show!  Wow, I was ON! << (not verbose bragging, but a hint of the quasi-humor you could only expect to read more of on this site).

Now on other shows, man, my butterfinger-edness in is full effect!  The plastic is FLYING!

Hmmm, interesting.  One show I'm batting (or "picking") a perfect game and others, a fumbling fool! Whatever the case with a smile, ALWAYS with a smile. That's show biz!

Photo Note: I found this photo of myself with an actual, heavy gauge pick in my mouth in Albany, NY, 2009. A big yearly show ("Alive At 5" I think they call it) they do there was moved under a huge highway underpass due to weather, hence the strange location.

If there are guitar player/performers out there please feel free to share your pick fumbling stories!

Pick One!