Follow Up on Fogelberg
Dec/19/2007 11:18 PM | Permalink
"Death is there to keep us honest,
and contantly remind us we are free."
--Dan Fogelberg
I'm feeling a mixture of sadness and embarrassment. It all has to do with what I blogged about Sunday night: the death of Dan Fogelberg.
First, I am genuinely surprised with how genuinely sad I still am. After all, I'm a grown man. I didn't really know the guy. Wasn't a close personal friend. Never technically met him. Although I did spend an awkward few seconds, standing dumb-foundedly in front of him once.
But the deeper issue doesn't have to do with what I think of Fogelberg, but with what I assume other people do. Most folks who know his music, just know the big hits. And some of those big hits were (let's be honest) pretty sappy:
...."Believe In Me"
...."Longer"
...."Hard to Say"
....even "Run for the Roses" was a little on the schmaltzy side.
To many, Fogelberg was the archetype for over-serious singer-songwriter. (As opposed to just the "serious" one...)
So, given what most people probably think of him (maybe even songwriter friends I admire?) this week I must confess it's been hard to admit my sadness...and embarrassing to admit it too.
Why couldn't my archetypal songwriter haven been Paul Simon? Or Bruce Cockburn? Or maybe even Richard Thompson? Everybody thinks they're totally hip and cool, and nobody jokes about their sappiness.
Well, know what? It just didn't work out that way for me. Fogelberg was my guy.
And so, tonight I have worked through my surface embarrassment, and gotten to a placae where I realized there were still things I wanted to say about Dan Fogelberg. And even if nobody else cares, even if everybody else thinks it's sappy, it's good catharsis for me.
There clearly are a lot of folks who share my view of Fogelberg. Just do a blog search of "Dan Fogelberg" (or, if you're lazy, click the link...) and read the things folks are writing the past few days.
I can tell you that lots of Fogelberg admirers have been stopping by here too. Here at my blog, we've had close to an entire month's of traffic just since Sunday. Lot's of folks are reading this. Others are reading this. Still others are watching the Living Legacy Videos. One of those concert clips alone has been viewed more than 10,000 times in the past four days, with several viewers leaving nice comments at my YouTube page. *
So, yes, I am not alone. There are a lot of folks out there for whom "Dan" was not just a writer of schmaltzy hits, but also the writer they most admire.
--------------------------------------------
I made a couple of iTunes playlists I'd like to share with you. This first one is interesting to me because it features four songs I'd never heard before this week. They were released as a part of the "Portraits" collection. They've never been released anywhere else. They include a scathingly honest song called "Democracy," which is perhaps Fogelberg's most biting political song:
"They've got McDonald's in the USSR
Fries and burgers in the Kremlin's backyard
Now they're learning what democracy means
Let's send them Calvin Klein jeans
Is this what democracy means?"
Every time I went to Russia, I asked myself the same thing.
So, check out these songs. They're all classic Dan in their own way.
The second iTunes playlist I call "Fogelberg Songs You Should Know." And I post it with the assumption that most of these will be unknown to most of you readers. I tried to avoid all the hits. (But...couldn't not include "Gambler"...)
See, this is the stuff I love. I love the soaring sentiment of "In the Passage." I love the edge of "As the Raven Flies." I love the cool opening riff of "These Days." I love the eerie, realm-of-the-spirits quality of "Ghosts." I love the sad story of an old woman in "Windows and Walls."
There were so many songs over those many years that nobody but the truest of "Danfans" knew. Get to know them.
Then, there were two albums of jazz music with Tim Weisberg, and one bluegrass record with folks like Ricky Skaggs. How many pop stars ever release three records like that? (Maybe one. But three?) How many of them play most of their own instruments, sing many of the vocals, and even drew cover art on occasion?
My point is, musically, Fogelberg was a heck of a lot deeper than "Longer."
And, lyrically, there was real poetry and storytelling in those songs. I've blogged about "Same Old Lang Syne" before. But the truth is it's just a well written song...really really nice images:
"She said she saw in the record store,
and that I must be doing well.
I said the audience was heavenly,
but the traveling was hell."
Or the final lines:
"The beer was empty, and our tongues were tired,
And running out of things to say.
She gave a kiss to me as I got out,
And I watched her drive away.
Just for a moment, I was back in school,
And felt that old familiar pain.
And as I turned to make my way back home,
the snow turned into rain."
Even if you've never experienced a moment like that, you can picture it, can't you? As you listen, you draw a mental image of the moment comes to life. So that when Dan inserts a real pause --right at "just for a moment I was back in school..."-- it's we listeners who suddenly pause too, and make our own trips back in time.
Having the muse to write those lines, having the sense to put in that pause, these are the things that distinguish good songs from great ones.
And, I might argue that some of Fogelberg's contributions to the Southern California Rock sound ended up inspiring even greater work later down the road. As just one example, you may remember that Joe Walsh produced Fogelberg's record "Souvenirs."
So, keeping that in mind, give another listen to "As the Raven Flies." Listen carefully to Dan and Walsh trade off on the final guitar lead that fades out the song. And as you listen, tell me you don't hear the genesis of the most famous two-lead solo ever to close a song: Hotel California.
Go ahead and try it. The similarity will jump out at you. Promise.
If there was no "Raven," would there have been a Hotel California? Would it have sounded like it did?
At the very least, Walsh credits Fogelberg as a general influence on him. Two nights ago, on Larry King, Joe Walsh said this:
"...he was an amazing song writer. I met him about 1974, as far as I can remember, and here was this really humble kid, undiscovered, with these wonderful songs, and finely crafted songs. And I brought him out to Los Angeles to try to help him do an album, and our whole community kind of took him under our wing. He was really a big influence as a song writer and a musician to us all."
Anyway, these are many of the things I still wanted to say about Fogelberg tonight.
But the final reason I wanted to write this entry was to show you how I literally produced several songs with the intent of creating an "homage" to Fogelberg. I've never admitted this before, but now seems the time.
The two most obvious examples are on the first CD: "Your Warm" and "Deep Blue Grey."
Listen to this clip of "Your Warm." Then go listen to "The Reach" by Fogelberg. Compare the ringing guitar, and the background strings....hear it?
Then, listen to this clip of "Deep Blue Grey," and I think you will hear shades of "Place in the World for a Gambler," ....especially in the bass parts and final chorus structure. (the Gambler YouTube clip is quite nice...btw...)
They don't have the same lyrical theme. But when we went to produce them, I definitely had Fogelberg in mind. Some folks chided me at the time for over-producing these CD. But tonight I am more pleased than ever that they stand as an example of how Fogelberg's music influenced mine. I'd like to believe that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. At least, that's what I was shooting for.
Well, thanks for reading this. It probably helped me more to write it than it did you to read. I'm feeling better already.
So thanks again, Dan: For all the inspiration and music that is so much a part of my own history.
* (This month, we've also had a fair number of visitors reading this blog about our Memphis trip too...)
and contantly remind us we are free."
--Dan Fogelberg
I'm feeling a mixture of sadness and embarrassment. It all has to do with what I blogged about Sunday night: the death of Dan Fogelberg.
First, I am genuinely surprised with how genuinely sad I still am. After all, I'm a grown man. I didn't really know the guy. Wasn't a close personal friend. Never technically met him. Although I did spend an awkward few seconds, standing dumb-foundedly in front of him once.
But the deeper issue doesn't have to do with what I think of Fogelberg, but with what I assume other people do. Most folks who know his music, just know the big hits. And some of those big hits were (let's be honest) pretty sappy:
...."Believe In Me"
...."Longer"
...."Hard to Say"
....even "Run for the Roses" was a little on the schmaltzy side.
To many, Fogelberg was the archetype for over-serious singer-songwriter. (As opposed to just the "serious" one...)
So, given what most people probably think of him (maybe even songwriter friends I admire?) this week I must confess it's been hard to admit my sadness...and embarrassing to admit it too.
Why couldn't my archetypal songwriter haven been Paul Simon? Or Bruce Cockburn? Or maybe even Richard Thompson? Everybody thinks they're totally hip and cool, and nobody jokes about their sappiness.
Well, know what? It just didn't work out that way for me. Fogelberg was my guy.
And so, tonight I have worked through my surface embarrassment, and gotten to a placae where I realized there were still things I wanted to say about Dan Fogelberg. And even if nobody else cares, even if everybody else thinks it's sappy, it's good catharsis for me.
There clearly are a lot of folks who share my view of Fogelberg. Just do a blog search of "Dan Fogelberg" (or, if you're lazy, click the link...) and read the things folks are writing the past few days.
I can tell you that lots of Fogelberg admirers have been stopping by here too. Here at my blog, we've had close to an entire month's of traffic just since Sunday. Lot's of folks are reading this. Others are reading this. Still others are watching the Living Legacy Videos. One of those concert clips alone has been viewed more than 10,000 times in the past four days, with several viewers leaving nice comments at my YouTube page. *
So, yes, I am not alone. There are a lot of folks out there for whom "Dan" was not just a writer of schmaltzy hits, but also the writer they most admire.
--------------------------------------------
I made a couple of iTunes playlists I'd like to share with you. This first one is interesting to me because it features four songs I'd never heard before this week. They were released as a part of the "Portraits" collection. They've never been released anywhere else. They include a scathingly honest song called "Democracy," which is perhaps Fogelberg's most biting political song:
"They've got McDonald's in the USSR
Fries and burgers in the Kremlin's backyard
Now they're learning what democracy means
Let's send them Calvin Klein jeans
Is this what democracy means?"
Every time I went to Russia, I asked myself the same thing.
So, check out these songs. They're all classic Dan in their own way.
The second iTunes playlist I call "Fogelberg Songs You Should Know." And I post it with the assumption that most of these will be unknown to most of you readers. I tried to avoid all the hits. (But...couldn't not include "Gambler"...)
See, this is the stuff I love. I love the soaring sentiment of "In the Passage." I love the edge of "As the Raven Flies." I love the cool opening riff of "These Days." I love the eerie, realm-of-the-spirits quality of "Ghosts." I love the sad story of an old woman in "Windows and Walls."
There were so many songs over those many years that nobody but the truest of "Danfans" knew. Get to know them.
Then, there were two albums of jazz music with Tim Weisberg, and one bluegrass record with folks like Ricky Skaggs. How many pop stars ever release three records like that? (Maybe one. But three?) How many of them play most of their own instruments, sing many of the vocals, and even drew cover art on occasion?
My point is, musically, Fogelberg was a heck of a lot deeper than "Longer."
And, lyrically, there was real poetry and storytelling in those songs. I've blogged about "Same Old Lang Syne" before. But the truth is it's just a well written song...really really nice images:
"She said she saw in the record store,
and that I must be doing well.
I said the audience was heavenly,
but the traveling was hell."
Or the final lines:
"The beer was empty, and our tongues were tired,
And running out of things to say.
She gave a kiss to me as I got out,
And I watched her drive away.
Just for a moment, I was back in school,
And felt that old familiar pain.
And as I turned to make my way back home,
the snow turned into rain."
Even if you've never experienced a moment like that, you can picture it, can't you? As you listen, you draw a mental image of the moment comes to life. So that when Dan inserts a real pause --right at "just for a moment I was back in school..."-- it's we listeners who suddenly pause too, and make our own trips back in time.
Having the muse to write those lines, having the sense to put in that pause, these are the things that distinguish good songs from great ones.
And, I might argue that some of Fogelberg's contributions to the Southern California Rock sound ended up inspiring even greater work later down the road. As just one example, you may remember that Joe Walsh produced Fogelberg's record "Souvenirs."
So, keeping that in mind, give another listen to "As the Raven Flies." Listen carefully to Dan and Walsh trade off on the final guitar lead that fades out the song. And as you listen, tell me you don't hear the genesis of the most famous two-lead solo ever to close a song: Hotel California.
Go ahead and try it. The similarity will jump out at you. Promise.
If there was no "Raven," would there have been a Hotel California? Would it have sounded like it did?
At the very least, Walsh credits Fogelberg as a general influence on him. Two nights ago, on Larry King, Joe Walsh said this:
"...he was an amazing song writer. I met him about 1974, as far as I can remember, and here was this really humble kid, undiscovered, with these wonderful songs, and finely crafted songs. And I brought him out to Los Angeles to try to help him do an album, and our whole community kind of took him under our wing. He was really a big influence as a song writer and a musician to us all."
Anyway, these are many of the things I still wanted to say about Fogelberg tonight.
But the final reason I wanted to write this entry was to show you how I literally produced several songs with the intent of creating an "homage" to Fogelberg. I've never admitted this before, but now seems the time.
The two most obvious examples are on the first CD: "Your Warm" and "Deep Blue Grey."
Listen to this clip of "Your Warm." Then go listen to "The Reach" by Fogelberg. Compare the ringing guitar, and the background strings....hear it?
Then, listen to this clip of "Deep Blue Grey," and I think you will hear shades of "Place in the World for a Gambler," ....especially in the bass parts and final chorus structure. (the Gambler YouTube clip is quite nice...btw...)
They don't have the same lyrical theme. But when we went to produce them, I definitely had Fogelberg in mind. Some folks chided me at the time for over-producing these CD. But tonight I am more pleased than ever that they stand as an example of how Fogelberg's music influenced mine. I'd like to believe that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. At least, that's what I was shooting for.
Well, thanks for reading this. It probably helped me more to write it than it did you to read. I'm feeling better already.
So thanks again, Dan: For all the inspiration and music that is so much a part of my own history.
* (This month, we've also had a fair number of visitors reading this blog about our Memphis trip too...)
|
Goodbye to Dan Fogelberg
Dec/16/2007 09:02 PM | Permalink
I have just heard the news about Dan's death earlier
today, and am still very much at a loss for words. I
wrote
this entry
about Dan about two years ago. I probably don't have
a lot more to say today about Dan beyond than this
tribute to him, and I hope you'll consider giving it
a read tonight.
I will say, that I was thinking about Dan just two days ago, when I happened on my "Greetings from the West" video. Sat down watched the whole thing for the first time in years. Wondered at the time how Dan was doing.
Isn't it strange how sometimes we hold people in our thoughts, and are never sure why, but only later realize the reason?
The band I am in, Connections, has done a tribute show to Dan in the past few years. You can see some videos from that tribute show here. If you're in the Dallas area, I am sure we'll do a Fogelberg tribute sometime in the new year. If you sign up for my email list, I am sure you'll get the word when that comes around.
While I am very sad about Dan's passing, I am also more honored than ever to be one of those who yearns to keep his music alive. And I hope that many of you who are players and performers will consider adding some of his songs to your sets.
I know that Dan continues to have many many fans, because for the past few years people would occasionally stop by my blog to ask about his health. I never did know anything, but it taught me that he has many fans and admirers who, I am sure, are all feeling this loss tonight.
There are so many lyrics from so many songs that might be appropriate right now. I try to pay attention to the songs that pop into my head at any given moment, and the one that came to me a moment ago was "Wandering Shepherd" from High Country Snows.
It may not be his most famous song. But at this moment they'd be the words that, if I could, I'd sing to him:
Wandering shepherd, wander no more
Wandering shepherd, wander no more
Wandering shepherd, wander no more
Lay down your troubles, your worries and woes.
Traveling pilgrim, rest for the night
Traveling pilgrim, rest for the night
Traveling pilgrim, rest for the night
Sup with the Savior and drink of his Light.
Homeless believer, find here a home
Homeless believer, find here a home
Homeless believer, find here a home
You may be lonely but never alone.
Wandering shepherd, wander no more
Wandering shepherd, wander no more
Wandering shepherd, wander no more
Lay down your troubles, your worries and woes.
Rest well, Dan...
I will say, that I was thinking about Dan just two days ago, when I happened on my "Greetings from the West" video. Sat down watched the whole thing for the first time in years. Wondered at the time how Dan was doing.
Isn't it strange how sometimes we hold people in our thoughts, and are never sure why, but only later realize the reason?
The band I am in, Connections, has done a tribute show to Dan in the past few years. You can see some videos from that tribute show here. If you're in the Dallas area, I am sure we'll do a Fogelberg tribute sometime in the new year. If you sign up for my email list, I am sure you'll get the word when that comes around.
While I am very sad about Dan's passing, I am also more honored than ever to be one of those who yearns to keep his music alive. And I hope that many of you who are players and performers will consider adding some of his songs to your sets.
I know that Dan continues to have many many fans, because for the past few years people would occasionally stop by my blog to ask about his health. I never did know anything, but it taught me that he has many fans and admirers who, I am sure, are all feeling this loss tonight.
There are so many lyrics from so many songs that might be appropriate right now. I try to pay attention to the songs that pop into my head at any given moment, and the one that came to me a moment ago was "Wandering Shepherd" from High Country Snows.
It may not be his most famous song. But at this moment they'd be the words that, if I could, I'd sing to him:
Wandering shepherd, wander no more
Wandering shepherd, wander no more
Wandering shepherd, wander no more
Lay down your troubles, your worries and woes.
Traveling pilgrim, rest for the night
Traveling pilgrim, rest for the night
Traveling pilgrim, rest for the night
Sup with the Savior and drink of his Light.
Homeless believer, find here a home
Homeless believer, find here a home
Homeless believer, find here a home
You may be lonely but never alone.
Wandering shepherd, wander no more
Wandering shepherd, wander no more
Wandering shepherd, wander no more
Lay down your troubles, your worries and woes.
Rest well, Dan...
Glory Be Update...
Oct/30/2007 08:15 PM | Permalink
An update on
this.
I am pleased to tell you that my friend, Kathleen Baskin-Ball has received good news from her doctors. The cancer they described as so grave and life-threatening is now in complete remission.
It's one of those recoveries that everyone uses the word "miraculous" to describe. I'm just so pleased to hear the news.
Couldn't happen to a nicer person. And I'm now saying prayers of thanks.
I am pleased to tell you that my friend, Kathleen Baskin-Ball has received good news from her doctors. The cancer they described as so grave and life-threatening is now in complete remission.
It's one of those recoveries that everyone uses the word "miraculous" to describe. I'm just so pleased to hear the news.
Couldn't happen to a nicer person. And I'm now saying prayers of thanks.
James Taylor
Sep/22/2007 10:23 PM | Permalink
It's probably
the epitome of cliche for me to tell you I'm a
James Taylor fan. Even more than
other musicians I've written about before, just
about every guy my age who ever picked up an
acoustic guitar has publicly pledged
his troth to the music of James Taylor. So, yeah,
it's probably not hip to say this. And, yeah, it's
probably cliche.
Know what? I could care less. I'm a huge fan, and have been for years. And as both he and me have gotten older, my admiration has simply deepened and grown. As with Fogelberg's music, as I was learning the guitar, I learned the Greatest Hits of James Taylor. Or, I should say, for many years I could play the chords from the song book. But what came out of my guitar never sounded close to what Taylor played. (This may be, from a psychological point of view, why I gravitated more to Fogelberg...at least on some of his stuff I could approximate the records...)
So it's been gratifying is that, as my playing has improved through the years, so has may ability to mimic those records. Or at least, as I often say, get "good enough to fool most people." In fact the "carrot and stick" of playing a flawless "You've Got a Friend," or "Something in the Way She Moves," was one of the key ways my own playing improved, especially in the early years..
A part of why I am adding JT to my "balcony people" list right now is, of course, because of the tribute show tonight. Connections Band rides again with a tribute show to the music of James Taylor and Carole King. As I've mentioned, the first set will be King. The second Taylor. I suppose I ought to write an entry for Carole King too...arguably not the most prolific woman songwriter of a generation, but the most prolific songwriter of a generation, period. But for me personally, Taylor's the one whose music is so much a part of my cultural DNA.
"Goodnight you moonlight ladies
Rockabye sweet baby james
Deep greens and blues are the colors I choose
Wont you let me go down in my dreams
And rockabye sweet baby james"
What I'm about to write is based on stories I've heard over the years. Is it all true? Who knows. Write a comment if I get it wrong.
Taylor's first big hit was "Fire and Rain," a song that folks have struggled for years to interpret. The bottom line is: it was a song written out of some of the deep pain of his life at the time. And had it never been written, we might never have heard the name James Taylor.
Taylor has suffered from depression and mental illness for many years, and was first hospitalized for it during high school. Drug addiction, heroin specifically, has also been a minor chord of his life for decades.
Early in his musical life, Taylor formed a band called "Flying Machine" with his lifelong friend, Danny Kortchmar. But the group bombed out, and ended up in "pieces on the ground."
A big break came after he sent a demo tape to the great Peter Asher, who would become extremely important in his career. That tape eventually led to a deal as the very first artist signed by Apple Records, the Beatles brand new label.
But even though his first record was recorded at Abbey Road, and even though George and Paul both played on it, it didn't do well. (An historical tidbit to give anyone whose record ever bombs a little comfort...)
When JT got back from England, depression and drug addiction reared their heads again. Add to this, he got the news that an old friend, Suzanne Schnerr, had committed suicide. There is some indication that perhaps Taylor's friends and family actually kept the news from him for the months he'd been in England, hoping to not upset him or interrupt the recording of that first record.
He made a couple of major appearances in 69, but the heroin was really gripping him tightly. And to top it all off, he had a motorcycle accident where he broke both of his hands!!!
At the turn of the decade he couldn't even play guitar, he'd lost a good friend to suicide, struggled with depression and drugs, seen the failure of an early band and a first record. It was looking like nobody would ever know the name James Taylor.
It's right about then that he sits down to write "Fire and Rain." That song, from his second album, would become the breakthrough smash hit that propelled him to stardom. (In fact, it caused folks to take another look at that first record, which pushed "Carolina on my Mind" into the charts almost two years after the album's release...)
It was a heady time for singer songwriters. As the decade progressed, they dominated Pop Radio. Taylor, King, Cat Stevens, Fogelberg, Harry Chapin, Carly Simon, Jackson Browne, Stephen Bishop...and no doubt a host of others I'm leaving out. Taylor was featured on the cover of Time Magazine as the quintessential American "singer-songwriter." Arguably, when folks think of that generation, it's his name they remember most. Taylor and Simon got married, and were something of an early pop-icon marriage (at least as far as singer songwriters go...)
Hits poured forth: a covers like "You've Got a Friend," and "Up on the Roof;" originals like "Something in the Way She Moves," Walking Man," and "Shower the People."
This incredible career has seen five Grammy Awards, 40 gold, platinum, and multi-platinum records, induction into the Rock and Roll and Songwriter Hall of Fames. Taylor was awarded Billboard's "Century Award," given for the highest level of creative attainment, and more recently he recieved the honor of "GrammiCares Person of the Year." On Taylor's Wikipedia site, it says this about that event:
"At a black tie ceremony held in Los Angeles, musicians from several eras paid tribute to Taylor by performing his songs, often prefacing them with remarks on his influence on their decisions to become musicians. These artists included Carole King, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Taj Mahal, Dr. John, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, David Crosby, Sheryl Crow, India.Arie, the Dixie Chicks, Jerry Douglas, Alison Krauss, and Keith Urban. Paul Simon performed as well, although he was not included in the televised program..."
In other words, there is no doubting that Taylor's music and career have had an influence not only on countless guys like me, but on many of today's most famous musicians.
Taylor's first "Greatest Hits" record featured new versions of "Carolina" and "Something in the Way." And although it never rose to higher than 26th place on the charts, it eventually blew away every higher charting album of that era. In fact, to this day, thirty years later, it still holds the record for second longest number of consecutive weeks on the charts. (Right behind Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon.") It stayed on those charts for 573 weeks...or eleven years!! It's sold more than 10 million copies, making it not just platinum, but the very rare "diamond" record.
Despite the professional success, Taylor was beset with personal problems. His marriage to Carly Simon was rocky. There are stories that she was often frustrated by his long touring schedule, and there are stories that his album "Dad Loves His Work" was something of a response to this. If true, this was hardly a way to keep a marriage together. Sure enough, the marriage ended two years after that record. Their children, Ben and Sally Taylor are now also both musicians, and have had some success among twenty-somethings in the past few years.
His siblings, Livingston and Kate, have also been musicians of some note. I have a couple of Livingston Taylor records, and they're all quite good.
"Oh my God, a monkey can move a man
Send him to hell
And home again
With an empty hand in the afternoon
Shooting for the moon
It's halfway sick
And it's halfway stoned
He'd sure like to kick
But it's too far gone
They wind him down with the methadone
He's all on his own"
Heroin was an addiction Taylor struggled with for much of his adult life. It no doubt colored many of his relationships, and his ability to work and produce. As successful as he's been, it's something to wonder what else might have been possible, had he not been trapped by the addiction. Add to this, as time passes and songs get more famous and take on a life of their own, and become larger than life. The demand to hear the "old stuff" outpaces the desire of fans to let an artist change and grow. I don't know, but I would guess these are issues that Taylor has struggled over the years.
As I understand, it was the death of Taylor's friend, John Belushi, that was something of a wakeup call for him concerning his life. It's mentioned in this verse from the song, "That's Why I'm Here."
"John's gone found dead he dies high he's brown bread
Later said to have drowned in his bed
After the laughter the wave of the dread
It hits us like a ton of lead
It seems "learn not to burn" means to turn on a dime
Walk on if you're walking even if it's an uphill climb
Try to remember that working's no crime
Just don't let 'em take and waste your time"
That record, "That's Why I'm Here" marked something of a return to James Taylor for me. It was roughly around the time I was discovering other contemporary songwriters (Wilcox, Gorka, Larkin, etc...) and also roughly around the time when I began to think most of the rest of pop music on the radio really sucked. It seemed like Taylor had lifted out of a fog in his life and career and was at a place where he could finally look back and see (and accept) his own place in life. In fact, it would later be said that Taylor was close to walking away from his career in the time just before this record. But then, he played an incredible show down in Rio. Taylor's Wikipedia entry tells the story:
"He was quoted in various interviews that he was thinking of retiring after fulfilling his last contractual obligation, the Rock In Rio in 1985. However, he was surprised by the reception of the audience on Saturday, January 12 (there were 250,000 people, the biggest attendance of the 10-day festival), when he performed right before George Benson. Two days later, they were scheduled to perform in the same order, but because Taylor's extended performance had caused a delay to Benson's on Saturday, Benson proposed that they switch the order. Taylor ended up the finale in this second performance. Buoyed by the audience's reception, he decided to take back his life and his career. (Sixteen years later, on January 12, 2001, he played the very same site, at the opening night of the third Rock in Rio, whose organizer, Roberto Medina, described Taylor to the Brazilian press then as "his good luck charm".) The song "Only a Dream in Rio" was written in tribute to that night...The album, That's Why I'm Here, from which that song came, started a series of studio recordings that, while spaced further apart than his previous records, showed a more consistent level of quality and fewer covers."
Oh what a night wonderful one in a million
Frozen fire brazillian stars
Oh holy southern cross
If "Fire and Rain" had defined the young man --and an early life filled with pain and disappointment-- it seems to me that "That's Why I'm Here" and song marked the beginning of a new era; a turning point for a guy who was now a little older, a little wiser, less tormented by ghosts, and much more comfortable inside his own skin. Taylor sings as much in the final verse:
"Oh, fortune and fame's such a curious game
Perfect strangers can call you by name
Pay good money to hear fire and rain
Again and again and again
Some are like summer coming back every year
Got your baby got your blanket got your bucket of beer
I break into a grin from ear to ear
And suddenly it's perfectly clear
That's why I'm here
Singin tonight, tomorrow, everyday
That's why I'm standing here
That's why I'm here"
Here's a RealPlayer video of a CBS story about James Taylor from a couple of years back. It gives a lot of nice background on him, and features him talking candidly about his life.
If you haven't heard JT's more current work, you owe it to yourself to check it out. Start with "That's Why I'm Here." But don't forget "Hourglass," "Never Die Young," and New Moon Shine. His newest record, "October Road" has song that will take you back to all those old hits, and new ones that are fresh and unique.
To me, Taylor's recent recordings and live shows have a incredible jazz fair to them. If you listen to the chords even in his earliest records, you can hear jazz-like progressions even then. They've always been there. In fact, you could argue that, structurally, his chord progressions have always borrowed more from Jazz than from Pete Seeger. (Which may be why they're so hard for the aspiring folkie to learn...)
His live CD of 1993 is a gem, and you shouldn't miss it. It gives a great flavor of all those live shows. His live band, which has been together for years, is awesome.
I'm certainly one of those guys, coming back summer after summer to hear those songs "again and again." There is something magical about a JT concert in the summertime. I've been that guy with the "baby and beer," sitting on the lawn at StarPlex, allowing the music to take me back through time, but also right into the present too.
There is something incredible about the connection of those songs to your life and your personal history, and I get the sense that Taylor now realizes what an honor it is to be a part of so many people's musical DNA and personal life stories. Few artists ever get to that level, really...where their songs are really part of the story so many people tell about their own history. In fact, just last Friday at the Northaven Coffeehouse, a member came up to me afterwards because I'd closed my set with two JT songs (trying to pitch tonight's show...). Everyone in the room had been singing along with every word, and he said, "Wow I'd forgotten how much a part of me those songs were."
And yet, it's also great to see how he's stayed relevant, and even thrived, in recent decades. As he knows all too painfully, some of his generation didn't make it, literally. Some faded away, professionally.
But he's kept at it, and it's always been a grace-filled experience to have his music as a soundtrack for life.
"I forget what to ask for
There isn't anything I haven't been given
How could I wish for anything more
As I am here living in heaven
This moment in the sun
To feel the wheel turning on
Carry me on my way"
Know what? I could care less. I'm a huge fan, and have been for years. And as both he and me have gotten older, my admiration has simply deepened and grown. As with Fogelberg's music, as I was learning the guitar, I learned the Greatest Hits of James Taylor. Or, I should say, for many years I could play the chords from the song book. But what came out of my guitar never sounded close to what Taylor played. (This may be, from a psychological point of view, why I gravitated more to Fogelberg...at least on some of his stuff I could approximate the records...)
So it's been gratifying is that, as my playing has improved through the years, so has may ability to mimic those records. Or at least, as I often say, get "good enough to fool most people." In fact the "carrot and stick" of playing a flawless "You've Got a Friend," or "Something in the Way She Moves," was one of the key ways my own playing improved, especially in the early years..
A part of why I am adding JT to my "balcony people" list right now is, of course, because of the tribute show tonight. Connections Band rides again with a tribute show to the music of James Taylor and Carole King. As I've mentioned, the first set will be King. The second Taylor. I suppose I ought to write an entry for Carole King too...arguably not the most prolific woman songwriter of a generation, but the most prolific songwriter of a generation, period. But for me personally, Taylor's the one whose music is so much a part of my cultural DNA.
"Goodnight you moonlight ladies
Rockabye sweet baby james
Deep greens and blues are the colors I choose
Wont you let me go down in my dreams
And rockabye sweet baby james"
What I'm about to write is based on stories I've heard over the years. Is it all true? Who knows. Write a comment if I get it wrong.
Taylor's first big hit was "Fire and Rain," a song that folks have struggled for years to interpret. The bottom line is: it was a song written out of some of the deep pain of his life at the time. And had it never been written, we might never have heard the name James Taylor.
Taylor has suffered from depression and mental illness for many years, and was first hospitalized for it during high school. Drug addiction, heroin specifically, has also been a minor chord of his life for decades.
Early in his musical life, Taylor formed a band called "Flying Machine" with his lifelong friend, Danny Kortchmar. But the group bombed out, and ended up in "pieces on the ground."
A big break came after he sent a demo tape to the great Peter Asher, who would become extremely important in his career. That tape eventually led to a deal as the very first artist signed by Apple Records, the Beatles brand new label.
But even though his first record was recorded at Abbey Road, and even though George and Paul both played on it, it didn't do well. (An historical tidbit to give anyone whose record ever bombs a little comfort...)
When JT got back from England, depression and drug addiction reared their heads again. Add to this, he got the news that an old friend, Suzanne Schnerr, had committed suicide. There is some indication that perhaps Taylor's friends and family actually kept the news from him for the months he'd been in England, hoping to not upset him or interrupt the recording of that first record.
He made a couple of major appearances in 69, but the heroin was really gripping him tightly. And to top it all off, he had a motorcycle accident where he broke both of his hands!!!
At the turn of the decade he couldn't even play guitar, he'd lost a good friend to suicide, struggled with depression and drugs, seen the failure of an early band and a first record. It was looking like nobody would ever know the name James Taylor.
It's right about then that he sits down to write "Fire and Rain." That song, from his second album, would become the breakthrough smash hit that propelled him to stardom. (In fact, it caused folks to take another look at that first record, which pushed "Carolina on my Mind" into the charts almost two years after the album's release...)
It was a heady time for singer songwriters. As the decade progressed, they dominated Pop Radio. Taylor, King, Cat Stevens, Fogelberg, Harry Chapin, Carly Simon, Jackson Browne, Stephen Bishop...and no doubt a host of others I'm leaving out. Taylor was featured on the cover of Time Magazine as the quintessential American "singer-songwriter." Arguably, when folks think of that generation, it's his name they remember most. Taylor and Simon got married, and were something of an early pop-icon marriage (at least as far as singer songwriters go...)
Hits poured forth: a covers like "You've Got a Friend," and "Up on the Roof;" originals like "Something in the Way She Moves," Walking Man," and "Shower the People."
This incredible career has seen five Grammy Awards, 40 gold, platinum, and multi-platinum records, induction into the Rock and Roll and Songwriter Hall of Fames. Taylor was awarded Billboard's "Century Award," given for the highest level of creative attainment, and more recently he recieved the honor of "GrammiCares Person of the Year." On Taylor's Wikipedia site, it says this about that event:
"At a black tie ceremony held in Los Angeles, musicians from several eras paid tribute to Taylor by performing his songs, often prefacing them with remarks on his influence on their decisions to become musicians. These artists included Carole King, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Taj Mahal, Dr. John, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, David Crosby, Sheryl Crow, India.Arie, the Dixie Chicks, Jerry Douglas, Alison Krauss, and Keith Urban. Paul Simon performed as well, although he was not included in the televised program..."
In other words, there is no doubting that Taylor's music and career have had an influence not only on countless guys like me, but on many of today's most famous musicians.
Taylor's first "Greatest Hits" record featured new versions of "Carolina" and "Something in the Way." And although it never rose to higher than 26th place on the charts, it eventually blew away every higher charting album of that era. In fact, to this day, thirty years later, it still holds the record for second longest number of consecutive weeks on the charts. (Right behind Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon.") It stayed on those charts for 573 weeks...or eleven years!! It's sold more than 10 million copies, making it not just platinum, but the very rare "diamond" record.
Despite the professional success, Taylor was beset with personal problems. His marriage to Carly Simon was rocky. There are stories that she was often frustrated by his long touring schedule, and there are stories that his album "Dad Loves His Work" was something of a response to this. If true, this was hardly a way to keep a marriage together. Sure enough, the marriage ended two years after that record. Their children, Ben and Sally Taylor are now also both musicians, and have had some success among twenty-somethings in the past few years.
His siblings, Livingston and Kate, have also been musicians of some note. I have a couple of Livingston Taylor records, and they're all quite good.
"Oh my God, a monkey can move a man
Send him to hell
And home again
With an empty hand in the afternoon
Shooting for the moon
It's halfway sick
And it's halfway stoned
He'd sure like to kick
But it's too far gone
They wind him down with the methadone
He's all on his own"
Heroin was an addiction Taylor struggled with for much of his adult life. It no doubt colored many of his relationships, and his ability to work and produce. As successful as he's been, it's something to wonder what else might have been possible, had he not been trapped by the addiction. Add to this, as time passes and songs get more famous and take on a life of their own, and become larger than life. The demand to hear the "old stuff" outpaces the desire of fans to let an artist change and grow. I don't know, but I would guess these are issues that Taylor has struggled over the years.
As I understand, it was the death of Taylor's friend, John Belushi, that was something of a wakeup call for him concerning his life. It's mentioned in this verse from the song, "That's Why I'm Here."
"John's gone found dead he dies high he's brown bread
Later said to have drowned in his bed
After the laughter the wave of the dread
It hits us like a ton of lead
It seems "learn not to burn" means to turn on a dime
Walk on if you're walking even if it's an uphill climb
Try to remember that working's no crime
Just don't let 'em take and waste your time"
That record, "That's Why I'm Here" marked something of a return to James Taylor for me. It was roughly around the time I was discovering other contemporary songwriters (Wilcox, Gorka, Larkin, etc...) and also roughly around the time when I began to think most of the rest of pop music on the radio really sucked. It seemed like Taylor had lifted out of a fog in his life and career and was at a place where he could finally look back and see (and accept) his own place in life. In fact, it would later be said that Taylor was close to walking away from his career in the time just before this record. But then, he played an incredible show down in Rio. Taylor's Wikipedia entry tells the story:
"He was quoted in various interviews that he was thinking of retiring after fulfilling his last contractual obligation, the Rock In Rio in 1985. However, he was surprised by the reception of the audience on Saturday, January 12 (there were 250,000 people, the biggest attendance of the 10-day festival), when he performed right before George Benson. Two days later, they were scheduled to perform in the same order, but because Taylor's extended performance had caused a delay to Benson's on Saturday, Benson proposed that they switch the order. Taylor ended up the finale in this second performance. Buoyed by the audience's reception, he decided to take back his life and his career. (Sixteen years later, on January 12, 2001, he played the very same site, at the opening night of the third Rock in Rio, whose organizer, Roberto Medina, described Taylor to the Brazilian press then as "his good luck charm".) The song "Only a Dream in Rio" was written in tribute to that night...The album, That's Why I'm Here, from which that song came, started a series of studio recordings that, while spaced further apart than his previous records, showed a more consistent level of quality and fewer covers."
Oh what a night wonderful one in a million
Frozen fire brazillian stars
Oh holy southern cross
If "Fire and Rain" had defined the young man --and an early life filled with pain and disappointment-- it seems to me that "That's Why I'm Here" and song marked the beginning of a new era; a turning point for a guy who was now a little older, a little wiser, less tormented by ghosts, and much more comfortable inside his own skin. Taylor sings as much in the final verse:
"Oh, fortune and fame's such a curious game
Perfect strangers can call you by name
Pay good money to hear fire and rain
Again and again and again
Some are like summer coming back every year
Got your baby got your blanket got your bucket of beer
I break into a grin from ear to ear
And suddenly it's perfectly clear
That's why I'm here
Singin tonight, tomorrow, everyday
That's why I'm standing here
That's why I'm here"
Here's a RealPlayer video of a CBS story about James Taylor from a couple of years back. It gives a lot of nice background on him, and features him talking candidly about his life.
If you haven't heard JT's more current work, you owe it to yourself to check it out. Start with "That's Why I'm Here." But don't forget "Hourglass," "Never Die Young," and New Moon Shine. His newest record, "October Road" has song that will take you back to all those old hits, and new ones that are fresh and unique.
To me, Taylor's recent recordings and live shows have a incredible jazz fair to them. If you listen to the chords even in his earliest records, you can hear jazz-like progressions even then. They've always been there. In fact, you could argue that, structurally, his chord progressions have always borrowed more from Jazz than from Pete Seeger. (Which may be why they're so hard for the aspiring folkie to learn...)
His live CD of 1993 is a gem, and you shouldn't miss it. It gives a great flavor of all those live shows. His live band, which has been together for years, is awesome.
I'm certainly one of those guys, coming back summer after summer to hear those songs "again and again." There is something magical about a JT concert in the summertime. I've been that guy with the "baby and beer," sitting on the lawn at StarPlex, allowing the music to take me back through time, but also right into the present too.
There is something incredible about the connection of those songs to your life and your personal history, and I get the sense that Taylor now realizes what an honor it is to be a part of so many people's musical DNA and personal life stories. Few artists ever get to that level, really...where their songs are really part of the story so many people tell about their own history. In fact, just last Friday at the Northaven Coffeehouse, a member came up to me afterwards because I'd closed my set with two JT songs (trying to pitch tonight's show...). Everyone in the room had been singing along with every word, and he said, "Wow I'd forgotten how much a part of me those songs were."
And yet, it's also great to see how he's stayed relevant, and even thrived, in recent decades. As he knows all too painfully, some of his generation didn't make it, literally. Some faded away, professionally.
But he's kept at it, and it's always been a grace-filled experience to have his music as a soundtrack for life.
"I forget what to ask for
There isn't anything I haven't been given
How could I wish for anything more
As I am here living in heaven
This moment in the sun
To feel the wheel turning on
Carry me on my way"
High School Heroes
Jun/26/2007 07:16 AM | Permalink
There is virtually no higher honor for a high school
student than meeting the President of the United
States. Only a select few kids ever get the chance.
And, usually, it's a high school hero of some
distinction: National Spelling Bee Winner, High
School Football Champions, Boy Scout Troops.
Yesterday afternoon, it was a group of Presidential Scholars. The President had invited them to the White House to congratulate them on their award, and to use the occasion to reauthorize the "No Child Left Behind" act.
Presidential Scholars are smart kids. According to a Washington Post story this morning, it's a high honor that very few kids get:
"Each year the program selects one male and one female student from each state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Americans living abroad, 15 at-large students, and up to 20 students in the arts on the basis of outstanding scholarship, service, leadership and creativity."
Not only do these kids get to meet the President, but they also attend lectures and seminars all over Washington, with government officials and elected representatives, during the month of June.
These are smart kids.
These are bright kids.
These are the kind of kids that serve as vessels for our collective hopes and dreams for the future.
When the President met with 50-some of these kids yesterday, they handed him a handwritten letter. Apparently, it was a letter stating some of their heartfelt concerns.
Now even though these are smart kids, they're still kids. So you had to wonder: what crucial issue would be on their minds and hearts, compelling them to speak to the President directly about it?
Were they requesting presidential pardon for Paris Hilton?
Suggesting Ludacris tunes for his iPod?
Offering him a Haiku about Sanjaya?
Nope. None of these. Instead, the handwritten note implored the President to uphold the Geneva Conventions.
The concern on these high school kid's hearts was torture; and told the President that they "believe we have a responsibility to voice our convictions."
Here's a part of their letter:
"We do not want America to represent torture. We urge you to do all in your power to stop violations of the human rights of detainees, to cease illegal renditions, and to apply the Geneva Convention to all detainees, including those designated enemy combatants..."
I can promise you what you will hear in the media today. On right-wing-talk-radio, you will hear that these kids ambushed the President. They will call it disgraceful that these kids took an innocent and non-political event, and injected politics into it.
But, of course, they did nothing of the sort.
It was, in fact, the President's staff who was atttempted to use them as window dressing at the reauthorization of "No Child Left Behind." His staff put politics into it. They just chose to speak their mind too.
We'll probably also hear that not all of the President Scholars signed on to this letter.
I am sure this is the case. In any group of smart, free-thinking kids, there will be those who choose not to go with the group.
But neither of these is the thing I will remember from this story.
What I will remember is the courage it took for these high school kids --who were guests in the White House-- to speak out boldly about what they believe.
The power differential between a high school kid and the President of the United States is pretty vast. The possibility of retaliation by others, or the loss of career opportunities, is real. They had no power to wield, and everything to lose. Given this, the pressure to stand quietly, smile meekly, take pics for your MySpace page, and then just go home, must have been intense.
But they didn't do that. They did much more than that. They chose to speak their "truth" to the most powerful "power" in the world.
And whether you agree with them or disagree with them, you have to admit that it takes a lot of courage to do what they did.
And for this, I'd have to say that these are smart kids. They give me some hope about the future.
They are real high school heroes.
--30--
Yesterday afternoon, it was a group of Presidential Scholars. The President had invited them to the White House to congratulate them on their award, and to use the occasion to reauthorize the "No Child Left Behind" act.
Presidential Scholars are smart kids. According to a Washington Post story this morning, it's a high honor that very few kids get:
"Each year the program selects one male and one female student from each state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Americans living abroad, 15 at-large students, and up to 20 students in the arts on the basis of outstanding scholarship, service, leadership and creativity."
Not only do these kids get to meet the President, but they also attend lectures and seminars all over Washington, with government officials and elected representatives, during the month of June.
These are smart kids.
These are bright kids.
These are the kind of kids that serve as vessels for our collective hopes and dreams for the future.
When the President met with 50-some of these kids yesterday, they handed him a handwritten letter. Apparently, it was a letter stating some of their heartfelt concerns.
Now even though these are smart kids, they're still kids. So you had to wonder: what crucial issue would be on their minds and hearts, compelling them to speak to the President directly about it?
Were they requesting presidential pardon for Paris Hilton?
Suggesting Ludacris tunes for his iPod?
Offering him a Haiku about Sanjaya?
Nope. None of these. Instead, the handwritten note implored the President to uphold the Geneva Conventions.
The concern on these high school kid's hearts was torture; and told the President that they "believe we have a responsibility to voice our convictions."
Here's a part of their letter:
"We do not want America to represent torture. We urge you to do all in your power to stop violations of the human rights of detainees, to cease illegal renditions, and to apply the Geneva Convention to all detainees, including those designated enemy combatants..."
I can promise you what you will hear in the media today. On right-wing-talk-radio, you will hear that these kids ambushed the President. They will call it disgraceful that these kids took an innocent and non-political event, and injected politics into it.
But, of course, they did nothing of the sort.
It was, in fact, the President's staff who was atttempted to use them as window dressing at the reauthorization of "No Child Left Behind." His staff put politics into it. They just chose to speak their mind too.
We'll probably also hear that not all of the President Scholars signed on to this letter.
I am sure this is the case. In any group of smart, free-thinking kids, there will be those who choose not to go with the group.
But neither of these is the thing I will remember from this story.
What I will remember is the courage it took for these high school kids --who were guests in the White House-- to speak out boldly about what they believe.
The power differential between a high school kid and the President of the United States is pretty vast. The possibility of retaliation by others, or the loss of career opportunities, is real. They had no power to wield, and everything to lose. Given this, the pressure to stand quietly, smile meekly, take pics for your MySpace page, and then just go home, must have been intense.
But they didn't do that. They did much more than that. They chose to speak their "truth" to the most powerful "power" in the world.
And whether you agree with them or disagree with them, you have to admit that it takes a lot of courage to do what they did.
And for this, I'd have to say that these are smart kids. They give me some hope about the future.
They are real high school heroes.
--30--
Connor's Army
Jun/23/2007 10:28 AM | Permalink
Gene Conner is another of my great old friends. I met
him at SMU, in the residence halls. He was part of my
all-star-RA-staff the last year I was in seminary. In
college, Gene was a dance major. He was
great
dancer. I still remember the afternoon Gene was part
of a brownbag series over at the Meadows School. Many
of us from that tight RA staff went over to watch him
dance to the Indigo Girl's "Blood and Fire." That
that CD was something of a soundtrack for that last
year of our lives in school. (for many of us...)
Here's the whole staff, down at the old downtown Chuy's:
Gene's on the far right. That's me next to him. Yep, promise it is.
(Others from right: Patrick Lea, Shannon Brown, Dennise, Carolyn Herter, Rafael Anchia, Shannon Breaux, and Chris Wilmoth)
Here's Carolyn, me, Gene, and Dennise on graduation day in front of Letterman Hall:
Yes, I had hair then.
Gene moved to New York after school and he did dance for some time there. Eventually, he settled in to a career as a teacher, married a wonderful woman, and had some great kids. (They must be...they're Gene's...).
But Gene has something else that sets him apart from all my other friends. And it's not a distinction he --or anyone else for that matter-- would ever want. Gene Connor, and his family, has been touched by the scourge of cancer more than anyone else I know.
As Gene tells it, until he reached adulthood he'd never really thought much about cancer. A few folks had it along the way...a grandmother, a great-uncle, a friend of the family. But he was young, they were somewhat distant, and it didn't strike close.
That all changed in 2005.
First, Gene's wife's grandmother --a beloved member of the family-- died. That was quickly followed by his uncle. Then his wife's aunt. Then a colleague from work. Somewhere in this, Gene also learned that his mother --who had ben out of his life for some years, and only recently reconnected-- had also had cancer somewhere along the way.
That would have been enough. I mean, that's five close family members and friend in a period of just a few years.
But that's not half the story...
Somewhere in the midst of all this, his sister also got cancer.
The very next year, another of his sisters got cancer.
A year after that? A third sister got cancer.
Three sisters in less than three years. Plus the other five close friends and family....eight people in all, in the span of just a few years.
How could this be?!!! he wondered. What is going on here?!!!
Obviously, he was there for his family, providing emotional support to them (Gene's a very kind soul...). But what a load to carry, and what a struggle to keep hope.
Then, he started thinking, What if this isn't over? What if it happens again to someone else I love?
That's when Gene knew he had to do MORE.
So, Gene decided to do something he knew he could do to help. He decided to ride his bike.
Gene decided to ride his bike 2000 miles over the span of one year, and to use that goal to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Thus "Connor's Army" was born; a movement of friends, family, and other supporters that are helping Gene make this goal.
His goal is to raise $10,000. The year is just about half gone, and Gene is just about halfway to the goal. I could not be prouder of my old friend. But often, the last half of a goal is harder to reach than the first. And so, I'd like to urge you all to join in.
Become a part of Connor's Army, and help Gene make his goal. You can do that by going right here.
Here's a part of Gene's plea for you to be involved:
"Now please understand. I'm no Lance Armstrong. I cycle to work and occasionally for pleasure, but by the end of 2006 I logged about 1,500 commuting miles. And in 2007 I plan to push myself as I raise money for the American Cancer Society. In 2007 every drop I sweat will be in gratitude for Winnie, Angela and TaMara. In 2007 every hill I struggle up will be for my children. In 2007 every mile I ride will be to help beat this disease that ravages the lives of everyday people. In 2007 you can join the battle, too, by joining Connor's Army in the war against cancer.
Help make 2007 the year everyone facing cancer knows that they're not doing battle on their own."
One of the cool things about the internet is that it allows us to make connections we would never otherwise make. Most of you would never know Gene. But this blog lets you know him a bit, giving you the chance to connect with an average guy trying to make a difference.
It's a great story, it's all true, and I'm proud to say it's the story of a friend who's certainly one of my "Balcony People." Gene has made the choice not to be a victim, but to be a fighter.
I hope you'll be inspired to help him, and I hope you'll give generous
Here's the whole staff, down at the old downtown Chuy's:
Gene's on the far right. That's me next to him. Yep, promise it is.
(Others from right: Patrick Lea, Shannon Brown, Dennise, Carolyn Herter, Rafael Anchia, Shannon Breaux, and Chris Wilmoth)
Here's Carolyn, me, Gene, and Dennise on graduation day in front of Letterman Hall:
Yes, I had hair then.
Gene moved to New York after school and he did dance for some time there. Eventually, he settled in to a career as a teacher, married a wonderful woman, and had some great kids. (They must be...they're Gene's...).
But Gene has something else that sets him apart from all my other friends. And it's not a distinction he --or anyone else for that matter-- would ever want. Gene Connor, and his family, has been touched by the scourge of cancer more than anyone else I know.
As Gene tells it, until he reached adulthood he'd never really thought much about cancer. A few folks had it along the way...a grandmother, a great-uncle, a friend of the family. But he was young, they were somewhat distant, and it didn't strike close.
That all changed in 2005.
First, Gene's wife's grandmother --a beloved member of the family-- died. That was quickly followed by his uncle. Then his wife's aunt. Then a colleague from work. Somewhere in this, Gene also learned that his mother --who had ben out of his life for some years, and only recently reconnected-- had also had cancer somewhere along the way.
That would have been enough. I mean, that's five close family members and friend in a period of just a few years.
But that's not half the story...
Somewhere in the midst of all this, his sister also got cancer.
The very next year, another of his sisters got cancer.
A year after that? A third sister got cancer.
Three sisters in less than three years. Plus the other five close friends and family....eight people in all, in the span of just a few years.
How could this be?!!! he wondered. What is going on here?!!!
Obviously, he was there for his family, providing emotional support to them (Gene's a very kind soul...). But what a load to carry, and what a struggle to keep hope.
Then, he started thinking, What if this isn't over? What if it happens again to someone else I love?
That's when Gene knew he had to do MORE.
So, Gene decided to do something he knew he could do to help. He decided to ride his bike.
Gene decided to ride his bike 2000 miles over the span of one year, and to use that goal to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Thus "Connor's Army" was born; a movement of friends, family, and other supporters that are helping Gene make this goal.
His goal is to raise $10,000. The year is just about half gone, and Gene is just about halfway to the goal. I could not be prouder of my old friend. But often, the last half of a goal is harder to reach than the first. And so, I'd like to urge you all to join in.
Become a part of Connor's Army, and help Gene make his goal. You can do that by going right here.
Here's a part of Gene's plea for you to be involved:
"Now please understand. I'm no Lance Armstrong. I cycle to work and occasionally for pleasure, but by the end of 2006 I logged about 1,500 commuting miles. And in 2007 I plan to push myself as I raise money for the American Cancer Society. In 2007 every drop I sweat will be in gratitude for Winnie, Angela and TaMara. In 2007 every hill I struggle up will be for my children. In 2007 every mile I ride will be to help beat this disease that ravages the lives of everyday people. In 2007 you can join the battle, too, by joining Connor's Army in the war against cancer.
Help make 2007 the year everyone facing cancer knows that they're not doing battle on their own."
One of the cool things about the internet is that it allows us to make connections we would never otherwise make. Most of you would never know Gene. But this blog lets you know him a bit, giving you the chance to connect with an average guy trying to make a difference.
It's a great story, it's all true, and I'm proud to say it's the story of a friend who's certainly one of my "Balcony People." Gene has made the choice not to be a victim, but to be a fighter.
I hope you'll be inspired to help him, and I hope you'll give generous
Sheron Patterson
May/08/2007 10:52 PM | Permalink
Incredibly,
another clergy friend has cancer. This time,
it's my old friend, Sheron Patterson. Sheron is
probably known to some of you. She occasionally
writes op-eds for the Morning News, and appears
in other media settings. So, if you think you
recognize her, you probably do.
Sometime after my friend Kathleen Baskin announced her cancer, Sheron also went public with her breast cancer diagnosis too. I was watching the news just night to discover that she had surgery just today. I knew she had cancer. What I didn't know until I watched the news just a couple of minutes ago was that her surgery was today.
So, I am writing this quick blog tonight, and asking for your prayers for her as well. Sheron and I were at Perkins School of Theology at the same time. We shared several classes together, but there's been way too much time pass for either of us to remember what they were now. What brought us together is that we'd both been journalism majors in college. Sheron also later became good friends with one of my residence hall bosses (Jennifer). Sheron, her husband Robert, Jennifer and I went out to dinner a couple of times back in those days.
Sheron and I were ordained around the same time. That's not significant. But her's was on its own, because she was the first African American woman ever ordained in the North Texas Conference. That seems hard to imagine. Then again, given other "firsts" I've seen even more recently, I guess I shouldn't be surprised.
Like most of my other friends, I don't see her as much as I should these days. (Frankly, I am beginning to seriously contemplate just how troubling that is. How do we let friends just slip away and not keep up?)
Here's her website, where you can find all sorts of info. into the many great facets of her life. And here's an essay into today's DMN that talks about today's surgery. Here's the story FOX4 did tonight.
I am thinking and praying for Sheron tonight, and I hope you will too.
Kathleen Baskin-Ball
Apr/12/2007 07:17 AM | Permalink
Kathleen Baskin-Ball has cancer. She's been fighting
cancer for several months, and I have a good idea
she's going to beat it.
There is a benefit concert for her coming up on April 22, and I wanted you all to know about it.
"The Power of a Song: An Evening with Nashville Songwriters"
benefitting Rev. Kathleen Baskin-Ball
Sunday, April 22, 2007 from 5 PM until 7:30 PM
Doors will open at 4:30 PM.
First United Methodist Church, sanctuary
503 North Central Expressway | Richardson, Texas 75080
The show will feature Nashville songwriters Nicole Witt, Don Poythress, Celia Whitler, and Billy Montana. You can learn more about these songwriters at Celia's website here.
Here's some of the public information that's been posted about Kathleen's cancer:
Celia has been a friend of mine for many years, and I'm really pleased to hear that she's putting on this show for our mutual friend, Kathleen. The artists featured that night are both country and inspirational. And , knowing Celia, they will all be top-notch.
There is no question that Kathleen is one of my own personal-living-saints and "balcony people." Kathleen has been a good friend and colleague of mine for years. Almost every time somebody gets cancer, their friends say "why them?" And sometimes, our selfish sides say "why not someone else?"
Lots of folks are saying that about Kathleen. She is such a beacon of light and hope for so many people, and her own life has been a story of overcoming obstacles, and rising from challenging times to new life and hope.
Kathleen and I are ministry colleagues, but we are also good friends. For many years, we were in a once-a-month study group together, where we not only read books, but also shared what was going on in our lives and in our hearts. The "Listening for God" group is still an important part of who I am. And even though we don't all see each other as much now, they are still some of my closest friends.
Kathleen's been through many ups and downs. Early in her ministry, she was appointed to West Dallas, and served a small church there. She not only served that church well, but also lived among the people there in West Dallas. Bilingual and filled with a heart for service, she worked long hours to bring hope to that challenging part of the city. There are very likely young people alive today because of her ministry.
She moved from there to Greenland Hills UMC, where even in a more suburban setting, she continued to push the envelope and challenge her congregation to reach out and include those who are traditionally marginalized by the church.
She struggled through a difficult marriage, and a painful divorce during that period. Sometimes, you can love and admire both halves of couple, care for them both, and still see how they just can't make it work, you know? It was like that.
And so it was that, single again, Kathleen began a period of hoping for her own future. Which, believe it or not, would take a dramatic turn at my CD release party in early 2001.
Kathleen, good friend that she is, decided to come to Poor David's Pub that night. Lots of the single adults that I worked with at HPUMC were also there. Among them, a thirty-something man named Bill Ball. (Follow this link, and you can actually see Bill in the "Shots of the Crowd" pic from the CD Release Party. To my left, he's on the front row, three people in from the center aisle. Amazing that out of the 200-or-so folks there you can actually see him....) Bill was very active in our largest singles class. He, his Mom and his sister, all attended the chapel service I preached each week too.
So, I knew Kathleen well from one part of my life. I knew Bill well from another. But I had no idea that they'd ever known each other. Turns out, when he was just a youth and she was a very young minister, they had known each other at the Annual Conference level. But now, it was...what...fifteen years later? And there they both were, at my CD release party.
The week after, they both called me individually. Each conversations went something like this:
"Hey, enjoyed your CD release party."
"Thanks, (Bill/Kathleen)."
"Hey, I noticed that (Bill Ball/Kathleen Baskin) was there."
"Oh yeah, do you know (him/her)?"
"Yeah, we used to know each other years ago..."
"Oh...cool."
I would make a terrible matchmaker, BTW. I was too dense to put...ahem...two-and-two together. In retrospect, the neon lights should have been flashing and the sirens going off. I do remember wondering, for half a second, why these folks were each calling me about each other. But I quickly put it out of my mind.
But sparks did fly. Romance blossomed. And when it's right, sometimes it hits you hard and quick, and you just "know." So it was that they were married in a matter of months.
Who woulda thunk that lives would changed --destinies be sealed-- at Poor David's Pub?! (aside: It ought to give you pause. Who knows what might happen to you if you come to one of my shows?)
And of all the many ministers they know, I was deeply honored to be the one chosen to preside over their wedding. It was a wonderful night of celebration.
Then came the challenge of trying to have a child. It took a while, and a lot of medical help, buteventually their beautiful son, Skylar, was born. I can't think of two more loving and caring people, and two more loving and caring parents. Bill is such a kind and generous soul himself, and you always feel like a better person just to be in the presence of them both.
So now, just a few years after this, when life seemed to be going really well, it turns out Kathleen has cancer. And as I said, it hardly seems fair. But then, when I step back, when is cancer ever fair? I know that. And yet, when it happens to a soul as beautiful as Kathleen, even the part of me that knows that asks "why?"
Kathleen, from what I can tell, is not spending a lot of time asking "why?" She's fighting. She's fighting hard. And by all accounts, she's beating the odds. She was given a three month prognosis that she's already beaten. Beating the odds is the first step toward winning this battle.
You can learn more about Kathleen here.
And you can listen to some of her great sermons here.
If you can't make the show, you can still make a contribution here:
Checks should be made payable to Suncreek United Methodist Church
and can be mailed to 1517 West McDermott Drive Allen, Texas 75013.
(Write "Glory Be! Fund" in the memo blank.)
I am not kidding you when I tell you that I pray for her everyday. I pray for Bill and Skyler too, and for all of us who love her dearly.
She and Bill were brought together through the "Power of a Song," and so I know this show will be a special one.
Just knowing Kathleen, I have the faith that she's going to beat this.
There's too much for her to do, too much life to be lived, here among us.
There is a benefit concert for her coming up on April 22, and I wanted you all to know about it.
"The Power of a Song: An Evening with Nashville Songwriters"
benefitting Rev. Kathleen Baskin-Ball
Sunday, April 22, 2007 from 5 PM until 7:30 PM
Doors will open at 4:30 PM.
First United Methodist Church, sanctuary
503 North Central Expressway | Richardson, Texas 75080
The show will feature Nashville songwriters Nicole Witt, Don Poythress, Celia Whitler, and Billy Montana. You can learn more about these songwriters at Celia's website here.
Here's some of the public information that's been posted about Kathleen's cancer:
4
Kathleen
recently learned that she has neuroendrocrine
carcinoma. She had a mass of cancer about the size of
a baseball in her chest cavity near her heart and
lungs and extensive cancer throughout her liver. They
are not sure where the cancer originated in her body.
The cancer was growing very rapidly. Kathleen started
her first round of chemotherapy in early January. She
plans to continue having 3 days of chemotherapy
treatment every 21 days until she completes 6 rounds
of chemotherapy. We have a lot of hope that she can
win this battle with cancer. At the end of January,
she received some encouraging test results indicating
that the cancer was responding to chemotherapy. She
continues to preach most Sundays and to work in the
church office. She reduces her office hours as
needed.
Celia has been a friend of mine for many years, and I'm really pleased to hear that she's putting on this show for our mutual friend, Kathleen. The artists featured that night are both country and inspirational. And , knowing Celia, they will all be top-notch.
There is no question that Kathleen is one of my own personal-living-saints and "balcony people." Kathleen has been a good friend and colleague of mine for years. Almost every time somebody gets cancer, their friends say "why them?" And sometimes, our selfish sides say "why not someone else?"
Lots of folks are saying that about Kathleen. She is such a beacon of light and hope for so many people, and her own life has been a story of overcoming obstacles, and rising from challenging times to new life and hope.
Kathleen and I are ministry colleagues, but we are also good friends. For many years, we were in a once-a-month study group together, where we not only read books, but also shared what was going on in our lives and in our hearts. The "Listening for God" group is still an important part of who I am. And even though we don't all see each other as much now, they are still some of my closest friends.
Kathleen's been through many ups and downs. Early in her ministry, she was appointed to West Dallas, and served a small church there. She not only served that church well, but also lived among the people there in West Dallas. Bilingual and filled with a heart for service, she worked long hours to bring hope to that challenging part of the city. There are very likely young people alive today because of her ministry.
She moved from there to Greenland Hills UMC, where even in a more suburban setting, she continued to push the envelope and challenge her congregation to reach out and include those who are traditionally marginalized by the church.
She struggled through a difficult marriage, and a painful divorce during that period. Sometimes, you can love and admire both halves of couple, care for them both, and still see how they just can't make it work, you know? It was like that.
And so it was that, single again, Kathleen began a period of hoping for her own future. Which, believe it or not, would take a dramatic turn at my CD release party in early 2001.
Kathleen, good friend that she is, decided to come to Poor David's Pub that night. Lots of the single adults that I worked with at HPUMC were also there. Among them, a thirty-something man named Bill Ball. (Follow this link, and you can actually see Bill in the "Shots of the Crowd" pic from the CD Release Party. To my left, he's on the front row, three people in from the center aisle. Amazing that out of the 200-or-so folks there you can actually see him....) Bill was very active in our largest singles class. He, his Mom and his sister, all attended the chapel service I preached each week too.
So, I knew Kathleen well from one part of my life. I knew Bill well from another. But I had no idea that they'd ever known each other. Turns out, when he was just a youth and she was a very young minister, they had known each other at the Annual Conference level. But now, it was...what...fifteen years later? And there they both were, at my CD release party.
The week after, they both called me individually. Each conversations went something like this:
"Hey, enjoyed your CD release party."
"Thanks, (Bill/Kathleen)."
"Hey, I noticed that (Bill Ball/Kathleen Baskin) was there."
"Oh yeah, do you know (him/her)?"
"Yeah, we used to know each other years ago..."
"Oh...cool."
I would make a terrible matchmaker, BTW. I was too dense to put...ahem...two-and-two together. In retrospect, the neon lights should have been flashing and the sirens going off. I do remember wondering, for half a second, why these folks were each calling me about each other. But I quickly put it out of my mind.
But sparks did fly. Romance blossomed. And when it's right, sometimes it hits you hard and quick, and you just "know." So it was that they were married in a matter of months.
Who woulda thunk that lives would changed --destinies be sealed-- at Poor David's Pub?! (aside: It ought to give you pause. Who knows what might happen to you if you come to one of my shows?)
And of all the many ministers they know, I was deeply honored to be the one chosen to preside over their wedding. It was a wonderful night of celebration.
Then came the challenge of trying to have a child. It took a while, and a lot of medical help, buteventually their beautiful son, Skylar, was born. I can't think of two more loving and caring people, and two more loving and caring parents. Bill is such a kind and generous soul himself, and you always feel like a better person just to be in the presence of them both.
So now, just a few years after this, when life seemed to be going really well, it turns out Kathleen has cancer. And as I said, it hardly seems fair. But then, when I step back, when is cancer ever fair? I know that. And yet, when it happens to a soul as beautiful as Kathleen, even the part of me that knows that asks "why?"
Kathleen, from what I can tell, is not spending a lot of time asking "why?" She's fighting. She's fighting hard. And by all accounts, she's beating the odds. She was given a three month prognosis that she's already beaten. Beating the odds is the first step toward winning this battle.
You can learn more about Kathleen here.
And you can listen to some of her great sermons here.
If you can't make the show, you can still make a contribution here:
Checks should be made payable to Suncreek United Methodist Church
and can be mailed to 1517 West McDermott Drive Allen, Texas 75013.
(Write "Glory Be! Fund" in the memo blank.)
I am not kidding you when I tell you that I pray for her everyday. I pray for Bill and Skyler too, and for all of us who love her dearly.
She and Bill were brought together through the "Power of a Song," and so I know this show will be a special one.
Just knowing Kathleen, I have the faith that she's going to beat this.
There's too much for her to do, too much life to be lived, here among us.
Annie Benjamin
Mar/28/2007 07:39 AM | Permalink
Annie Benjamin is probably my oldest musician
friend.* I met Annie years ago, when she had just
moved back to Dallas from New York, and when I had
just begun having the courage to play songs in front
of anyone.
We both became regulars at a couple of open mics around town. One was at the old Poor David's Pub on Greenville, where Bill Seely was the host. The other was down in Deep Ellum at the Commerce Street Ice House, and was hosted by Bob Ackerman.
Lots of folks drifted in and out of those open mics, but Annie and me were regulars. Later on, she and some of her friends from the band Chattervox started a songwriter group down on Greenville Avenue. We'd meet at a Starbucks there, once a month, to exchange songs we were working on, share writing ideas, and get critique.
That's where I first met Lisa Markely and Beth Cahill, Annie's Chattervox mates. It's also where I first met Bill Nash and
We both became regulars at a couple of open mics around town. One was at the old Poor David's Pub on Greenville, where Bill Seely was the host. The other was down in Deep Ellum at the Commerce Street Ice House, and was hosted by Bob Ackerman.
Lots of folks drifted in and out of those open mics, but Annie and me were regulars. Later on, she and some of her friends from the band Chattervox started a songwriter group down on Greenville Avenue. We'd meet at a Starbucks there, once a month, to exchange songs we were working on, share writing ideas, and get critique.
That's where I first met Lisa Markely and Beth Cahill, Annie's Chattervox mates. It's also where I first met Bill Nash and