~ SEPTEMBER 2012 ~
 
     
 

Saturday, September 29, 2012
     Sometimes you come across something in your life that makes a profound change in it, and you simply have to share it with everyone you know. That's what I'm doing today. I came across this video earlier in the week, and have shown and shared it with a lot of people since then. And for those that may be a little(or a LOT) skeptical after watching it, wondering it the man really did have that problem, I can assure you he did. I did some research into it—not because I didn't believe it myself, but I knew that some people I share it with might be skeptical, and I wanted to be able to counter their skepticism. I've always thought highly of Tony Robbins, especially after he poked fun at himself in Shallow Hal (such an awesome movie—if you haven't seen it, go get it today!) Watch the video below, and feel free to leave me a comment on your thoughts about it.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Sunday, September 16, 2012
     So I'm FINALLY going to tell the story of Elvis Presley coming to our town to perform on the same night that I went over Niagara Falls! Here we go—let's take the plunge together!

     it all started when my mom bought tickets to go see Elvis perform and left me and my dad at home to feed and take care of ourselves. Not an impossible task, but one that would prove more interesting as the evening wore on.

     I was 11 years old at the time. I was outside playing with my good friend Chris Burton—nicknamed Squeaky by my dad, due to his high-pitched voice. Our family had just bought a new television—the large console variety that was popular back in the 70's and 80's. The big box it came in was sitting empty under our carport. And just the previous year we had gone to New York and visited Niagara Falls, and I was enthralled by the men and women who had risked their lives to go over the Falls in wooden barrels, enclosed steel tubes, etc. So I came up with the 'brilliant' idea of doing just that with the cardboard box the TV came in. We would put it on the edge of our picnic table, then one of us would get in, close the flaps and hang on for dear life while the other one pushed the box over the edge. And somehow I won the honor of being the first to go over—lucky me! So as my mom was getting 'All Shook Up' by the King, I was about to have the same thing happen to me, but with a little more painful ending.

     I climbed in, pulled the cardboard flaps closed and prepared for the wild ride ahead. Chris gave me a countdown, then away I went! Although it wasn't nearly as long a free fall or as dramatic a landing as Niagara would have been, I still got banged up pretty good upon impact. And I distinctly heard and felt something pop in my neck. Realize that I was sitting upright prior to launch, and when Chris shoved the box off the table it did a complete 180 and I landed on my head—yes, on my head. I slowly climbed out of the upside-down box, dusted myself off, then realized that there was some pain on the left side of my neck, along the shoulder area. Not tremendous pain, mind you—more of a dull ache. I told Chris I was done for the evening, and after seeing how I ended up he decided the Falls would have to wait another day for him to plummet down them. So he went home and I went inside.

     I told my dad that my neck was sore and he suggested I go take a hot bath to loosen up the muscles. I did as I was told. I sat in that hot bath until it was freezing cold, but the sore muscles never got unsore. I reported back to my dad, who asked me what sort of crazy stunt I had performed THAT night. I proceeded to tell him of my adventure over the Falls, to which he sighed, rolled his eyes and said I may have cracked or broken something and that we'd better go to the Emergency Room, which was 30 miles away. We jumped in the car and headed to the hospital. My mom's parents lived on the way so we stopped there to get my granddaddy's professional opinion [he was a farmer and house painter]. As soon as he heard what I had done and where the pain was, he immediately made the correct diagnosis with, "He's gone and broke his collarbone." Granddaddy missed his calling as a country doctor, that's all I can say.

     Long story short we got to the hospital, the doctor verified granddaddy's diagnosis, gave me a butterfly brace and sent me home. The brace would hold things in place long enough for the bone to knit back together. The fun started when we finally arrived home after 11pm to find my mom in a panic, wondering where we had been. Remember, this was WAY before cellphones, so there was no way for us to let her know what had happened. Sure, we could have left a note but didn't think about it at the time. We calmed her down and let her know it was no big deal. The bone was broken cleanly and would heal back just fine. I got to stay home from school for a week, my dad bought me some Mexican Jumping Beans which I had been wanting for some time, and all was right with the world. Except that Chris never did go over the Falls like he promised he would. Dang you, Chris!

     And Elvis? He was in fine form that night, according to my mom. Of course this was near the end of his life, so this was the older, chubby Elvis, not the young, slim, vibrant version. And just a few months later, the King of Rock 'n' Roll would be gone. We miss you Elvis. You left us way too soon. If only he would have lived long enough to become Michael Jackson's daddy-in-law...

     P.S. My collarbone healed up nicely and has never given me any problems. Thanks for asking...

 
 
 
 
 
 

Saturday, September 15, 2012
     Today is a very special day in my life—my little girl, my one and only daughter, turned 19! I think back to the same date nineteen years earlier, as I held this tiny bundle of joy that only weighed 4 lb. 14 oz., wondering what her life would be like, what she would grow up to be, what her interests would be, etc. Well, she has certainly become her daddy's girl. Even her baby pictures and mine look a lot alike! She was bald until she was two, which led us to nickname her 'bowling ball head'. She and I are the only ones in the family that like seafood and sushi, Miracle Whip on our sandwiches and grilled cheese, and listen to the same kinds of music. I'll catch her listening to a Led Zeppelin song or 'House of the Rising Sun' by the Animals and it puts a big smile on my face. I think, "That's my girl!" Happy Birthday, Sis! I love you!

     Okay, I said I would tell you all about the night Elvis came to town when I went over Niagara Falls. If you can wait one more day, I promise it will be quite the eventful tale! Stay tuned for tomorrow's adventure!

 
 
 
 
 
 


Thursday, September 13, 2012

     No music blog would be complete without a discussion of the King of Rock 'n' Roll—none other than Elvis Presley. First, a quick poll to see what people's favorite songs are.

Of the Elvis songs below, which one's your fave?

Hound Dog
It's Now or Never
All Shook Up
Jailhouse Rock
Teddy Bear
Don't Be Cruel

Current Results

Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about the man who would be King. And instead of giving you all the boring details that most everyone knows, how about some things most people DON'T know? You can really impress your friends with these juicy tidbits. Such as...

FACT #1: While Elvis was The King of Rock-n-Roll, he also had several country music hits as well. Not only is he in the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame, he's even in the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

FACT #2: This is one of the most shocking facts. Elvis won three Grammy Awards, but all of them were for his gospel music. The fact that The King of Rock-n-Roll never won a Grammy Award for his rock music is unbelievable.

FACT #3: "Jailhouse Rock" was the first EVER music video.

FACT #4: With over 600 recorded songs, you would think he would have written at least one of them, but he never did. WOW!

FACT #5: In the film Flaming Star, Elvis plays the part of a man who is part Native American. This part wasn't very far from the truth, because he was in fact part Cherokee.

There you go—five things you probably DID NOT know about Elvis. Now you do!

COMING NEXT TIME: My story about Elvis coming to town the night I went over Niagara Falls, and why he's one of my biggest idols of all time—stay tuned!

 
 
 
 
 
 

Tuesday, September 11, 2012
     I couldn't let today go by and not post something about it. My thoughts and prayers go out to all the victims, survivors, and families that were affected by the tragedy that took place 11 years ago today. Those of us that can remember that day know exactly where we were when we got word of what was going on. My father came over and had me turn on the TV and see what he was all excited about. I remember getting a knot in my stomach, thinking about the people that were affected by what I was watching. And that was before the towers actually fell. By the time I started watching the live coverage, both towers had been hit but were still standing. Then to my horror I watched as the south tower fell at 9:59am EDT, then 29 minutes later the north tower collapsed. When you watch something like the World Trade Center fall to the ground, knowing it was filled with thousands of people, you have a hard time accepting it as fact. This was one of those moments where people could not believe what they were seeing. It was just too much to process. Now, 11 years on, I still choke up thinking about that day, and what we as a nation went through, knowing that there are people out there that hate us enough to do something that dastardly and horrific. And we as a nation have been changed forever because of it. We're on guard more now, wondering when—not if—the next attack will happen. We are now a much more cautious America.

     The other thought I have to share today has to do with the America I grew up in—the America of the 1980's—Ronald Reagan's America. I was 13 years old when President Reagan took office in January of 1980. I knew very little about the man, only what I had heard from my parents and the media. I knew he was a former Hollywood actor, and had been governor of California for a time. Now he was going to lead our country out of the problems we were in and make things better for us all. At least that was the promise he had made.

     So many things changed in our country during the 8 years this man was in office. And as I grew into adulthood during his administration, I came to understand what a real president was all about. And Ronald Reagan WAS a real president.

     Here is my list of Top 10 Ronald Reagan quotes, showing just how insightful he was about this country and where it was headed.

#10: The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.
#9: No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth!
#8: Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves.
#7: It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first.
#6: I have wondered at times what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the US Congress.
#5: There is no limit to what you can accomplish if you don't care who gets the credit.
#4: We're in greater danger today than we were the day after Pearl Harbor. Our military is absolutely incapable of defending this country.
#3: Without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure.
#2: To sit back hoping that someday, some way, someone will make things right is to go on feeding the crocodile, hoping he will eat you last—but eat you he will.
#1: If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under.

     Below are a few videos that show some of the things that Ronald Reagan did for this country before and during his time as president.

"It's Morning Again In America..."

The most powerful words ever spoken to change the world:
"MR. GORBACHEV, TEAR DOWN THIS WALL!"

Ronald Reagan Speaks Out On Socialized Medicine


 
 
 
 
 
 

Saturday, September 8, 2012
     Several days have slipped by without an update—shame on me! So here's a few things to make you aware of, and then I will feel at peace with myself.

     My first topic today can be summed up in two words—Patrick and Nagel. That's him on the right. For those of you who know who he is, great. Take a nap while I explain it to the rest of the group.


     Patrick Nagel was an artist and painter who came into prominence in the early 80s with what the press called 'The Nagel Girl'. Here are three of the Nagel prints I own myself:

  

     Anyone who was alive in the 80's and was older than 10 should remember these images, or some like them. Nagel Girl pictures were everywhere back then. As a matter of fact, the one on the far right is Rio, from the Duran Duran album of the same name. Mine are framed and hanging in my recording studio as a tribute to the man and artist. He passed away from a heart attack at the oh too young age of 38. We miss you, Pat.

     The next topic is a tribute to the great actor Michael Clarke Duncan. Most people knew him as John Coffey from The Green Mile. But in actual fact he was in well over 50 movies and TV shows during his acting career, which spanned from 1995 until his untimely death on September 3, 2012 at the age of 54. Even though he was 6'5" tall, his mother would not let him play football in high school, fearing he would get hurt. So he turned to acting instead. Good choice, Mike!


     Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has helped me on my album thus far—you all know who you are. I'm still hoping to have it done by the end of this month, or early October at the latest. A good friend from my younger days in North Carolina helped me realize recently that I'm not only a country boy, but that I have rock 'n' roll in my DNA as well. Thanks to him I'm going to be adding some rockin' tunes to the album also. So it should be a good mix of both styles of music that I know and love!

 
 
 
 
 
 

Sunday, September 2, 2012
     It's a holiday weekend, and so many people don't even understand what Labor Day is all about. Here's what Wikipedia has to say about it:

     "Labor Day is an American federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September (September 3 in 2012) that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.

     Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers. It also symbolizes the end of summer for many Americans, and is celebrated with parties, parades and athletic events."

     It was first proposed in 1882. Oregon was the first state to make it a holiday in 1887. It finally became a federal holiday in 1894. Some retailers claim it's the second biggest shopping day of the year, behind Black Friday right after Thanksgiving. Now you know.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Saturday, September 1, 2012
     Today I had the wonderful opportunity to see AND hear The Piano Guys in concert. Yes, I attended a high brow performance of orchestral music. Who said I only listen to country and rock?

     If you're not familiar with The Piano Guys, it's about time you become so. They have several videos on YouTube, with my personal favorite being one with Alex Boye. Watch it below, then click on the image above to visit their web site and find out even more about them. And for you closet nerds out there, they have a really cool Star Wars video that is pretty full of the Force—watch it here.