People & Articles of Interest-3

David Bowie to Re-Release “Space Oddity” With Special DIY Tilt

These days, it seems like everyone is anxious to hop on the remix bandwagon, and pretty much anything is considered remixable.

David Bowie is the latest to to catch the bug, and will re-release a special-edition EP of “Space Oddity” on July 20, the 40th anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s one giant leap for mankind.

The EP will feature four mixes of the original tune, as well as the song’s eight original master tracks, which fans will be able to manipulate into their own mixes with any audio editing software, including iPhone app iKlax.

The release date is certainly no accident. On his website, Bowie reminds us that the BBC used the song during its broadcast of the lunar landing, and that the original track was released just days before the monumental moonwalk.

David Bowie- Space Oddity Original Video (1969)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D67kmFzSh_o

By Ani Vrabel on July 10, 2009 10:40 AM
Paste Magazine
http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2009/07/david-bowie-to-re-release-space-oddity-with-specia.html

Angela Leo
A singer/songwriter from Los Angeles
Genres: Alternative / Acoustic

A talented artist was brought to my attention recently, who songs are inspired from within and also from her many life adventures (walked across fire, parachuted from airplanes and made camp in the heart of the Costa Rican rain forest). Her lyrics touch the heart, thoughts and memories so we can all relate to them with our own life experiences on some level.~~~Tracy

Angela Leo’s most courageous act to date is writing songs. Within the tightly crafted lyrics and emotional agility that defines her debut CD, Cognitive Dissonance, the Hollywood-based Leo neatly grafts the evolved sensibility of a poet to the economy of a songwriter.

Angela Leo’s album “Cognitive Dissonance” available August 1.

The title, Cognitive Dissonance, relates to having two contradictory ideas at the same time. As it relates to Angela Leo, it might reflect the artist’s ability to portray the most personal emotions in a very public forum. “I think if I boiled down all of the songs into a single, interwoven message it would probably be: ‘The beauty of life, also burns.’ I didn’t write these songs, the songs wrote me. They came out of my experience, and I have to be true to their souls.”

Until now, Angela’s music has existed only when she played and sang. With the realization of Cognitive Dissonance, it can now live outside of her. Still, she says it had never been her intention to make a record; a rare admission, especially in her adopted hometown of Los Angeles, where she has performed at Hollywood clubs like Knitting Factory, Viper Room and The Cat Club. “In L.A., everyone is about to be someone else. I come from another world. Northern California is more laid back.”

Songwriting is an offshoot of her love for words and the intensity of their message. “I write to explore truth. In this age, we’ve inherited all of these ills from the Victorian era, and poetry no longer heals our world as it once did, but I still write poetry to stay sane.”

To find out more about her and to check out her tunes…..

http://www.lafamos.com/music/angelaleo
http://www.reverbnation.com/angelaleo
http://www.myspace.com/angelaleomusic

Article Posted by: Tracy Lewis
July 9, 2009

photo: Ray Mickshaw / FOX

American Idol Record Deals: What’s Up With the Others?

So far, American Idol winner Kris Allen, runner-up Adam Lambert and fourth-place finisher Allison Iraheta have all inked recording contracts. But what about the others?

We caught up with the top 10 at their tour rehearsals recently to hear the status of their post-Idol plans. And here’s what they have to report…

Danny Gokey: “I’m sitting down with record labels next week. I hope to sort it out before tour. But I don’t want to wait too long, the quicker the better.” In the meantime, he continues to grow his Sophia’s Heart Foundation, which he created in honor of his late wife. “We’re planning a food and clothing drive in Milwaukee. And we’re looking for a facility there or here in L.A. for the foundation’s events. We might have the L.A. facility running first before Milwaukee. It’s a turnkey operation, so I can start running programs right away.”

Matt Giraud: “I’m writing a little, but mostly I’m waiting until after the tour and I’ll see what happens then.”

Scott MacIntyre: “It’s a little bit on hold. I’ve produced some CDs and have a home studio, so I’ve started working on the record on my own at home. I’ve received some interest, and I’m sure it’s going to increase a lot when the tour goes on. I have talked to publishers and managers, and I’ll leave it at that for now.”

Lil Rounds: “I think the tour is a great showcase for us and will help build interest from record labels, so I’m thinking after the tour is when we’ll see something happen.”

Michael Sarver: “There are some options out there for record deals, and I’ll entertain those when the time comes. I reached song number 900 over this last week. My short-term goal is to write 1,000 songs. I’m gonna have myself a party when I get there. I never quit writing. It’s a big part of my life.”

Megan Joy: “For those of us that don’t know yet, we’re supposed to find out if anything is lined up for us this month. Right now, I’m just writing. It’s different. It’s weird. It’s whatever comes out of my mouth. I don’t have anything to compare it to. And I heard a rumor that Stevie Nicks was maybe wanting me to play her in her movie. I really want that to be true.”

Anoop Desai: “No CD plans yet. But I too am looking at the summer tour as a new audition process.”

Is it too soon to think that someone might not get a record deal? Who do you think will win out and who might fall short?

By: Carrie Borzillo-Vrenna
Thu., Jul. 2, 2009 7:20 AM PDT
E ONLINE

Keeping You Up-to-Date Welcome to The Ursa Family UFP Campaign Highlights

4 original songs written for moon bears
11 Benefit for the Bears concerts planned
7 artists created original artwork for UFP
10 members sign on as Ambassadors
Jasper became the UFP mascot
UFP members raised $920 for Animals Asia March 20
345 people have joined our family
We launched our first UFP family newsletter

Mafi’s Song
Our US Ambassador to the South, Jay Jourden produced a beautiful song in tribute to Mafi, a rescued bear who died of liver cancer related to her many years of torture on a bile farm.

Willow’s Song
Australian musician Bernard Curry wrote and produced a haunting yet inspiring song about Willow, a rescue bear that had captured the hearts of hundreds during her freedom years at AAF.

Through your Eyes
Michael Welch wrote a song about the moon bears when his cousin Scarlett, a part of our family, made him aware of the plight of bears on bile farms. As he learned about the bears, Michael became shocked, outraged and then moved by love to pour a song from his soul titled Through Your Eyes.

Honey Money
Another Australian member of our family, Rob Perry, produced a snappy tune to celebrate our launch as a family and first fundraising drive on March 20.

BENEFIT FOR THE BEARS CONCERT SERIES
Listen to the recordings and learn more about the concert series.
Visit Blue Jay Jourden http://ursafreedomproject.ning.com/profile/BlueJay

Keeping you up-to-date on the Ursa Freedom Project (UFP) ~
http://ursafreedomproject.ning.com Click on the pdf link below to read how UFP is on the move, thanks to so many of you! Musicians are writing songs in tribute to the bears and organizing Benefit for the Bears concerts. Artists are creating video ads, beautiful art and animation to promote our efforts. Ambassadors are forming groups in their native languages and inviting friends across the globe to join them at UFP. Other family members are using unique entrepreneurial skills to raise awareness and money for the bears. There’s a lot going on at UFP, which you will read about when you open the newsletter from the pdf.Together, we will spring the bears from horrid crush cages and set them free from bile farms.

If there’s anything you’d like to see in future newsletters, or if you would like to help work on the newsletter contact Jeanette:
http://ursafreedomproject.ning.com/profile/JeanetteMcDermott

White Feather: The Spirit of Lennon
This exhibition tells the emotional and intimate personal story of the life of the Lennon family; for the first time presented as an exclusive exhibition. It gives a unique and emotive insight into life with John Lennon that only Cynthia (John’s first wife) and Julian (John’s eldest son) can give. Throughout the exhibition Julian and Cynthia recollect their memories, experiences and emotions of their lives with John. The story is brought to you through personal interviews, family photos and the Lennons’ unseen collection of memorabilia.
http://www.whitefeatherexhibition.com/
www.myspace.com/julianlennon
blogs.myspace.com/julianlennon

PINK

PINK
Posted by: Debbie Stevens

May 27,2009
Aussie PINK fans, are all pumped and loving each LIVE experience of the Funhouse Tour. Each report relays the same message, describing PINK’S performances as exciting, energising elaborate and spectacular! With Perth still buzzing from PINK pandemonium, its currently Adelaide’s turn, and already fans are busy online, discussing plans to see this amazing dynamo performing in various other Australia cities and states! To those holding a PINK Funhouse ticket, be ready for the ride of the year!

See more below, including the complete list of tour details courtesy of:
http://www.liveguide.com.au/Tours/608056/Pink/Pink_Funhouse_Tour_2009?event_id=608058

P!nk – Australia’s biggest selling international recording artist of 2006-7 is back, at the top of her game, and raring to perform live for your entertainment. In 2007 P!nk staged the biggest Australian concert tour ever by a female artist, with more than 307,000 tickets sold for a 35 show itinerary that grew to a run of more than 8 weeks around the country’s arenas. Winning the 2007 Helpmann Award for Best International Contemporary Concert, 2007′s I’m Not Dead Tour was a spectacular that drew critical raves and standing ovations! Such was the deafening reception for the singer it was impossible not to be swept up in the excitement of her opening songs… the singer’s strikingly energetic performance left them tickled pink. Sun Herald -The pop rebel shimmied, grooved and rocked her way across the arena all night, turning her performance into an elaborate stage show to take her sometimes controversial messages to the masses. And they loved it.

mX Now P!nk brings her Funhouse Tour 2009 to Australia, presented by Optus for what is certain to be another record breaking run of shows. Aiming to top the raunchy theatrical performances of the I’m Not Dead Tour, Funhouse will not disappoint! Expect a dazzling carnival-styled stage set, feats of aerial daring and surprises that can only be hinted at and at the core, the confident and charismatic vocal powerhouse that is unmistakably P!nk .

P!nk said, “I’m so excited to get back on the road. The ‘Funhouse’ tour ideas are running rampant in my head. Who knows what they’ll come out as…. And I can’t wait to see.” When P!nk lets rip there’s no denying her soul or sass. Herald Sun -She’s real, fallible, positive, gutsy, a self-confessed dork and knows her own mind. And she has proved to be a great entertainer too, offering.one of the best shows, seen in a long time. West Australian Set to add substantially to the accumulated albums sales of 23 million world-wide, P!nk’s 5th studio album Funhouse will be released on October 25 by Sony/BMG, and features the #1 smash hit So What. It follows the massively successful I’m Not Dead album – which spawned seven top 5 smash hits and has to date sold more than 600,000 copies in Australia.

Welcome to the Funhouse!
Web Address: www.pinkspage.com

Brent Allen Scott
An underground musician of a unique style of music. Composing music for 20 years. Up until now, his music was basically a hobby for – for his entertainment only. Only his family and friends were allowed to hear his music. It is difficult to place specific labels or descriptions of his music. It depends on the state of mind he is in when he is composing a song. It can vary from psychedelic trance, new age, goth-trance, goth-new age, dark ambient, bass and drum, and mystic age music. All of these types of musical combinations are expressions of his ever changing emotions and moods. You will find that his songs are as different as each person that you will meet in this world. There is a song for each person to find a deep and meaningful connection. When he begins the process of composing a song, he has no preconceived perception of what he is going to compose. Like a sculpturing artist, who chisels on a big block of granite, allows his imagination to dictate the outcome of his sculpture. He does not know what the song will end up being until he is done. He feels very strongly against the commercialized cookie-cutter template of music that is put out strictly by the big corporate music companies who have complete control over the type of music that is put out in the market. And, the artists that sign away their complete control of their music are signing away their freedom of expression of their art and sometimes their creative integrity. To say the least, you lose the freedom that an independent artist has with their music. He will release the music and compose it on his own time scale and all of the production and mixes will be up to his quality and standards. Not up to some high and mighty executive of a large music company. He is the master of his world and this is how he likes it. Either you like his music or you don’t. It will always be true and honest from his heart. So feel free to explore his world of sight and sound. He will continue to compose new and exciting music for your listening pleasure.
Thanks you .
Brent Allen Scott

http://www.myspace.com/sounddrone

Posted by: Tracy Lewis April 22, 2009
Photo courtesy of: Brent Allen Scott

Cheers- (photo credit-www.cynical-c.com)

Cheers to the memories…
By Debbie Stevens April 11,2009 (originally done for GMS ’07)

A wonderful 80′s smash comedy sitcom, which centered its characters around a popular Boston Bar will forever hold a memory for its adoring fans- A retired baseball player and recovering alcoholic seems an unlikely role to place serving drinks behind a bar?? But with the ingenious ideas of writer/producers Glen and Les Charles and director James Burrows, this hilarious satire became a television hit! It served up a cocktail of characters, each one embraced in their own way and each deserving our laughter!

While being entertained with some of their crazy antics and mayhem, we shared the enthusiasm of those familiar faces – Those who were the ‘regulars’, gave us a sense of belonging and always captured our attention and our hearts. Just as the sweet words of that even more familiar tune played on….. ‘where everybody knows your name’ A song that gave the show CHEERS a gift which brought it to life. And just as precious as the show, the magic of this smash theme song all began with two close friends who had suddenly found themselves on a path neither imagined.

Gary Portnoy, composure/singer songwriter and close friend, Judy Hart-Angelo also a singer/songwriter were both at crossroads in their lives. That was until they were handed a copy of the Cheers script and asked if they would write the theme song. Well, the rest(as they say) is history, but there’s alot more to Gary Portnoy than many know and his singing/song writing days have only blossomed since those early beginnings.

I recently had a chance to catch up with Gary and here’s what he shared with us!

Gary Portnoy

D.S: The TV sitcom ‘Cheers’ , was very popular for many people here in Australia and the theme song also a big hit. Can you tell us a bit about the song and its creation?

G.P: It all happened back in fall, of 1981..I was out of a job, and good friend, Judy(Angelo-Hart) was busy enrolling her youngest of her three children in school. On one particular evening that Judy was out, she found herself seated beside a Broadway producer who had been looking for someone to compose a song for a new Broadway musical. As luck would have it, we both decided it was worth having a shot at and got busy together to collaborate the songs for the musical titled, ‘Preppies’-We didn’t have high expectations as Judy had never written a song and i had never written one for a musical!

Judy had an upright piano in her central west apartment which was where we composed the opening musical theme, which was called “People like us”-months later we had a call from a Hollywood producer…he’d heard the song and wanted to use it for something else. That something else was a debut for the new NBC sitcom which was to air the following fall-The show was CHEERS.

Trouble was the song ‘people like us’ was originally destined for the musical, so the words had to be changed in the song to seal the NBC deal. The new lyrics had to relate to a bunch of likeable losers who populated a certain bar in Boston. We couldn’t believe it and for me, it was a dream come true. But, all hell broke loose when the producers of ‘Preppies’ heard about the song being revoked and re-written for a tv sitcom With a binding contract on the number ‘People like us’, they had us in a real bind for legally they did have the rights to it!

The guys at NBC still wanted us to write their song…what to do?? Frustrated and sometimes a little dependent, Judy and I got back into it. Before we knew it, we had actually done something never done by either of us before. We plagiarized our own song! What resulted was a composition called “My kind of people” A somewhat transparent (but not unpleasant) rip off of “People like us”! This wasn’t meant to happen, and after we were asked to basically ‘let go of the past’ and create something completely new, to let our creative muse guide us.

Then they sent us a copy of the script which was mind blowing for both Judy and myself. The episode, “Give me a ring sometime” was both clever and crisp, the characters sharply drawn. The humour was honest and unforced and the bar setting offered limitless dramatic and comedic possibilities. “Cheers” was a ten, maybe even an eleven! Not the one…BUT it did have a certain line of words in this next ‘dismissal’, the line (“There are times when it’s fun to take the long way home”)-This was the good news for all because that was when Glen & Les Charles convinced all, including us that we were the right people for the job and as time ran out we got to work again.

The pressure was on…so with my own life dealing with a sudden change, coming up with something really began from a single note that I ht one day on my keyboard…’I was just noodling, I’d played a single with my left hand, but then the chord was followed by one to the right B flat to F…over` and over again. A few added lyrics, this was what Judy and I came up with- Singing the blues when the Red Sox lose Its a crisis in your life On the run cause all your girlfriends Want to be your wife And the laundry ticket’s in the wash A tale of woe…and reflecting those people with problems and where they go to forget….where someone who has no one might meet someone! A place where outsiders become insiders…a place where you matter. A place where everybody knows your name.

D.S: When did you first begin writing music?

G.P: When I was 10 years old I wrote a song called The Loner, which pretty much sums up the state of my existence at that time and throughout my junior high and high school years. I began writing songs in earnest in college and taking them around to music publishers, producers, and anyone else who would listen.

I was fortunate enough to attract serious interest early on and was offered my first publishing deal at age 19. Before long I chose to drop out of school and devote myself full time to pursuing the musical opportunities that were coming my way.

D.S: What personal experience did you gain from writing the theme for Cheers’?

G.P: The most immediate thing I gained was rent and food. Not that I had been a starving artist, but I had been living on publisher’s advances up until that time. My ability to support myself long term by doing what I loved best- writing and singing songs- was in question until Cheers came along. In a larger sense, I gained self-esteem and, well, happiness.

I have definitely held my head a bit higher ever since that song and, to this day, it makes me happy to hear it. In the largest sense, I gained a connection to people, only some of whom I will ever meet or know personally. Throughout the run of Cheers and especially since the Internet, I have been blessed to hear about and hear from people who have been positively affected by that song. It can be as simple as being told that they have enjoyed it as part of their Cheers experience. And that is wonderful.

But beyond that I have been deeply moved to learn that the theme long ago transcended the show and took on a life of its own- a different life for different people. The common thread seems to be a (momentary?) sense of closeness and belonging- of not feeling quite so alone in the world. I will always be grateful to have been able to write something that played a tiny role in perhaps lifting the spirits of some of my fellow human beings.

D.S: Have there been any other musicians or writers who you feel inspired you?

G.P: I loved the Beatles. And when I first heard the band Chicago through headphones on my stereo in my room, that horn section and those soaring vocals immediately lifted my spirits. And when I first heard the Who their intensity and sheer power made my heart race. And Paul Simon. And Carly Simon. (no relation LOL).

D.S: Apart from the Cheers theme, have you been involved in any other television musical themes?

G.P: Probably 100, most of which no one will ever hear unless I put them out on a CD. That’s because most television pilots never get picked up as a series. Or, if they do, the series does not find an audience and is quickly given the axe. As a result, most of the TV themes I have done- even some of the best of them- never saw the light of day. Two that did are Punky Brewster and Mr. Belvedere.

D.S: You have been nominated twice for an Emmy award. How did that feel and do you think your success has changed you in any way?

G.P: It felt great, truly great, to be recognized by my peers. Success gave me the freedom to approach my life’s journey on my own terms to a very large extent. I have never had a job or a boss, except in the short run on a given project. My days, nights, weeks, months, years have, for the most part, been my own. And I have been able to get to know myself and explore my feelings, my identity, my LIFE to an extent that would not have been otherwise possible. I was also able to be there- physically, emotionally, and spiritually- for both of my parents throughout their battles with cancer. And I owe all of that to my songwriting.

D.S: Your first C.D released was called ‘Keeper’, co-written and produced with Gloria Nissenson. One particular song that the two of you wrote was awarded a prize. Can you tell us more?

G.P: Gloria and I wrote a song called I Hold You Tighter that was awarded first prize in the Country category of the 1998 John Lennon International Songwriting Contest.

D.S: Your latest C.D, ‘Destiny’ appears to give us another perspective of your own personal growth with each track more profound than ever. Is this possibly due to other factors or areas of your own life that have given you a new direction?

G.P Destiny was my 50th birthday present from me to myself with love! It is comprised of songs that I never intended to write. Then once they were written I didn’t know if I was going to record them. And after they were recorded I wavered on whether or not to release them to the public. Ultimately I decided that even though they are intensely personal songs, if just one of them had the potential to resonate in some meaningful way with someone, anyone, anywhere. then it would be wrong to keep it to myself. Looking back on it, I see the whole Destiny journey as one of my life’s greatest blessings.

D.S: Are you planning any other projects and if so, can you share with us?

G.P: I am resting now!!! Recuperating from a very intense year of writing, singing, playing, mixing, mastering, art design, website re-design, etc… I am back collecting American and British Studio Pottery, my other great passion.

D.S: Would you mind telling us where your C.D’s can be located and available to those residing in Australia?

G.P: Courtesy of the world wide web, my CDs are available to everyone everywhere at:

http://www.garyportnoy.com

http://www.amazon.com

http://www.cdbaby.com

All the very best to Gary, and a special CHEERS from all your fans down here in Australia!!

Photo credits: http://www.cynical-c.com/ http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/252/228526.jpg

Witt McKay, Jordon Cook, Grant Vogelfanger

MEMPHIS RASCALS
by Debbie Stevens

Alot has to be said for the music that evolved and grew out of Memphis, Tennessee.
From Motown to the soft sound of soul, R & B country and rock, Memphis was home to a bountiful of talent, then and now.
Wilson Picket who gave us such classics as ” In The Midnight Hour” and “Mustang Sally”, the soulful sounds of Otis Redding, Sam and Dave and Eddie Floyd, Elvis, Al Green and Isaac Hayes -Blues combined with rock and roll would open the gates for a flood of future stars. All part of a link which would hook up with other aspiring young artists, creating a musical chain that would find its way to every corner of the world.

Seems only fitting that the boys who make up the Memphis Rascals should follow suit, once more proving a good thing never grows old, just better!
Together now for five years, the Memphis Rascals have accomplished many musical feats, appearing on TV as featured artists, being amongst the top 35 acts when performing on America’s Got Talent 2, with other events proceeding, these three were quickly making a name so it wasn’t long before the next career jump. With the guidance from some amazing writers/producers, Grant Vogelfanger Witt McKay and Jordan Cook wasted no time expanding their recording plans, recently doing a remake of the KC & Sunshine band hit, “Boogie Shoes” with KCSB’s Grammy Award winning co-founder/producer/songwriter/bassist, Rick Finch. Their version of this 70′s classic has already brought some positive and exciting feedback for the band, with their dream to make “Boogie Shoes”, bigger and better than ever!

DS: In such a brief amount of time, you boys have really made a name for yourselves. Well done! How did this journey begin? Where did you all meet?

Witt: Well, my sister, Courtney and Grant’s sister, Sarah, are dancers. They have been dancing at the same studio, Performing Arts of Germantown, since they were three years old.

Grant: I was working with the vocal coach from my sister’s studio, Cindy Barrett and when I was 10 I did a Michael Jackson routine, with the glove, moonwalk and everything, and Witt was at the show to see his sister.

Witt: Yeah, I was 9 years old and only interested in sports, but after I saw Grant moonwalk, I was like “I gotta do that too”.

Jordan: I saw the same routine that same year at the local fair talent competition and contacted the studio right away. I had been singing for my church, but that Michael Jackson routine was awesome!

DS: Who came up with the idea for a group?

Jordan: Cindy Barrett, the vocal coach, saw the opportunity to have an entertaining doo wop’ish guy’s group, and put us all together.

DS: There’s a definite feel of soft rock and pop, but what genre do you think speaks for Memphis Rascals?

Witt: Yeah, a combination of soft rock and pop, but we are definitely influenced by the old Motown and blues that we have grown up with in Memphis.

DS: What other musicians do you gain inspiration from?

Grant: We listen to different artists across the board from Lenny Kravitz, John Meyer, Eric Clapton, Prince, Michael Jackson…. of course, all the musicians that come from Memphis, like BB King, Elvis, Al Green, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dave Porter.

Witt: And you can’t leave out Justin Timberlake.

DS: Not many boys your age can manage singing and playing an instrument. Is there any particular favorite instrument for each?

Grant: I play lead guitar and have recently used a telecaster to record.

Witt: I play rhythm and use my acoustic guitar a lot, it’s a Taylor…when I play electric, I play a Stratocaster.

Jordan: I play the bass and also have a Fender. We also are picking up piano and even played the drums on some of the tracks we recorded with Rick Finch. Rick has really encouraged us to become all around musicians and it really helps with writing to have a feel for all the instruments.

DS: Did this require any prior training?

Witt: I have been taking guitar lessons for several years and so has Grant.

Jordan: I resisted playing instruments at first, because I had not played and we had been a vocal group for so long…but the guys talked me into getting a bass guitar, and man, I love it. I had to really work hard to get good enough to play with them and sing at the same time, but the hours and hours of practice paid off and now it’s hard to remember when we weren’t a band.

DS: You are all quite young. I wonder how each of you cope with the workload?

Grant: I go to a very challenging school, so it has taken some time to get where I could do everything I needed to do to be successful with the band and school, but this last year, my first year in high school, I ended up doing pretty well.

Witt: I can’t really say the same ha-ha, no my grades suffer for sure.

Jordan: I have been home schooled, so it makes it a little easier.

DS: Have you found any real obstacles?

Witt: Well, I am, or was, the quarterback for my football team, so trying to balance the commitments of the band, team and school has been really difficult. I think that now that the band is really taking off and we can put the majority of our focus on it, it will actually be easier.

DS: How has the rise to stardom affected your lives, and do you think other people treat you differently now? If so, in what way?

Grant: So far, we have been treated the same from our friends at home, but it has been amazing to be surrounded by real professionals and famous people that you only heard about a few years ago are now wanting to work with us and giving of their talents as mentors, it’s amazing.

DS: What do your family members think?

Jordan: Our families are very supportive. They have known for a long time that this is what we wanted and have sacrificed a lot to help us get here.

Witt: Yeah, even my grandparents have contributed lots of money and their love and support…we couldn’t have done this with out our parents and grandparents.

Grant: We have our rehearsal room and equipment at my house, so not only has my family been supportive, they have basically given up their house to loud rock music at all hours of the night.

Witt: We have practically lived at the Vogelfanger’s house for the past year. Thank goodness his mom’s a good cook!

DS: Please share with the GMS readers, your first performance before a crowd, and how it felt?

Jordan: Well, our first performance before a crowd as a group was when I was 11, Grant was 10 and Witt was 9 and we were competing in the Mid-South Fair Youth Talent Competition. It was scary, but exciting.

Witt: Well, these two had performed as soloist in front of crowds before, but for me it was the first time ever and I sure was glad to have them up on the stage with me.

Grant: Our first live show as a band was probably just as scary as that show when we were little kids, but much more gratifying. It was what we were meant to do.

DS: What inspired the lyrics for “Crazy About You”, Without You and “One Last Chance?” Who wrote these songs?

All: Girls, it’s about the girls. Ha-ha.

Witt: We all worked together with Robert Dooley, a really talented songwriter and musician, who also works in the recording studio as an engineer with Rick Finch, and with Rick to write the three songs. We do our best work as a group.

DS: What was it like auditioning for “America’s Got Talent 2?”

Jordan: That was crazy. We had no idea until then all the hard work and waiting around that goes in to making a TV show.

Witt: They kept us on our toes, always trying to figure out what crazy thing was going to happen next. Really nerve racking.

Grant: Exhausting, but fun. We are definitely glad that we did it because we wouldn’t be where we are now if we had not. We would never have met Rick or known what was out there waiting for us.

DS: What performance do you believe was your best during the event?

Jordan: Actually, the performance that America really didn’t see was “Never Can Say Goodbye” and “Just Got Paid”. It also had a hip-hop dance at the beginning.

Grant: Yeah, they told us to come with a combination of things that really showed off what we could do and bring to the rest of the competition.

Witt: We worked like crazy getting that performance together, but really we are glad that it didn’t work out because we went back and perfected our instruments and are now doing what we really want to do.

Jordan: Yeah, I guess that Sharon Osborne was right, we weren’t ready.

DS: Have you made any long lasting friendships from the experience?

Witt: Absolutely! We are still good friends with Julienne Irwin and Fallon Franklin.

Jordan: They are awesome talents and people.

Grant: With Myspace, it is really easy to stay connected and know what everyone has going on in their lives/careers.

DS: Have you enjoyed all the media attention?

Witt: Yes, but we could use more of it!

DS: It must have been a real buzz working with people such as Rick Finch? How did this come about?

Jordan: Rick’s manager, Loni Reeder, saw us on America’s Got Talent and told Rick that he should check out our MySpace.

Witt: It was a while before he contacted us, so maybe after he saw us as a band he thought, “ok maybe these guys could be good.” Ha-ha

DS: KC & the Sunshine Band still remain as popular today, as back in the seventies. What does it mean to have been given the opportunity to do your version of their hits song, “Boogie Shoes”?

Grant: When I found out that Rick Finch was interested in working with us, I was really excited.

Witt: We hear those same songs at our parties today, so it was cool.

DS: What has been the most valuable piece of advice given to you so far?

Jordan: Stay true to who you are.

Grant: Never forget where you come from.

Witt: Stay together. You are stronger as a group than as individuals. Man, is that true.

DS: Apart from your current project, is there anything else planned in the near future? If so, can you share with GMS readers?

Jordan: We are planning on getting back in the studio with Rick Finch and Robert Dooley. We have written several songs with them that we need to record. Witt: Also, Richard Marx and Trey Bruce, both incredible songwriters, are working with us on a couple of songs. We met with Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds and hope to work with him as well. We are in talks with some major networks and TV writers, and have been told that our characters will appear in a 3-d animated series that we will be doing the voice over for at the end of July.

Grant: We are looking at all kinds of performance venues, and Rick is helping us with that as well.

You can find the boys from Memphis Rascals at the following websites.

http://www.myspace.com/memphisrascals

Photo Courtesy: Chad Mellon
Chad Mellon Photography: www.chadmellon.com

KC & Sunshine Band/Rick Finch
Memphis Rascals- “Boogie Shoes”

Motown was the creator of the Detroit sound and Philly International-
http://www.discomuseum.com/KCAndTheSunshineBand.html
Memphis Rascal were influenced by Motown and Blues
writers/producers- Trey Bruce, Cassie Bonner and Rick Finch

__________________________________________________________________________________________ Flip Side To Music ©2009
Flip Side To Music/Web Design and Logo Graphics
Tracy Lewis ©2009