This is a little bit long. But I beg of you, please read it carefully and please give it consideration. I would never beg unless I desperately needed it. And for all of our sakes, I beg ...... What if Elton John had died before getting signed to a record deal? What if the Beatles had never reached beyond Liverpool? What if our collective, music-loving consciousness had no memories of Zeppelin concerts, or Stevie Wonder on Soul Train? I think most of us can answer these one or more questions in unison, because they all DID reach the masses. But if you’d never heard of Elton John, or Bowie, or Springsteen, you’d never know what you were missing - never know what amazing music you’d have lived your lives without. So, by that rationale, you’d be unaffected by that which you never knew. Now consider those artists in our midst that are unsigned. Perhaps, because they don’t have big record contracts or spots on the Tonight Show, they are not yet worth giving a second glance to. And maybe this is true of a percentage of artists that aren’t formed yet, or lack the talent to ever be. But amongst those, there is a wealth of incredible artists, turning out, in some cases, other-worldly beauty, in all but obscurity. My friends list here on Facebook is a who’s-who of such talent. SO many great songs, sung by beautiful voices, accompanied by world-class musicianship. It’s not hard to find artists that, given the breaks, the world would not be able to imagine having spun without. And time is of the essence. We can’t afford to wait until they ‘make it big’. Eva Cassidy and Jeff Buckley have proven that. And there have been many others before and since them that have slipped away in obscurity, leaving a tragic void, which most of us will remain forever unaware of. You never know how long you have. So I am begging you - from the deepest part of my heart - please support local, independent artists. Go to their shows - all the shows you can. Buy their CDs. Post about them on Facebook and Twitter. Make a huge noise. Be fans. Real fans! Make so much noise that the record execs can’t help but take notice. Eva Cassidy and Jeff Buckley only left us with a few precious moments. Please don’t let this happen with those near us - those who desperately need our support NOW. I don’t ever want to be interviewed about my friends who passed in obscurity, only to get ‘discovered’ posthumously, years later. The time in NOW. So here’s what I plan to do. I will continue to go to as many shows as I can (often without being ‘put on the list’), I buy CDs and/or iTunes albums (even when I get ‘comped’, or have easy access to ‘free downloads’), and post about artists I love here on Facebook and Twitter. I can do more. I can pay closer attention when my OTHER friends post about THEIR favorite local artists and try to support them as well. I know artists, actually too many to list here, who have the potential to change the lives of millions. Ainjel Æ Emme, James Hurley, Larry Murante, Jill Trenholm, Alexa Wiley, Kris Deelane, Ehren Ebbage, Rachael Rice, Simon Lynge are just a few who have every bit as much chance at being the Elton Johns or the Suzanne Vegas or any of the greats whom our lives would have been immeasurably diminished without. Go to shows. Buy CDs and downloads. Post and promote. Please! I beg of you ...
Posted on: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 19:46:17 +0000