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Holidays 2008
Hi friends – SO MUCH has happened since I last wrote in September! As we
neared the historic 2008 Election, I worked hard - along with millions of
other Americans – to bring a new tone and direction to the USA leadership. I
am hopeful that we will all benefit – whether you are an American or live in
another country – from the changes to come.
After Labor Day, Orleans did another Bearsville Theater gig in Woodstock, NY
– our old stomping grounds / home base – with Joe Bouchard (Blue Oyster
Cult® original bassist) and local phenom Joey Eppard (check out HIS music at
MySpace – you’ll be amazed, as we were). We raised some more money and
awareness for The Queens Galley, the wonderful food resource in Kingston,
NY.
That same weekend, we were honored at a show with the “Long Island Sound
Award” which is for musical artists from Long Island who have made an impact
in American music. For the Hoppen brothers, all from Bay Shore, Long Island
– which is literally a town ON the Long Island Sound’s shore - , this was a
truly special show and thrill! Lots of friends old and new came out, which
is always a very nice bonus ;-)
Later in September, Orleans went over to Germany and Holland for a few
shows, also backing up Survivor®’s Jimi Jamison and Deep Purple® /
Rainbow®’s Joe Lynn Turner. We all had a blast, of course, and it was over
all too soon. Several www.YouTube.com films of those shows are posted by
various people.
October was probably my busiest month personally in the last twenty-plus
years as I performed solo, also with RPM, Orleans, Robbie Dupree, John Ford
Coley and others on a whirlwind of travel and gigs after getting back from
Europe.
Home for the Holidays with my family here in Florida, I am so thankful for
my life, my friends and fans and the opportunities to help other people.
There is much work to be done by all of us, and with the downward spiral
economically now touching just about everyone’s life, the least fortunate
among us are in dire straits in millions of cases. I am doing what I can to
help with food pantries, concerts to raise money for various local
charities, donations through my 501(c)3 Sunshine for HIV Kids, Inc and
various other little things.
I hope that all of you reading this are doing well, safe, sound and with the
ones you love during this season. I ask you to consider helping YOUR local
food pantry, maybe it’s a church that helps needy families, etc. If we help
each other as neighbors and citizens of the world, things won’t get worse,
they’ll get better.
My final gigs of the year were in early December as “Rock4Xmas” did a couple
of Events in New England to help local charities. Eddie Money, James
Montgomery myself and numerous others on the bill banded together to bring
music, awareness and hope to several organizations in Connecticut and
Newport, RI.
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and I wish each of you a
joyous and peaceful Holiday Season which leads into a prosperous and healthy
2009.
Thank you for coming by and reading my updates. Clearly, I could be updating
this site in many more ways, but with travel, work, family and other
obligations /Pursuits (like a new government ;-) that hasn’t been my
priority. If you are really Interested in seeing what’s been happening in my
adventures, check out www.OrleansOnline.com (there is a brand new CD we’ve
just offered with 13 UNRELEASED studio tracks spanning 1977 to 2008 called
“Obscurities”; I am very proud of this album. The other place to visit is
www.RPMconcerts.com
Enjoy and I will be back in touch here in a few months. Until then,
ROCK ON !!!
All
the best,
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