I have a friend, I call “sissy” or I call her “jilly” or I just call her friend…I can even call her at 3:00 in the morning if need be.. but I won’t howl into the phone.. “I’m a king snake baby and I rule my den!” Well, maybe I would..but that’s been used.

In her own words she writes…

“I have a beautiful young daughter, the kind any mother would love to have, she was there for me every step of the way.  Rubbing my bald head, cheering me on, and influencing me to find strength.  Mother and daughter share a common passion which bonds them.”

They discuss it.  They travel with it.  They eat with it.  They wake up to it.  They BREATHE it.  Music.

“Sarah, is somewhat an introvert who also likes to sketch.  Aunty Susie introduced her to the concept of sketching.  The first thing she started drawing when she was young was dresses.  She’d fantasize about some day making one.  She stopped sketching dresses till a few days ago, when I, affectionately known among her musical friends as “Pipey”, found a dress contest on our “favorite new” band’s site.  What a perfect blend!  Sketching dresses and one of her favorite bands!

I didn’t have to ask my daughter twice, Sarah immediately picked up her charcoal and went to work sketching a dress for Lzzy Hale of Halestorm.  I was on cloud nine to see my daughter truly excited about something again and is determined to boost Sarah’s self esteem by fostering her passion for sketching AND her love of music.  I want to give back and show the same support and strength to my daughter, that she gave to me,  during an ugly situation when she needed it the most.  So…set the wheels in motion for Pipey Jr’s Prom Crasher Dress titled “Classy Crasher”.

http://www.halestormrocks.com/photo/classy-crasher/

As a self taught artist, internet marketer and groupie at heart.. I put this out to all of  you and hope that you will support the passion and excitement  for Sarah by logging in and voting for her!

She’s also excited she’ll be attending the Uproar Tour where she will see Halestorm live for the first time on August 21^st in Tinley Park, IL.

Music calms the heart, it soothes the soul, it brings people together….

(Need to register to vote & confirm w/your email)

HALESTORM official site:  http://www.halestormrocks.com/

(vote here by clicking on the 5^th star to the right)

http://www.halestormrocks.com/photo/classy-crasher/

Uproar Tour:

http://www.rockstaruproar.com/bands

In life you may not get that chance, but you can get it on paper.  Here is a sketch I did for a gift, from a father to his son.

Titled appropriately “The Magnificent Four” Featuring his son, Bob Dylan, Brett Favre and Johnny Depp.

We all have hero’s, mentor’s and teachers, have you ever wondered what you would talk about if you met one of them? I do often, and I also wonder if perhaps, I would be to tongue tied to ask them anything.

I’d like to have met Crazy Horse and listen to the thoughts of a warrior fighting for all he believes in.

I’d like to have been able to sit down with Jim Morrison and ask him how some of his music was so enchanting, yet his poetry so disturbing.

I’d like to ask Stevie Ray where he felt his passion came from, and hear his stories of his teen years.

I’d like to sit down with Morgan Freeman and just listen to one of his stories, about anything, he has a great story telling voice that is somewhat hypnotic.

Can you imagine going out with the girls for cocktails if you were in the company of  Katherine Hepburn, Betty White and Candice Bergen?

Whose your hero in the real world? What would you like to ask yours?

I simply was amazed to learn, Alice Cooper has been married to the same woman for over 30 years. By just looking at the cover, I would  not have guessed that.

Known for his fake blood, electric chairs and goth before it even had a name.

30 plus years with his wife.  In the rock standards, that’s a flipping miracle.  Alice Cooper has entertained us for over 5 decades, some of which I was a wee one, but none the less, his appearance can be a little daunting.. but it doesn’t change the fact that he is a heavy metal icon.  Have you stepped out of your realm lately and listened to anyone’s music that by chance you wouldn’t have because the cover wasn’t appealing.

How quick do we form an opinion, solely on appearance?

I shutter at admitting this, but one day last week, in the wasteland of winter blues, I worked with my laptop from bed, that’s not what I am shameful to admit….. I watched Oprah..yeap..Oprah, will I again, not until Palm Tree’s Grow in Chicago Naturally.. “I’m just not into Oprah”

I sat sadly though, for the teens that were on this show, struggling with weight issues, quite an eye opener to how quickly opinions are formed on appearance.  Struggling through school to make friends, to gain self confidence.

How quickly we judge the book by the cover, I am guilty of it myself.  If we took the time to get to know the person behind the cover, we may find a unsuspecting friend, companion or even a great piece of music.

Steve Marriott would have turned 62 tomorrow – January 30th.

A musician, singer, songwriter and guitar player,  known from Humble Pie and Small Faces.

When I think of Steve Marriott, I think of 30 Days in the Hole..and I also think of the Lukas Clan.. mainly Jack.  A guy whose life blood is the volume switch on the stereo.

One year, Jack invited us to a Marriott Memorial Birthday Party.. my son, thought this was awesome! Any reason to get together and listen to old rockers joke, laugh and give each other a rash of shit about times gone by and concerts they have seen together.

These are for Carol – Jack’s niece – who requested it! Rock on Little Sister, once the hair grows back, I know you will be tossing it around in that head banger fashion that I’ve grown to love!

In April of 1991, Steve Marriott lost his life at the age of 44 – having been born pre-mature and weighing in at 4 pounds 4 ounces..

I know of one person that will question those numbers after reading this.. I’ll wait for your 4:44 call! And I’ll love ya for 44 years

Having played in Moments, Small Faces & Humble Pie, his life intertwined with many names that we all know.  Whole Lotta Love by Zeppelin bares a similar sound to Marriotts version of a song originally written by Willie Dixon – apparently harboring no ill feelings for Plant, Marriott is quoted as saying.. “Go On My Son”

Achieving greatness should carry with it a sense of “humble” – we don’t get places with out inspirations, we don’t get places without learning from someone.

No matter’s whose path you cross, you can learn at least one thing from them.

Here is a single line from “As Safe As Yesterday Is” by Humble Pie – I was in a meeting yesterday and there was a topic of the “fear” how our news broadcasts and how reading the daily paper is like an emotion blizzard-put on some good music today and eliminate a bit of your fear.

And you can’t be diseased by what you fear

Happy Birthday Steve Marriott!

The Sag Awards, or Screen Actor Guild Awards, could have taken on a new meaning from one of the nominee’s tonight,  the  sagging career of Mickey Rourke seems to have gotten a face lift.

Being nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Best Male Actor in a Leading Role as Randy in The Wrestler, Rourke may yet again, walk away with another little bobble to put on his fire place.

I say rock on Rourke, it’s good to see someone pick themselves up by the bootstraps and get back in the game, no matter the rumors that have flown around for years. The daunting pictures of a not so well preserved Rourke.

It was obvious at the Golden Globes he was stunned to have won, I thought he was quite gracious, stating he was not a good speaker in public,  acknowledging the Director that had to fight for him to be in this role, since his name was not worth anything.

Bad Boys & Underdogs, I guess I am a sucker for both, bruised, beaten and almost a has been in the film industry – let’s hope Rourke knocks ‘em out again.  He may not be pretty, but he’s still got it!

Here is Paul Stanley, guitarist from KISS – born in Queens in 1952 and a legendary rock figure, writing and co-writing a majority of their famous chart busting hits.  It was with Paul’s encouragement that KISS took off their makeup sometime in the 80′s.  Paul has a birthday coming up on Inauguration day, he will be 57 and still looking pretty good!

It’s tough for many to take off their make-up because we are a society driven by the anorexic look, face lifts, fat lips and boob jobs.  What are we recognized for, is it our appearance, talent, brains or looks?

We have all heard Oprah whining lately about how upset she is with her appearance, she needs to loose weight by the Inauguration….. give me a break! I’ve got news for Oprah, many people would like to be employed, or be able to pay their bills on time.  A worry such as 15 pounds should never throw us into such a tail spin.

We have stereo typical images of bad boys, dumb blondes, sex symbols, geeks, business men, career women and so on…Take off that stereo typical make up, there are so many things you can obsess over, other than appearance, I have battled my weight for many years, up 20, down 10, up 5, down 1.. I can’t physically keep up my “goal” as set by the Weight Watchers standards.

I am setting my own goal, it’s where I feel comfortable, where things fit that I like.  Strive to be the best you can, don’t strive to be someone else, or look like someone else, because, underneath all that stereo typical make-up, there very well may be botox, silicione and alot of stitches & scars.

A great example of the not being stereo typical is Diane Keaton, she is who she is, and she is a beautiful woman!

To the rest, well.. KISS my…

I remember seeing Swayze in “Red Dawn” in 1984 – and for some reason last night, I remembered a line he had in that movie -

C’mon! We’re all going to die, die standing up!

A few years back, I had a discussion with a character I referred to as “Captain Chaos” and it was in regards to dying – it was regarding my friend that was told she was terminal, I said to Chaos, “I can’t imagine what it is like to wake up each morning knowing that”  He looked at me quizzically and said, “it’s going to happen to all of us”  Coming from someone who as by his nickname, I didn’t expect those words, but how damn true is that.

Patrick Swayze is living his life now with strength and drive, I have to say he  was inspirational, scared out of his wits I am certain, but he is living now, for what he loves, for the passion that is within him.

Looking at his gaunt and sunken eyes, you can see fatigue and yet he pulls it together to continue doing what he loves for as long as he can.  Do we really know what fatigue is these days?

We waste so much time on materialistic nonsense, petty arguments and trivial bull shit and for what? Is it fulfilling?  Just watch the nightly news….scandel, scandel, scandel.  Why? Everyone wants to have more or be more than the next person.

We shouldn’t wait to be in a situation like Patrick Swayze to get to the core of who we are and living for what we love.

“What winning is to me is not giving up, is no matter what’s thrown at me, I can take it, and I can keep going.”  Patrick Swayze

Sexy? A state of mind, person or place that makes us think someone else is sexy? I was reading news of Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler and walking down memory lane of old celebrities that as a young teen I thought were so hot that I’d forge their autographs on the Teen Beat Centerfolds and proudly hang them on my wall.

This picture depicts Mickey Rourke in 9-1/2 weeks and Kim Bassinger as she hangs on his every breath with weak knees, along with another hottie of current days, Vin Diesel – the boy with the biceps and full of attitudability. Is it what people wear, how they carry themselves, a certain body part that our eyes convince our emotions that they are sexy?

What happened to Sexy?

Mickey Rourke was extremely sexy, from 9-1/2 weeks to Harley Davidson & The Marlboro Man, he had that bad boy attitudability…the attitude that takes away a womans ability to resist, he still has attitude, but the looks have drastically changed.

If beauty is in they eye of the beholder, are we fickle beholders when we see a recent photo of a Leif Garrett, Mickey Rourke or Jeff Conway? Or have our tastes just changed over the years? What happens to sexy? If we take an actor or actress for the merits of their fame, are we being shallow when their looks are lost with time and we no longer find them sexy?

When we mature, sexy matures with you, when you alter it, people know you have altered it, and the illusion is lost.  Altering yourself to re-capture your youth, rarely works, your “audience” is aging with you….

We all change over time, are we more likely to think one is sexy still when we see the changes happen slowly?