‘Star of the Show’

Seven years ago I finished reading Rick Springfield’s autobiography “Late, Late at Night” and was so excited about revisiting all the songs from my teen years – and learning about the context for many of them – that I put together a site about the book: latelateatnightjourney.wordpress.com. Here is the intro:

It’s literally late, late at night. All the kids are sleeping and I put this blog together today because I felt compelled to do so after reading Rick Springfield’s “Late, Late at Night” memoir and finding myself searching through the Internet to find the songs in the book – both those that I sang along to countless times when I was younger and those that I wasn’t familiar with. I was surprised that I still remembered so many of the lyrics to songs from his earlier albums, back when my bedroom walls were covered with Rick Springfield posters and I’d listen to the albums over and over again (long before CDs). This blog is dedicated to my 13-year-old self who would have totally done something like this had blogs, YouTube and the Internet existed at the time. And also to Rick Springfield for many years of great music! (And thanks to all the wonderful Rick Springfield fans who have brought all these resources to said blogs and YouTube videos so I could find them!) It’s based on Rick Springfield’s memoir “Late, Late at Night” and provides links to the songs in the book, presented by chapter.

Although I called it a blog in the intro, it’s not really – it was just a little guide of where to find the songs in the different chapters, in case anyone else would be interested. After I finished it, I figured I was done revisiting my RS fan days and would move on.

However, that wasn’t the case. I found myself overflowing with excitement about all the new information I’d found (and continued to discover), yet nobody in my everyday life was really interested.

A few days later, I decided to stop talking about it after sensing that people’s patience was wearing thin and decided to just write about it instead in hopes that there were others out there in Cyberspace who could relate. The first post on the “My Rick Springfield crush” blog was posted on Aug. 8, 2014 and I started pulling out my old journals and planners to see what I documented. I found the first diary I ever had, from 1982, which also detailed the early stages of my infatuation with RS and then in spiral notebooks found notes about different concerts I attended, when I met him for the first time, etc. It never occurred to me that I’d still be writing this seven years later!

A few months after starting the blog, I listened to the “Late, Late at Night” audiobook on CD and was inspired to write the first song I’d written in about 10 years. I pulled my guitar from high school out of the case, practiced the few basic chords I used to know and wrote “My Rick Springfield Crush Revival.” A few months later I recorded it on a tape recorder (in the bathroom because the acoustics sounded better) and made a video of it.

(Yes, I cringe a little when listening to it….)

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I finished listening to the audiobook a second time (since I had subscribed to Audible so I could listen to his novel sequel “World on Fire,” I figured that I might as well get the autobiography, too, since seven years ago I had borrowed it from the library). I don’t know what it is with this audiobook, but it inspired to me write yet another song on this topic.

When I played the new song for my husband, he commented that it sounded a little obsessive. That wasn’t really what I was going for, but I guess after writing a fan blog for seven years perhaps I’ve lost some perspective. The song is meant to be a tribute to those who provide inspiration to others (specifically RS in my case, in case you can’t tell by all the evidence in the video) and the video includes images from the blog.

In honor of the seven-year anniversary of the “Late, Late at Night Musical Journey,” here’s “Star of the Show.” (Hopefully the recording sounds a little better this time around, as I wrote and recorded it in our makeshift studio using Logic Pro – no bad guitar playing in this one. Though my future self will probably still cringe when I listen to it, I hope some people will relate to the sentiment and enjoy the song!)

A rock star that inspires so many fans

With so many of today’s “leaders” being such poor examples of being a good human being, thank goodness for all the artists, musicians and other creatives out there who follow their passion to be a positive force in the world.

By sharing their truths with the world, they often forge a connection with their fans and give them strength. As this is a blog about Rick Springfield, naturally I will use him as an example.

Although he has made some not-so-stellar choices during his lifetime, which he seems to often beat himself up over, he has, through sharing and baring his soul, brought strength to so many. Through his songs, his autobiography and in interviews, he divulges more than the average human being would about his negative actions and by doing so, brings solace to others who may have found themselves in similar situations.

Not only that, but he also seems to inspire creativity in others.

For instance, he recently posted a video based on “My Father’s Chair” created by a film student.

Oftentimes, fans will post artwork they painted or drew of RS and one artist wrote a post about a chalk drawing she drew in tribute to RS’s birthday: “My many muses: Rick Springfield 2016” and a follow-up post: Back to the drawing board: Rick Springfield.

Then of course on YouTube there are several covers of his songs – mainly “Jessie’s Girl,” but here are some others that seem to exist not because the musicians are in an ’80s cover band, but because they’re RS fans :

From lespaulfanofsparta on YouTube:

And this cool father-daughter “Jessie’s Girl” cover, courtesy of Krizten Centino’s YouTube channel:

“Love is Alright Tonight” from posturex1:

There are several others if you’re interested in searching “Rick Springfield covers on YouTube.”

Obviously, he’s been a big inspiration to me, which I explained in a 2015 post about a year after I started writing this blog “Blogging to inspiration.” Can you believe that it’s almost the five-year anniversary of this blog?! Since then, I’ve been on my own little songwriting journey, definitely inspired by RS.

Some people don’t get any opportunities to inspire others and others inspire others simply by doing what they love and being kind to others. So once, again, thank you RS for being a source of inspiration!

Question for RS fans: How has he inspired you?

Interviews today and decades ago

What a fantastic show tonight! An outdoor symphony performance in Costa Mesa, California, with RS in his burgundy suit and a recent haircut playing all his hits.

I wasn’t actually there in person – although I did explore the possibility a few weeks ago when it looked like our family might be in town – but I did enjoy it vicariously through the videos of thoughtful fans’ live stream videos.

Wonderful, very close-up, zoomed-in type of videos with him looking directly at me the camera several times during one of my favorite songs, “Souls.” Awww, my 12-year-old self was fully crushing (OK, my nearly-50 self, too). Thank you, thank you to the wonderful people who posted videos, it was such a fun escape after an exhausting day.

In case you missed it earlier today, here’s a video from earlier today, on LA Times Today, that promotes tonight’s show (and also features his “manager,” Bindi).

This past week, I also watched a couple other cute videos that people posted. What I love so much about them is that they are from before he reached his American success in the 1980s and watching them now after reading his autobiography and seeing him perform all these years, it’s really inspiring to see all he’s accomplished.

This first one is from 1981, about six weeks after RS started on “General Hospital” and when “Jessie’s Girl” was a recent release and before it took on a life of its own in TV shows and movies. RS is 31 at the time (which means it’s nearly 40 years ago – WHAT?!) How cute are those “dance” moves and that seductive look? I’m so used to seeing him perform with a guitar, it looks like he’s not quite sure what to do with himself. (Teen crush alert: There’s a little Australian accent in this video.)

I think one of the attributes RS fans find so appealing is his authenticity. In this interview, he’s pretty much talking about the same things that he was talking about in the L.A. Times interview above – his dog, his desire to do both acting and performing and how much he enjoys working.

Now let’s go back in time a little further – to the 1978 MDA Telethon, where RS performed “Bruce” and “Cold Feet.” All dressed up in a tucked-in dress shirt and a wide tie. He also performed without a guitar and was very expressive with his hands; there’s also clapping, kicking and hip-shaking. It’s so darn adorable. After all these years performing, he’s got the rock star look and moves down so well, that it’s so fun to see this performance. There’s even a clip of Jerry Lewis enjoying the song. I used to watch the telethons, I wonder if I saw this back when I was 9.

If you reach a milestone age, you may as well embrace it

This year my favorite rock star reaches a milestone age: the big 7-0. You’d never guess it by looking at his lifestyle – last year he performed more than 85 shows, guest-starred in a couple of shows and hosted an ’80s cruise. Although he’s said in recent interviews that he hopes to cut back the touring a bit and get an acting gig closer to home so he doesn’t have to travel as much, he doesn’t seem to be slowing down at all as he continues to write, act and perform.

As I’m reaching a milestone age this year, too, I decided that I’m going to embrace it. My mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at 51 and died a few weeks later at 52 so in the past I always looked at the big 5-0 with a sense of trepidation. But now I just feel a sense of urgency to try things I’ve always wanted to try and if I’m fortunate enough to make it to the big 7-0, I hope I’m still going strong, too.

Yesterday I decided to check out the AARP website to see what that was about (don’t laugh, they have good articles).

AARP Table of Contents: Aug-Sept. 2015 issue

Plus, if I’ll be eligible for some discounts soon, I want to learn more.

Anyway, there was an article about celebrities who are turning 50, 60 and 70 in 2019.

I scroll down the 50 list

Gwen Stefani, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez – 50 looks pretty good! Dave Grohl – hey, a RS connection (“Sound City”)

On the 60 list

Another RS connection – Martha Quinn (flashback to that MTV interview with the striped shirt): Look how cute they both look!

Also on the 60 list: Marie Osmond. Yet another RS connection!

Linda Blair is also turning 60 this year – she and RS have a long history together that continues today – her foundation for rescue dogs is usually one of the charities that RS recommends when fans want to donate money in honor of his birthday.

And then there’s the 70 list.

Steve Perry (“Don’t Stop Believing” starts playing in my head)

Billy Joel (“Sing me a song, you’re the piano man,” one of my favorite sing-along songs)

Meryl Streep (Obvious RS connection – “Ricki and the Flash”)

And then there he was:

I KNEW he’d be on the list, but it still made my heart skip a beat when I saw it. Imagine that, me almost 50 and him almost 70 and all these years later and I still have that reaction. That’s something that would have shocked me back in 1982.

(Note, Bruce Springsteen is on the list too, which is kind of a connection, as people often get the two mixed up, which RS wrote about in his song “Bruce.”)

Let’s go back 20 years

As I’ve mentioned before, probably a few times, RS has been a huge source of inspiration to me these past few years. Primarily with my songwriting. (Two notes here: First, I’ve started a songwriting blog so I have another place to ramble about my songwriting rather than cluttering up this blog with it and second, I’m going to be performing a few of my songs at a local songwriting event this month – on the same day RS is performing at Graceland. Absolutely no connection there, but it’s still cool to me.)

Anyway, let’s go back 20 years to when RS was about to turn 50. It’s 1999 and RS is planning on releasing “Karma,” his first album since “Rock of Life” in 1988. In 1998, he had started touring again after many years (and I was there at a show in Henderson, Nevada). When Karma was released in April (I was there!) he was still 49.

Here’s 49-year-old RS on the day Karma was released. When I first met him, he was the age I am now. I just need a moment for that to sink in.

OK, I’m ready to continue.

(OK, after I wrote that and posted this pic I noticed that it says “now” in the background. Weird. I have had this picture framed in my home for almost 20 years and never noticed that before.)

Anyway, sure he had a HUGE successful career already by then, but let’s look at all his songwriting AFTER he turned 50:

2004: Shock/Denial/Anger Acceptance
2008: Venus in Overdrive
2009: Precious Little Ones (lullabies he wrote when his sons were young)
2012: Songs for the End of the World
2016: Rocket Science
2018: The Snake King

Also a best-selling autobiography and a best-selling novel. Plus lots of acting.

So the moral of the story is, even though reaching a milestone age might feel unsettling because of all it represents, you should still embrace it because not everybody gets that opportunity to be that age and as long as you’re here, there is still plenty you can do.

And now I’m going to sleep because it’s almost midnight and at my age…

Going through concert withdrawals

It’s been about 14 months since I was at a Rick Springfield concert and I think I’m going through some withdrawal symptoms because I had a dream about him last night.

I was at some kind of event and he was at the other end of a really long table playing a song. When he got up to leave, I got up to follow him to see if I could say hello but he was walking away really quickly. When he was playing, he was his current self, but when he was rushing out of the room, he looked like his 1980s self.

I’m not sure how to interpret that, but it did make me realize how long it’s been since I’ve had any interaction with my favorite rock star. Just two days ago it was the three-year anniversary of when I met him outside the Fox Theatre venue in Tucson after a Stripped Down show. (I wrote about that here and here.)

At the last show I was at – in July 2016 – I took a selfie with him after the show, but it happened so quickly that it almost seems like it didn’t happen at all.

View from the end of the stage in July 2016.

However, although it’s been so long since I was at a show, he’s often on my mind. I’m at a current point in my life right now where the life experiences he’s shared are a huge source of inspiration. Maybe it’s my own version of a mid-life crisis, but I feel like I’ve reached a point where I need to make a big change, but I’m not sure yet what it is. Last year I made some big decisions in my professional life that I’m still adjusting to, and in the overall scheme of things, things are good, but there’s something eating away at me. Like there’s a choice I should have made or something I should be doing, but I’m not sure what.

Meanwhile I’m just writing and writing (not as much for this blog, but for my own blog and articles and songs) and making progress, but not sure where it’s all going. RS’s advice he’s shared in interviews to “never give up, never give up, never give up” keeps echoing in my mind.

There was recently an announcement that RS will be honored this month by Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services for his candidness in talking about depression. He will receive the 2018 Beatrice Stern Media Award on April 26 at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. (An article was in the Morning Sun earlier this week.) Congratulations on this well-deserved honor, RS, thanks for sharing so much with your fans.

As usual, RS is keeping busy. According to his tour schedule, he’s had some time off since the 1980s cruise, except for one show in Florida right after the cruise, so hopefully he’s enjoying some down time with his family and friends. He was quoted in The Epoch Times after seeing a “Shun Yen” performance in Thousand Oaks last night ( those who were concerned with his spiritual side after listening to “The Snake King” might be interested in reading this article.) And tomorrow night he’ll be in Portland performing with the Oregon Symphony. Other April shows will be in Florida then California. (Check out his upcoming shows on rickspringfield.com.)

Since I don’t have any shows on the horizon, I recently amused myself with a page from the Rick Springfield and Us website: Concert Cliff Notes, which goes into great detail (with photos) of the different elements of a Rick Springfield concert, from rose explosions and signature moves to signs fans bring to the show and categories such as “shirtless” “memory lane” and “guitar throws.” Not quite the same as a show, but fun nonetheless.

Under a magnifying glass

There’s been a lot of Rick Springfield headlines this past week as we get closer to the Jan. 26 release date of “The Snake King.”

Unfortunately the headlines are not about how this underrated talented musician often pegged as “an ’80s icon” is releasing a new CD – his 19th studio album, with eight of them after the ’80s –  in a different style (blues) and totally rocked it. Besides those written by actual music reviewers, who all have given “The Snake King” wonderful reviews thus far, all the other articles have focused on his recent interview with SirusXM, in which he revealed that he came close to committing suicide last year. Basically many different websites published the same article over and over and over again with different headlines, but all saying the same exact thing.

That was definitely the most shocking part of the interview, especially to fans who have followed his career closely and have recently seen him in concert. It was heartbreaking to hear that his struggles with depression are not just something that he talked about in his 2010 autobiography but something that he is still dealing with today, among his touring (about 100 concerts each year), filming TV shows and interactions with adoring fans.

I think he is brave to talk about it and am impressed that he has such strength to share something so vulnerable and then that weekend was able to return to the stage to give entertaining, rockin’ performances. I hope him sharing his experience will serve as an inspiration to many people who are dealing with depression and that his performances continue to raise his own spirits.

Celebrities are often under a magnifying glass, with the media often focusing on one specific element, which sometimes can be a good thing and other times not, depending on the situation. In this case, the good thing is that acknowledging the impact of depression on his life will increase awareness about the severity of the disease and help those who also suffer it not feel alone. Additionally, it may help others better understand the disease and how it may affect their loved ones.

These past couple of days I’ve been reading articles about Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington, who RS referred to in the SirusXM interview. Both of them were such talented singer-songwriters who fought their own battles with depression, often depicted in their song lyrics. So far, we’ve heard a few of the songs of “The Snake King”: “Little Demon,” “Land of the Blind,” “Santa is an Anagram” and “Jesus is an Atheist.” One song title in particular, “Suicide Manifesto,” is what prompted the interviewer of the SiriusXM interview to express concern and led to his revelation about what he was feeling last year when he wrote it – admitting that he was in a dark place.

As I mentioned in the past post, it’s amazing how someone who feels such darkness can bring so much light into the world. Chris Cornell’s children and a variety of musicians and actors recently released a public service announcement about “The Promise” campaign. Cornell wrote and recorded “The Promise” for a film of the same name that addresses Armenian genocide. He donated all the proceeds from the song to the International Rescue Committee, a charity that responds to humanitarian crises by helping to restore health, education and economic well-being to people stricken by conflict. Sadly, he’s not here to see the good work he generated.

Bennington’s band, Linkin Park, did a lot of charity work, raising money for hurricane victims and tsunami victims, as well as for the MusiCares MAP Fund, which helps recovering addicts. Bennington committed suicide on what would have been Cornell’s 53rd birthday.  Bennington would have turned 42 this year, on March 20; his widow is planning a birthday tribute for him.

Both of these musicians turned to songwriting to get them through difficult times and those songs helped countless others get through difficult times of their own. Their music will live on.

Although I wish RS didn’t have to deal with “Mr. D” (his depression) at all, I pray that he finds the strength to get through the difficulties that comes along with it. Sure, I hope to hear new music from him and see him in concert again and maybe even have a conversation with him someday, but above all, I just want him to be OK for his own sake and for his family’s sake.

(At least we know he’s happy tonight, as he’s judging a dog show for rescue dogs so he’s getting some dog therapy. The 2018 American Rescue Dog Show will air on the Hallmark channel on Feb. 12.)

 

 

 

Two lines

Two days and 17 years ago I was at a Rick Springfield concert but until today I hadn’t found my journal from that year so I had no memory of it; it wasn’t until I noticed the anniversary date on somebody’s Facebook post that I realized I had been at that particular concert.

Today I realized that my notebook from that year wasn’t with my earlier ones because I had recently moved so it was part of my current life (current at the time) rather than my past and was in a different place.

I found the notebook and since past RS shows had resulted in at least a page of details about the show (or long blog posts, after 2014), I couldn’t wait to see what I had written about it.

I quickly turned through the pages to find the date: 5/5. There were only two lines: a mention of the concert, who I went with and where it was. Two lines, no details.

The pages before and after were filled with heartbreak and dating drama, which reminded me of that relationship from so long ago that so consumed me. It also appears that I was recording my dreams that year, as many entries are fragments of dreams, probably written right after I woke up.

There were also lots of entries of  lyrics – some of them with melodies I remembered; the lyrics remind me how I was feeling at that time.

For instance, this one:
You climb into his car, you fly to the moon
You think it’s a brand new melody, but it’s just the same old tune
You smile at his stumbling, you’re touched by his thoughtful gaze
You think it’s a once-in-a-lifetime, but it’s just one of those days…

After that 5/5 concert in 2000 (my sixth RS show)  I wouldn’t see RS in concert again until 15 years later. And by the time that concert occurred, I had been writing this blog for eight months, after coming across a TV interview after his novel was released.

Why is it that back in 2000, a RS mention was two lines in a journal and now, in my 40s, I’ve written over 260 posts on a blog about him, a process that provided inspiration to start writing songs again? In this early months of this journey, my goal was to record some of my old songs so they’d exist outside of my head and I’ve only recorded a couple of them so far because I’ve been so busy writing new ones instead. If I would have been so inspired 17 years ago, who knows how many songs I’d have by now or what I would have done with them.

Maybe because sometimes when your head gets clouded with negative things, it’s more difficult to recognize hints of inspiration. Or maybe things are happening the way they are – when they are – for a reason and you can’t look backward, only forward.

Aerobic inspiration

I wonder if Rick Springfield knows how much he inspires people. He probably knows to some extent, as people bring him paintings, drawings, crafts or poems at the meet and greets. (I’m pretty sure I sent him a poem or two back in the day, either handwritten or typed out on a typewriter, pouring out my teenage heart.)

It’s no secret that RS’s healthy lifestyle has allowed him to continue doing what he has been doing for so long. I think we’d all like to have that much energy at age 67. Even a dose of that at 20 years younger would be nice, too. A glass of red wine every night may be a good start, but I realize that healthy eating and exercise are important components, too.

Last month, a fan inspired by RS’s healthy lifestyle started a friendly fitness competition for fellow fans. Participants sign up for the competition and download the appropriate app then their steps are tracked during the week on a Fitbit or similar device and the winner gets a prize.

I recently participated in one of the challenges and it was great! My Fitbit was sending me all kinds of laudatory messages throughout the week and I was breaking all kinds of records (clarification: my own records). My kids got in on the action, encouraging me throughout the week to take more and more steps. (Disclaimer: I finally gave in to their requests to install Pokemon Go on my phone so they would eagerly accompany me on after-school walks.) I parked on top floors of parking garages so I could take the stairs and danced around in the kitchen as I cooked dinner to get more steps in (“Rocket Science” provides great exercise music, in case you were curious.)

Sadly, I didn’t win the competition, but it was still a winning week for me because I realized I could fit in more exercise into my busy week.

Unfortunately, this week wasn’t a repeat of last week. We had two days of heavy rain so no walks in the park. Then I had work-related events nearly every night. This week I only reached the 10,000-step goal once and that’s only because I  wandered around on a community college campus for 20 minutes trying to find my car, visiting several parking lots in the process.

But there’s always next week. Perseverance is the key to success, right?

The Australian interview

You may have heard about the recent Rick Springfield interview on Australia’s “Sunday Night” program, where an Australian reporter got the incredible assignment to fly to Los Angeles to interview RS.

(Are there any positions available for reporters to travel to the Bahamas in November to cover the fan trip? If so, where do I apply?)

The interview appeared to be a big deal for Australia because he left about 45 years ago to achieve musical fame on the foreign shores of America and so this interview seemed to be sort of a “Where are they now?” kind of thing. It was a very heartfelt interview and it always amazes me that RS speaks with such candor about personal matters. Perhaps it’s because he already revealed so much in his memoir and he figures the information is out there anyway.

But if one hasn’t read every line of his memoir or listened to countless interviews, parts of the interview could come as a surprise. Hence, the headlines from those interviews.

Rick Springfield: ‘I’d recognize Jessie’s Girl if I saw her’

Yes, another “Jessie’s Girl” headline. No surprise.

‘I was going to shoot myself’: Rick Springfield opens up about his battle with depression while admitting he attempted to commit suicide twice

He wrote about his teenage suicide attempt in his book and so although it came as a surprise when reading his autobiography, it didn’t have the same effect when watching the interview (although it’s still just as sad to think about now). But is counting change from your piggy bank to see if you have enough money to buy a gun really considered a suicide attempt? (Not to downplay the emotions behind doing that, though. So glad he didn’t have enough change.)

As one who has heard/watched many RS interviews over the past couple of years, my fan thoughts after watching the interview were a little different and – not surprisingly – didn’t appear in the any of the articles:

It was interesting to see all the coverage of Zoot, which was a big part of his Australian musical career, and to hear him talking about his early days in America.

Oh, the red shirt in the concert footage shown in the interview – he wore that at the New Orleans show this past summer. Why do I remember that? Because it was the first time I remembered seeing that shirt and I mentioned it in a previous post because he was wearing it in a dream I had. Since he cancelled the show that was scheduled right after the New Orleans show because he was so sick and the doctor ordered him to, that means he was likely pretty sick at the time of the interview.

The interview was yet another reminder that he’s had such an amazing career – finding musical success in one country and then starting from scratch in a second country and finding success there, as well. And all the ups and downs and twists and turns along the way and then being willing to talk so candidly about it all. Such an inspiration.

What I did learn from the interview was the origin of Bindi’s name and that RS sometimes dreams in an Australian accent. Although I don’t remember if he spoke with his accent in my dream when he wore his red shirt.

In case you missed it, here’s the interview:

 

 

 

Perseverance or predestined?

I went to an open mic earlier this week, one of the most popular ones in town where many talented musicians perform. It was my first time there and besides the local legend running the open mic, I hadn’t heard of any of the performers. As I watched them, I couldn’t help but think of all the talented musicians out there in the world and the disparities between how this talent plays out.

Why is one musician performing at a local open mic while others are selling out stadiums on a world tour? Is it luck? Is it perseverance? Is it fate?

Of course, this train of thought led me right to the subject of this blog, who has said in several interviews that he attributes his success to perseverance (he said the advice he gives to his kids is “never give up, never give up, never give up.”). He says that he was a terrible student and he may have pursued becoming a veterinarian or an Egyptologist if he did better in school (I’m never sure if he’s joking about that, but we’ll go with that he’s not.) But instead he continued to pursue music (and acting) because he hadn’t prepared to do anything else.

But I think it’s more than that. I think every person is here to fulfill some kind of mission and apparently his is music. Even his initials spell it out. (RS = rock star). (A note to future parents: initials matter. For instance, the musician that everyone gets confused with RS isn’t as fortunate in the initials department.)

When you look at his career, it’s pretty apparent. He was successful in Australia, and then he comes to the United States and finds success again (not immediate, that’s where the perseverance plays a role, I suppose) and then walks away from it all. And then comes back and finds it AGAIN. It’s what he’s meant to do. I find it so inspiring. I love hearing stories about people following their passions – sometimes against all odds – and finding success.

And as for the veterinarian aspect, in a sense he is an honorary one because he helps organizations who help dogs and other animals through his charitable support. As for Egyptology, there’s still an opportunity for that, too. Maybe on a trip to the Middle East someday, he can take part in an archaeological dig and discover something among the ruins that will change history.

But for now, I’m glad (as are so many others) that he’s continuing to make music, tour, etc. (Did I mention yet that I have second-row seats to a show in July? Whoo-hoo!)