Norman's Rockwell

Just when I thought it was safe to not attend the Grammys . The tickets are very expensive, even for voting members of the Academy. Plus, the nominees list wasn't that thrilling to me. So, I made the executive decision to stay home. Last year for the 50 th Grammy Awards, rumor was that McCartney and Michael would perform. Don't get me wrong: Tina tore the house down after Aretha raised the roof. It was a heckuva a show, but what if... Now in the past 72 hours came announcements that Macca , Springsteen, Radiohead and Jay-Z would be there. Oh, and then today comes word that Kid Rock, Robert Plant and U2 will be on the bill. Whaaaaa !? Well, I'm just going to watch it in HiDef in the comfort of my own home. Maybe I'll put on the tux and strut around the beige carpet and loiter by the bar in my kitchen nursing a glass of veggie juice. Still, no Michael, so I can rest easy. Then, in the e-mail this morning came the lineup for Coachella which Prince headlined last year.

Thanks to the UK Soul Mates who alerted me that they heard " Everyone's Ingenue" on telly! Here in the States, the season premiere of Eli Stone was back in October. Nice to know that the show made it across the pond, my song intact. And better yet, that some of you caught it. In music news, I will not be performing at this year's IPO in Liverpool. But, I'm contemplating a return to the UK in 2010. Even numbered years seem to work out well. If God wills it, I will be there to entertain you... somehow. Peace & Disco Beats

Days like today remind me of my discovery of Oasis. Rain coming in sideways, dreary January mornings walking to the bus stop and then on to the studio with an uphill mush. The music on my walkman propelling my legs made by five lads from Manchester, England. It was the beginning of 1995. I had little exposure to British pop to that point. I knew Blur's campy Girls & Boys ; Elastica's booming Connection was all over modern rock radio. But that was about it. Then one night, I was in the Tower Records on Ventura when I spotted a magazine called MOJO . The headline was "The Band You've Always Wanted." Really? A few days later, I trotted into Hollywood to seek out this band's debut CD. For Christmas, I received a gift certificate to Blockbuster. They were pioneering the try before you buy model that eventually ran them out of business. It was my first time, so I sheepishly asked the attendant to listen to a disc called Definitely, Maybe . From the opening

Well, friends here we are a few days into the Obama administration and I'm still excited. Bought all the various newspapers I could. It will take me a while to read through them, but I'll do my best.  On to music. The Rock Hall class for 2009 was announced recently and as usual, I am disappointed by the omission of Chic. This band, not simply a disco act or one-hit wonder, deserves the recognition. Perhaps in another decade, founding member Nile Rodgers will be honored as an individual in a technical category for his production and writing prowess. Le Freak excites me every time I hear it. Their other big hits, I Want Your Love and Good Times form the basis of a great jazz influenced dance canon. Oh, well.  [Search my blogs for previous entries touting the worthiness of Chic's induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.] As for this year's class, I'm only truly thrilled for Run- DMC . They are one of the cornerstones of hip-hop and modern rock. Yeah, I said

My first blog of the new year. Happy 2009 everyone. I am feeling optimistic and hopeful about the direction my life and the times are heading. I'm thinking about the reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. this morning. It's been several years since the last time I went to his childhood home in Atlanta. Yesterday I preached at church for the first time and used two excerpts from his speeches, the Nobel Prize Acceptance and the sermon the Drum Major Instinct. In researching Dr. King, a huge light bulb came on. I am actually a few months older now than King was at the time of his assassination.  Isn't that crazy? He was 35 when he won the Nobel Peace Prize. When I was 35, I hadn't even gotten the band to England.  My sermon was based on John 1:43-51, the calling of Phillip & Nathanael. It was entitled "Called (In The Name Of Love)." I spent time discussing how those disciples' reactions to their call was different, but ultimately yielded the same result; ho