Hey everyone !
This is a super long overdue recap of all that’s been going on!
I was most recently away visiting with family and was respecting their wishes to not post pix etc from our time. There are actually people who wish for their kids to not be posted everywhere and I found this quite refreshing !
I will say I did things like climb trees and walk dogs and boil crawfish !!! Fun!!!
Before that I was in my hometown of Long Island visiting and performing with the residents of the LI Head Injury Association. If you want to be inspired, spend time with folks who make the most of adversity. These are people who were going about their normal lives and due to an event suddenly found themselves facing unfathomable challenges. Their sense of gratitude for what they DO have and the childlike wonder they find in hellos and hugs and music is awe inspiring. It was hard to ousting the group as they harmonized to Lean on Me as their voices were channels of God!!!
I then performed with Dee Snider and friends at his Jam For Autism event. Having worked with autistic kids at my Electric Youth camp programs I have seen first hand how a little support goes a long way in encouraging full potential!
I have not been in a flow with singing and must admit that these few live performances starting with the Cherry Blossom Parade in DC were like re-building steps for me. You may not hear performers admit this often but I and my coaches and teachers are here to say that all performers go through challenging times and in a lot of ways this is a re birth for me. Some old me who was stuck in a certain way of doing things is dying away and I’m embracing finding new ways of using my instrument! It’s a trip to do that in the midst of public performing but I vowed to myself to always “show up” with all of myself and not focus on the outcome.
The great news is, by the time I hit the stage at Dee’s event I felt an ease I’d not felt in years. I was panicked moments before feeling like my voice wasn’t there. Then like magic all the work I’d been doing kicked in and I was able to relax and enjoy!
The downside? I was so focused on my voice all day I forgot to see if the hot pink dress would ride up while dancing….it did. Lol! And I left little time for hair so I looked a bit white trash!!! Tho it’s Rock n roll and Tina Turner will always go for too short a skirt before shed ever look too proper so….?!? But I think next up is finding a happy medium between sexy and classy ! HA!
Going back to the Cherry Blossom Parade… Meeting Miss America and Javier of The Voice and reacquainting with Katie Couric were highlights for me! Katie was like a wide eyed little girl at her first ever parade! Living proof that how you handle your stress keeps you young!!!
I loved the kids from Impact and it made me want to do more youth programs! I love working with kids! I will always relate to them for some reason in some big sister/cool Aunt kind of way!
Speaking of…my niece and her a capella group are coming to perform at the upcoming GGF Gala! Glee style opening to Anything is Possible which I’ve not performed in ages. Cannot wait! Dee, AJ Hammer, Alli Isabella a newcomer who is adorable and talented, Lydia Rose a viola player who received our scholarship last year, the band Rock and Soul, with friends Devon, Buddy, Eddie, and Jens will all be on hand. Aubrey will be debuting her new single which I love!
To address some Apprentice stuff as we gear up for the finale… I read some comments in reference to me praising Aubrey’s single. First of all, I think some comments she made on the show were her playing the reality game. Shock value and sound bites sell. She’s a reality producer’s dream. Other comments came from being thrown together and …each of us are kings and queens in our own little worlds but sometimes they don’t cross over. There are fans of mine that are loyal whether or not I am “relevant” or ever have another hit again. There are fans of hers that are not familiar with my Broadway work or the mentoring I do and it’s fair to say they think I’ve been off radar resting on my laurels. There are also fans of mine that don’t realize Aubrey was a baby born on a reality show and that hasta be intense and she rose to the occasion beautifully and is constantly examining herself and I somehow know her heart …maybe others don’t care to take the time to look deeper than the tv soundbites and that’s ok.
And – regardless of what I think of anyone personally – I can separate the art. Wrecking Ball is a song that makes me feel something and even if I did not care to have a cup of tea with the person singing it (tho I do!) I would not deprive myself any musical experience
On another CA note…brace yourselves…Teresa and I have exchanged emails and have kissed and made up so to speak! She sincerely apologized for having said anything hurtful as did I for maybe not giving some of her ideas a chance. We both acknowledged the absurdity of the circumstances and will give each other the hug that didn’t happen at the elevator when we see each other on the 20th!
AND – I am auctioning off the “Bubbies in the Boardroom” dress for my Gibson Girl Foundation online starting tomorrow along with some other fun items!!!
The charity I played for Children Intl just sent me a photo book documenting the progress of my sponsored family. Thru my support as well as a generous donation by Dr. Murad, my sponsored family has moved from a cemetery to an apartment and the Mother was given a grocery store to run as a source of income. That is where the real change is happening. Education in how to sustain oneself. It’s such a beautiful thing. I cannot wait to go back for another visit. And, I cannot stress enough how if you haven’t looked into sponsorship – you are missing out! The bible teaches us of Supply. And, if you know that you will always have enough, then you can always afford to help others.
Lastly – whew – I’m thrilled that so many of you have taken a liking to my new accessories with Love, Lulu Mae! Even TMZ showed up at the airport the other day asking where my fedora was! Lol!
That’s the update for now! Look out for Jimmy Van Patten, Tilman the Skateboarding Dog that the folks at Natural Balance allowed me to use in my Buick Presentation, and myself on Fox News in LA next week! We will keep you posted!
Again – sorry for the long overdue update and Thanx as always for your great energy!!! It is not wasted on me 🙂
X Deb
