For All-Things Beatles (and beyond)

As you may or may not be aware, my Beatles' program "Just Four Guys" airs on www.mvyradio.com every Tuesday afternoon at 4:00 (Eastern time). HOWEVER, JFG also airs on http://www.beatlesarama.com - Sundays at 9:00a (Pacific)/Noon (Eastern). I also have the great privilege of hosting a show on Beatlesarama Monday - Friday at 9:00a (Pacific)/Noon (Eastern).

Just an FYI...

Your Beatle Story...

Everyone who's a Beatle Fan has a story that details The Beatles' relevance in their life. Whether it's the first time you saw The Beatles (on Ed Sullivan), heard The Beatles on that crackly AM radio you had back in the early 60s, or how you felt the day you heard John Lennon and George Harrison died - you have definitive feelings on the subject of the Fab Four - together or apart. And if you're a younger, newer fan of The Beatles, you have been regaled with tales of the aforementioned by your folks.

Please leave your Beatle Story for all to digest.

Thanks!

Ray

John Lennon

Remembering John today...

Heavy Metal Interpretations of Beatle Tunes

Imagine if John, Paul, George & Ringo "got busy" with James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Lars Ulrich and Robert Trujillo of Metallica. The offspring would no doubt be "Beatallica" (and yes, such a band exists... and they're AWESOME!!)

Jaymz Lennfield, Kliff McBurtney, GRG Hammetson & Ringo Larz comprise this "tributization" to Metallica and The Beatles. In the next week or so, it's Beatallica, Beatallica and nothing BUT Beatallica on "Just Four Guys - The Most Realistic Beatle Show on Earth.

Arriving....

Ever wonder what you're purpose in life is? Unless you're like one of those guys who likes to get stiff (drunk) every weekend, watch Sports Channel, and "bless" your girlfriend or wife with your awesome presence, you more than likely ponder your role on Earth (if you were like the aforementioned type, you wouldn't be reading this in the first place).

John, Paul, George & Ringo knew at a very early age what they were meant to do with their lives. That always amazed me. I've been in awe of that fact my whole life. If I'm being honest, I've also had my moments of extreme envy. I always thought "My GOD - To be so dedicated to one thing, at the behest of all else"! When you're a teenager, that's a gift (A BLESSING).

I don't know what it says about me that I think about The Beatles talent, focus, impact, and overall mystique every day of my life - even if it's for just a minute of so. Once they were Beatles, they were Beatles forever. Whether they were a performing unit or solo, they would always be Beatles. They didn't have to think about what they would have to do for a job, how they would pay the mortgage, budgetary constraints - none of the of seemingly mundane worries you and I run through in our mind on a day-to-day basis.

But it occurs to me now & then that we all "arrive" at our essence in due time. Whether it happens when you're 16 or 46, if you hold out hope for what you know is inside of you to begin to manifest itself in unexpected ways, your psyche will begin to smile. Those mundane tasks don't gnaw away at you quite as much. You deal much better - with life.

Harry Truman, Grandma Moses, Colonel Sanders, Rodney Dangerfield - all began their career after 40 (or, at least, began to really flourish after 40).

So, be true to you. Explore what drives you, and keep the faith.

Serendipity

This past Sunday, September 13th, I had an Mvyradio event to host at The Pinehills - a community in Plymouth, Massachusetts. It's one of those developments that has units - condos - ranging from $550,000 to $2 Million. Beautiful place, nice people.
It was one of those promotional events where Mvyradio will emcee either their annual "Jazz & Blues on the Green" show.
Anyway...

One of the displays set-up near our tent was for an artist named Tom Zotos. Of course, I wasn't the one to make initial contact with the artist. It was my 10-year-old daughter, Tess. Before I even saw the guy's work, she'd already charmed the socks of this man and his wife, Nancy. Tess is one of the rare kids who truly appreciates history, especially cultural history. And Tom's work is just that - Cultural History.

I remember back in the late 1980s when Mel Blanc - one of my heroes - passed away. THE VOICE - the one and only voice of the original Looney Tunes characters - was sadly silenced. Not too long afterwards, an illustration appeared that moved me beyond words. It depicted all the Looney Tune characters - Bugs, Yosemite, Elmer, Tweety, Sylvester, etc - grouped together, eyes closed, heads downward, while a a spotlight shined on an empty microphone...

Tom Zotos is the man who created that illustration.

Getting the opportunity to meet this man - someone obviously steeped in the same things I absolutely love - was an absolute honor. And to top it all off, he's one hell of a great guy. As my Mom used to say, it's "like we went to different schools together!".

Another classic piece Tom has created is one very similar to the Mel Blanc previously mentioned, only it was one for Frank Sinatra (which, by the way, was done at the request of the Sinatra Family!!).

To say Tom has some serious "street cred" would be like saying The Beatles put out a few good tunes (Tom has also been commissioned by Yoko Ono to create a depiction of John Lennon).

I implore you to check out this man's work. Here is his website at www.tomzotos.net

To Play Music - Just Do It!

Ah, for the days of whiling away hours - literally - playing my guitar(s). I'd not meditated seriously prior to playing music. And it only took me a few years afterwards that I realized that I actually WAS meditating! Playing music - on whatever level - is a meditative experience. It's a learning experience. It's a beautiful experience. And, as you might imagine, playing along to Beatle Music just heightened my experience.

If you've ever dreamed of playing music but felt intimidated, fear not. Just look & listen to those who dare to call themselves "musicians". They have an arsenal of five (5) chords that they use over & over in different incantations. But who's to say they are ridiculous? They're doing it! They are playing music!! While we can be scornful of the three-to-five-chord wonders, we should at least learn those five chords first before we cast aspersions on these so-called posers. They are doing what they love to do. They have "grabbed the bull by the balls and kicked those punks off campus!" (Sorry, lapsed into an "Animal House" moment...).

It's the old story. Those that may have a fraction of the talent or genius that you do, BUT they're out there doing it & enjoying life (which equates to a successful life, really).

So, how 'bout we get off our collective tuckus' and get playin' our "axe of choice!" That part of yourself that's been empty and in the waiting room of life will immediately feel "in the game".