Alan Mercer's PROFILE

All Photos: Alan Mercer Lighting& Asst: Eric V. & Psymon Imagery

Leslie Jordan is currently in England filming 'Celebrity Big Brother UK' until September 15, but I was able to meet up with him before he left. We had our photo session and conversation in the Mary Kay Suite at the Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas.

For such a diminutive frame, Leslie Jordan has a tall propensity for scene-stealing. He hails from the South, as his dead-giveaway drawl quickly exposes, and was raised in a highly conservative, deeply religious atmosphere in Chattanooga, Tennessee. His father, a Lieutenant Colonel with the Army, was killed in a plane crash when he was only 11. Uncertain about his direction in life, an inescapable talent for high camp, not to mention an impish mug and pocket-sized structure ideal for commercials, must have inspired Leslie enough to risk taking on Hollywood in 1982.

Following training with acting Coach Carolyn Barry, who ran the Professional Artist's Group during the 80s, he became highly marketable in commercial spots. TV would invariably be the next step. In the midst of it all he involved himself deeply in writing. Avid L.A. theatergoers will probably recognize him for such prone-to-misfit characters as Brother Boy, an institutionalized drag queen, in "Sordid Lives," and Peanut, a habitual barfly, in "Southern Baptist Sissies."

His own one-man testimonials, such as the off-Broadway "Hysterical Blindness" and the more recent "My Trip Down The Pink Carpet," show an actor quite adept at baring his soul and exposing his childhood agonies on stage amidst laughter and tears. These shows came at a price, however. A self-proclaimed substance abuser and sexaholic, Jordan spent jail time more than once for DUI before facing his inner demons and reaching full recovery since 1996.

In the end he has reaped the rewards of comedy success. In low budget film projects since 1988, he has been part of such off-the-wall material as 'Frankenstein General Hospital,''Black Velvet Pantsuit and Farm Sluts,' to name a few. He has also experienced the joy of seeing one of his own writing projects come to full fruition with the film ‘Lost in the Pershing Point Hotel.’ He was also given the chance to recreate his Big Brother role in ‘Sordid Lives’ to the big screen and on TV.

TV has been an exceptionally inviting medium over the years with a number of fun, flouncy roles coming his way. Noted for his catchy guest work on "Murphy Brown" and "Lois & Clark," among others, he was also a series regular on ‘Reasonable Doubts’ and ‘Hearts Afire.’ Leslie has a wonderfully wicked recurring role as a very small thorn in Megan Mullally's side on the popular ‘Will & Grace’ sitcom. Playing the snide, mincing and unconvincingly homophobic hanger-on Beverley Leslie, the actor plays the hilarity up for all its worth. At other times his loser types have proved quite touching, if pathetic, in offbeat drama.

AM: Leslie, it was so exciting when you won an Emmy! I would think your stock immediately goes up after winning but you tell a different story.

LJ: I thought I’d been acting for twenty years and I’d won an Emmy so I was going to sit back and let it come to me….well, we’re waiting and waiting.

AM: Was that a surprise?

LJ: I’ve been around long enough to know the way this business works. My manager does remind me that since the day I won the Emmy in 2006 I’ve never had to audition once. Now that is something for an actor like me, who is either really right for the part or I’m not right at all. There’s no in between.

AM: You also got sober a few years ago. That must help.

LJ: I got sober seventeen years ago and learned to live in the moment.

AM: What changed in your life perspective?

LJ: I used to dream about the future and think when I get that series, or meet that perfect person or get a house in the Hollywood Hills and it’s not like that at all. Life is a journey. I love the Jim Carrey quote, “I wish everyone could get rich and famous so they would understand it’s not the answer.”

AM: But once upon a time you thought it was the answer didn’t you?

LJ: Oh absolutely! I got off the bus and that’s all I wanted for twenty years, but then I realized that unless I had a spiritual side it was all worthless. I respect Madonna because she had everything including a home in England and she studied the Kabbalah. All the success becomes meaningless unless you are happy from the inside.

AM: How do you find your spiritual nurturing?

LJ: Through a recovery program. I still go to meetings after seventeen years. I grew up in a very religious family.

AM: Your family would go to church regularly didn't you?

LJ: Our community was the church. Everything was church. If you went to a New Year’s Eve party it was at the church. It’s all church, church, church. When I got to West Hollywood, which is my community now, I still never felt like I had a real sense of community. I need a group of people that will call me out on all my attitudes. I need people who can look at me and say, “That’s bullshit Leslie.”

AM: Do you feel more fully realized at this point in your life?

LJ: I’m at the point where I am closer to my authentic self than I have ever been. I’m happier with who I am and what I am, which was such a struggle because of my religious upbringing.

AM: Have you had any other challenges or struggles?

LJ: I’ve also had to reinvent myself. When you first met me I was just starting to head out on the road. I didn’t know there was money to be made outside of LA. My management gets me lots of out of town gigs now. I travel all the time. I’m booked solid most of the year.

AM: Most of your fans know you as Brother Boy from ‘Sordid Lives.’ You are one and the same. How did that all start?

LJ: I told my friend Del Shores that he could write short stories so he wrote a short story called, ‘The Dehomosexualization of Brother Boy’ and I read it and thought it was so funny. Then he wrote one called ‘Nicotine Fit’ about three sisters in the living room fighting over burying their mother in a mink stole. Then he wrote another one about a woman who gets high on valium and holds her husband hostage. Then he called me and told me he was putting them all together into a play. At first I told him it was a mess and he couldn’t have all that going on.

AM: You told that to Del!?! Obviously that became 'Sordid Lives.'

LJ: Thank God he didn’t listen to me! So he added the funeral scene at the end and that tied it all up.

AM: What are you proud of?

LJ: Buying my mother a condominium is the best thing I’ve ever done as an adult. I also bought my twin sisters a condominium next to my mother so they can take care of her. I have a huge ship afloat.

AM: Leslie, I have seen every show you have ever done and I end up hurting from laughter. You are a genius.

LJ: Thank you! I love performing on stage but I would also love to stay home.

To learn more about Leslie Jordan visit his facebook page https://www.facebook.com/thelesliejordan

All Photos: Alan Mercer Assisted by Eric V. and Psymon Imagery

Eric Himan is an award-winning nationally touring soulful/folk/rock artist based in the Tulsa area. Eric's music has recently been featured on Sirius/XM's Coffeehouse radio station with his song, "Everything To You" and version of the Simply Red classic, "Holding Back the Years". Eric has shared the stage with Leon Russell, India.Arie, Edwin McCain, Karmin, and many more. Recently Eric and band performed at the Center of the Universe Festival with OneRepublic, OK GO, and Neon Trees. He has appeared in the The Advocate, Huffington Post, OUT, newspapers nationwide, won the Singer/Songwriter Awards in London and is endorsed by Fender Guitars.

Eric has come a long way in the years since his humble beginning entertaining crowds in colleges near his alma mater, Penn State University, but his love affair with the nomadic life began much earlier when he plucked his first guitar string or struck a chord. While Eric lives by the motto "Don't ask me where I'm from, ask me where I'm going," his past has much to do with the life he now pursues with great fervor. Growing up with a father in the military, Eric constantly relocated, shuffling through cities and states without enough time to put down serious roots. It wasn't until he attended Penn State University that he picked up a guitar and became a coffee shop crooner.

Eric released his debut CD and founded his own independent label, Thumbcrown Records. He quickly gained a "cult" following and broke from the idea of being a small-town act, for his unique sound that transgressed genres as he penned songs that dabbled in Blues, Folk, Pop, Blue Grass, Country, and Rock all served up with a pinch of wit and charm. His shows are not about theatrics and superstardom, instead, his shows are intimate and fans can't help but feel as though their best friend is onstage. Eric forges personal relationships with many of his fans with his disarming charm and approachability.

AM: Eric I know you recently opened a string of shows for Leon Russell. What was that like?

EH: Leon is amazing! I got that gig because of my drummer Brandon, who has been with Leon for seven years. Brandon played on the Elton John Tour. So anyway he told Leon about me and played my latest album, ‘Gracefully’ for him.

AM: I love that album!

EH: Oh thank you. So I started opening up for Leon last summer. It was a lot of fun.

AM: How did it compare being an opening act and doing your own headlining?

EH: When you are an opening act you are at the mercy of the headliners schedule. I’m going on tour with Ani DeFranco next. As an opening act it’s about you, but it’s not about you. The majority of the audience is there to see the headliner. If it’s my show, I don’t have to win anyone over like I do when it’s an audience who isn’t there to see me.

AM: Do you perform a different show as an opener?

EH: Yes I do.

AM: You have a lot of different style of music in your own compositions.

EH: Yes, that is on purpose because I like a lot of different styles of music.

AM: What do you think of Country music?

EH: I’m fans of the people who are actually writing the songs.

AM: What was it like working with Patty Griffin?

EH: It was amazing.

AM: Did you ever see Robert Plant?

EH: No he wasn’t around but her audience would ask if Robert was there while she was performing. He is Rock Music Royalty. Not many people make it to that realm. People want to know that that presence is amongst them.

AM: What was it like meeting Patty Griffin?

EH: I met her after the show with her little dog. She made it a point to come up to me and tell me how much she enjoyed my show. I was petting the dog and thinking to myself, “This is Robert Plant’s dog.”

AM: I love how you are a fan of music too.

EH: Oh God, YES!

AM: You relate to your fans like that too right?

EH: Ani DeFranco is my idol. I hate to say I have one person at the top of the pyramid of many artists because I love many different artists for different reasons, but I’m not going to lie. She made such an impact on me as an artist.

AM: In what way?

EH: Lyrically for one. She focused my attention on things that I write about more in my own music and my guitar playing.

AM: Are you writing music for your next album?

EH: Yes I’m constantly writing. Brandon and Matt are writing with me for a trio project that is more in the Rock music vein. The songs are a little more musically complex. I’m working with the best musicians I have ever worked with in my career.

AM: You seem to stay busy and have a steady flow of work.

EH: I always have a steady flow because I do all my business myself. I know I’m the only one in my way. There’s a pressure to that but also an opportunity. I can work as much as I want to or as little as I want to.

AM: You work a lot.

EH: I work a lot because I can’t afford not to work a lot. I’ve been blessed with lots of opportunities.

AM: I like the way you pump out music.

EH: I do pump out music but I want to be consistent in a sound.

AM: Eric you are also known for being a gay rights activist. Are you a natural activist or is that a side effect of being a performer?

EH: I feel like at first I was talking about my personal experiences and it just opened up conversations. Once you’ve stared a conversation it’s so much easier to have other conversations.

AM: I like your song about Arizona.

EH: I guess I am a natural activist. You can’t tell me here is an injustice going on, write a song about it. It never works like that for me. It seems trite and forced. It has to personally piss me off. I was in Arizona at the time and it pissed me off.

AM: You recently started performing stand-up comedy. How did you get interested in that?

EH: I have always loved stand-up comedy, in fact, on my long drives when I am touring, it is easier to listen to stand-up comedy albums than music because it feels like someone is talking to you and keeps me more awake and alert. I have done a tiny bit of what you could call stand-up/storytelling in my shows but never without my guitar. That way, if I bombed with a joke, I could play a Journey song and everyone is back on my side, see how I did that?

AM: Is it harder than singing and playing in front of people?

EH: It is harder than singing and playing, and I wonder if that is because I am new at it, without the guitar, or it is because it is never the same audience. You could do EXACTLY the same set list for music and get a pretty equivalent reaction. You can do EXACTLY the same comedy set and get a completely different reaction.

AM: Is there more comedy in your future or even acting?

EH: I am not sure acting is my thing. I recently acted in a film by Steve Balderson, "Occupying Ed" that I love, and it was a lot of work for me to be somebody else. I feel stand-up isn't so far from being a songwriter because it is about being myself. I would LOVE to do more comedy. There is a challenge in writing bits that is different than writing songs. Very therapeutic in both though. Comedy is laughing at yourself, which might be hard for some serious singer/songwriters to do, and I was like that for quite some time.

AM: Have you always enjoyed cooking?

EH: I was never too interested in cooking to be honest until I bought my own house and had the time and money to take cooking classes. I was scared to cook for myself and others because I was afraid I would accidentally poison someone, ha. Once I started the classes, my fears dissolved and my creativity showed up in full force. I enjoyed driving recipes to what I thought would be good together. Now, I love to cook and show others just how they can do the same with my online cooking segments, TRIAL AND ERIC.

To learn more about Eric Himan visit his web site http://www.erichiman.com/

All Photos: Alan Mercer

Born in Montreal, Quebec, Gino Vannelli is one of three sons, including Joe and Ross, born to Russ and Delia Vannelli. Russ, his father, was a big band musician. As a child, Gino's greatest passion was music, and he began playing percussion at an early age. By the age of 15, Gino began writing songs. Just out of high school, he signed his first recording contract with RCA under the pseudonym Vann Elli, but went on to study music at McGill University.

After a stint in New York City, Gino and his brothers went to Los Angeles in a financially distraught and desperate state to wait outside trumpeter Herb Alpert's locked gate for an audition. Alpert was Vannelli's last hope prior to heading back to Montreal the next day. Alpert liked what he heard and two days later signed Vannelli with A&M Records, releasing his first album, ‘Crazy Life’ in 1973. Gino's brother, Joe, served as arranger and keyboardist for most of his recording career. At a time when polyphonic synthesizers were non-existent, Joe overdubbed multiple parts to create a texture of sound that was progressive for the early 1970’s.

In 1974, "People Gotta Move" made it to No. 22 on the Billboard Top 100. On February 15, 1975, Gino Vannelli became the second Caucasian performer to appear on Soul Train. This was his television debut. With his records climbing the charts, Gino toured as the opening act for Stevie Wonder. In 1978, the song "I Just Wanna Stop" earned Gino an American Grammy Award nomination and was a number No. 1 single in Canada and #4 in United States. Gino's album ‘Brother to Brother’ was certified platinum in early 1979. Gino won Canada's Juno Award for Best Male Artist. He also won Juno Awards in 1976 and 1979. His additional recordings of the 1970s include: "Crazy Life,""Powerful People,""Storm at Sunup,""The Gist of the Gemini," and "A Pauper in Paradise".

In April 1981, "Living Inside Myself" was on Billboard's Top 100 at number 6. The Vannelli brothers shared the Juno Award for Recording Engineer of the Year in 1986 for ‘Black Cars.’ The Juno Award for Recording Engineer of the Year was again shared by the Vannelli brothers in 1987 for ‘Wild Horses’ and ‘Young Lover.’ Gino's additional recordings of the 1980s era include ‘Nightwalker’ and ‘Big Dreamers Never Sleep.’ During this time, he married Patricia, with whom he would have a son, Anton.

In 1990, the album ‘Inconsolable Man’ delivered new releases by Gino Vannelli to excellent reviews. In 1991, the Vannelli brothers shared the Juno Award once again, for ‘The Time of Day’ and ‘Sunset on L.A.,’ both from the ‘Inconsolable Man’ CD. On Gino's next CD release, ‘Yonder Tree,’ he pays homage to his roots in jazz, apparent on his earlier albums. ‘On Yonder Tree,’ Gino sings a musical tribute to the renowned poet, author and humanitarian Walt Whitman, in ‘Walter Whitman, Where Are You?

The latest recordings released by Gino Vannelli are ‘Canto’ and ‘These Are the Days.’ He surprised the music world by revealing his operatic license in ‘Canto,’ which heralds his superlative vocals in Italian, French, Spanish and English. Gino was commissioned by the Vatican to perform for Pope John Paul II. On the ‘Canto’ recording is a loving tribute to Gino's father titled, ‘Parole Per Mio Padre,’ which was also a favorite of Pope John Paul II. Gino Vannelli's electrifying vocals and music garnered rave reviews for ‘Canto.’

Gino Vannelli lives and works in Amersfoort, Netherlands and in the United States. His music is also heard on popular European television and radio commercials. When not in concert, Gino is actively working on various projects and teaching Master classes.

In March 2007, Gino performed in Las Vegas to sold-out shows. By request, encore performances were given two months later at the Flamingo Showroom. In November 2007, Gino gave three sold out performances in New Orleans, Louisiana. The concerts were a humanitarian effort with proceeds benefiting local charities. By popular demand, Gino Vannelli continues to tour globally.

On May 13, 2014, Gino Vannelli's the "Live in LA" CD/DVD compilation was released by the Sono Recording Group. The presentation was recorded live onstage at the historic Saban Theater in Los Angeles, California on November 8, 2013, which represented Gino’s first performance in Los Angeles in more than 15 years. The recording also marks the first on-stage collaboration in many years between the three Vannelli brothers.

AM: Gino, what a GREAT show you did in Dallas!

GV: Oh thanks, it was really fun.

AM: How do you keep spiritually centered while traveling around the world?

GV: To me spirituality is communing with the part of you that is not typically a common place, known to you on an everyday basis.

AM: Is it a feeling you have?

GV: It’s a sense, but not a sixth sense, because it’s relegated to this plane. It’s something called potential and you commune with that potential.

AM: Can you give me an example?

GV: It’s like an empty canvas and that canvas can be anything. The spiritual act can be in the form of a prayer. You can humble yourself and get on your knees. Physically speaking when you do get on your knees you are praying. You can pray to a cloud, or a star or the moon or the sun. It really is simple. The truth is what you are really doing is communing with the inner reaches of yourself.

AM: I believe the same way.

GV: When you tap into that, you find the power, the direction, the patience, the faith and the determination, to get where you want to get. Anybody who is being truthful in any way, whether it be an artist, a contractor, an architect, a painter or whatever, they know how to commune with that part of themselves that brings the best out in themselves, in their own way. Some may consider it spiritual and others may even consider it barbaric or crass, but they do it.

AM: It seems one needs a high intelligence just to understand the simplicity.

GV: That’s because the simplicity is in ‘how you do it.’ There is no simplicity in the inner reaches of space. Given a blank canvas, most people wouldn’t know where to start. The simplicity is saying this is what I will do and I will do it every day. This is all Eastern philosophy.

AM: Those lessons have been around forever.

GV: There is a reason why that tradition has been passed down for centuries. It’s all about repeat, repeat, repeat. There are beats to it. They say, “May I be healthy in mind and body.’ Then another beat, then repeat, “May I be healthy in mind and body.” The act of repetition is like the juggler who is practicing and saying ,”I’ll get it next time.” The act of repetition makes it sink in a little bit deeper each time. This simple act of repetition will create the reality you are looking for.

AM: That is brilliant. Do you meditate?

GV: Everyone does some form of meditation. When I’m out playing with my puppies, that is a form of meditation because we commune. I anticipate what they will do next and they anticipate what I will do next and then when we finish playing I hold them in my arms and we just look at each other. They are also children of the great mind. What can you say about joy?

AM: How do you keep the dark side of the music business from affecting you?

GV: You don’t open the floodgates and say this is daunting. You know it’s going to be a long, tough haul so you look at it in steps. Lau Tzu wrote this book 2500 years ago that is a small companion book of Chinese philosophy. It’s very prophetic.

AM: Yes, I am familiar with Lau Tzu.

GV: He says to think of the small as big and the big as small. So I look at big tasks as small baby steps. Step one would be to have my piano tuned and ready to go and then what songs I want to perform. It’s a step by step approach. When you look at things that way, you tend to want to do them. You don’t want to open up iTunes and see ten thousand new albums, what chance do I have? Don’t look at it that way. So I forget the other people and I ask myself what do I have that’s worth hearing.

AM: Are you singing your favorite songs in concert these days?

GV: I do have favorites but you can’t get them all in one show. I have over 200 songs.

AM: I really like your ‘Canto’ album.

GV: It’s a nice album. I’m very proud of it.

AM: Are you touring around the world right now?

GV: I am constantly on tour. I make sure we don’t over tour. We don’t want any boredom or dullness in the audience or the musicians. It’s always a bit of a honeymoon when you don’t see each other for two or three weeks and then you do a show and it’s nice to be with everyone again. October is a busy month.

AM: So you are still working and have no intention of retiring anytime soon.

GV: No not for a few more years. I’m working on another record. Hopefully it will be ready in the next six months. I spend a lot of time writing poetry. I want to write a poetry book. I have a lot on my mind as far as that’s concerned. I’ve always been a fan of poetry and I try to turn them into songs. Most of the ‘A Good Thing’ album was poetry turned into songs.

AM: You are certainly a deep thinker.

GV: Well I am a man who is in the last part of his days and I know everything is inside us. It’s not out in the eithers. We get the ball rolling with what we think we are. Those who are hopeful in a positive way tend to do better because they draw that energy to themselves.

AM: I agree with that!

GV: My son is a deep thinker too. He has a degree in philosophy. He asked me what was the difference between karma and a random act? I told him some things are random because the wind can blow and you get a brick in the head, but if you react in a certain way, you will create a pattern. If you react in another way, the pattern will be stopped and it will just be a random event. The artists who survive create a pattern of who they think they are. It ends up being a little bit of a spiritual quest because you start with what is not known and you create a reality from it.

To learn more about Gino Vannelli visit his web site http://www.ginov.com/

All Photos: Alan Mercer Lighting: Eric V.

May Pang worked for ABKCO, the Beatles’ management company, in the early 1970’s, and from there was hired as John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s personal assistant. After her relationship with John Lennon ended, May worked for Island Records and United Artists.

May was born in Manhattan. She is the daughter of Chinese immigrants and grew up in New York's Spanish Harlem with an elder sister and an adopted brother, both of whom were born in China.

After graduating from Saint Michael Academy, May attended New York City Community College. She wanted to be a model, but was told she was too "ethnic" by the modeling agencies. May's early jobs included being a song-plugger, which meant encouraging artists to record them. In 1970, she began work in New York as a receptionist at ABKCO Records, Allen Klein's management office, which at that time represented Apple Records and three former Beatles: John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.

May was asked to help Lennon and Ono with their avant-garde film projects, ‘Up Your Legs Forever’ and ‘Fly,’ in December 1970. May was then asked to be Lennon and Ono's secretary and factotum/gofer in New York and England, which led to a permanent position as their personal assistant when the Lennons moved from London to New York in 1971. May coordinated an art exhibition in Syracuse, New York, on October 9, 1971, for Ono's ‘This Is Not Here’ art show at the Everson Museum. Yoko Ono's show coincided with Lennon's 31st birthday.

In summer 1973, May was working on the recording of Lennon's ‘Mind Games’ album. Lennon and Ono were having marital problems and decided to separate, and Ono suggested to Pang that she become Lennon's companion. Ono explained that she and Lennon were not getting along, had been arguing and were growing apart, and said that Lennon would start seeing other women. She pointed out that Lennon had said he found Pang sexually attractive. May replied that she could never start a relationship with John as he was her employer and married. Ono ignored May's protests and said that she would arrange everything. Ono later confirmed this conversation in an interview. In October 1973, John Lennon and May Pang left New York for Los Angeles to promote ‘Mind Games,’ and decided to stay for a while, living at the homes of friends.

In March 1974, Lennon began producing Harry Nilsson's ‘Pussy Cats’ album. May rented a beach house in Santa Monica, for her, Lennon, Harry Nilsson, Ringo Starr and Keith Moon to live in. At this time, May encouraged Lennon to reach out to family and friends. He and Paul McCartney mended fences and played together for the first and only time after the breakup of The Beatles. May also arranged for Julian Lennon to visit his father for the first time in four years.

Julian began to see his father more regularly. Lennon bought Julian a Gibson Les Paul guitar and a drum machine for Christmas in 1973, and encouraged Julian's interest in music by showing him some chords. "Dad and I got on a great deal better then," recalls Julian. "We had a lot of fun, laughed a lot and had a great time in general when he was with May Pang. My memories of that time with Dad and May are very clear—they were the happiest time I can remember with them."

In June 1974, Lennon and Pang returned to live in New York City. Lennon stopped drinking and concentrated on recording. While visiting Mick Jagger in Montauk, New York, John and May saw a Scottish-style cottage for sale close to the Montauk Point Lighthouse. Lennon asked a real estate broker to put in an offer for it in February 1975. Lennon and Pang were also planning on visiting Paul and Linda McCartney in New Orleans in February 1975, where Wings were recording the ‘Venus and Mars’ album, but Lennon reconciled with Ono the day before the planned visit, after Ono said she had a new cure for Lennon's smoking habit.

After Lennon returned to Ono, May Pang started working for United Artists Records and Island Records as a PR manager, working on albums by Bob Marley and Robert Palmer.

May published her memoir, ‘Loving John,’ in 1983. It was later updated and renamed ‘John Lennon: The Lost Weekend.’ The original 500-page ‘Loving John’ book focused mainly on Pang's role on Lennon's albums and sessions. It was edited down to 300 pages, concentrating mostly on the sensational aspects of their relationship. It also included postcards that Lennon had written to Pang during his travels throughout the world in the late '70s.’ May claims that she and Lennon remained lovers until 1977, and stayed in contact until his death.

May's book of photographs, ‘Instamatic Karma,’ was published in 2008. Besides the candid personal portraits, the book contains some historically important photographs, such as Lennon signing the official dissolution of The Beatles' partnership, and the last known photograph of Lennon and Paul McCartney together. Cynthia Lennon also provided a back cover endorsement, acknowledging May Pang's role in reuniting Lennon with his estranged first son, Julian.

May Pang married record producer Tony Visconti in 1989, but the couple divorced in 2000. They had two children, Sebastian and Lara. She remains in touch with some of the people from her time with Lennon, and Paul McCartney invited her to Linda McCartney's memorial service. She was an invited guest at The Concert for George in 2002 and remains close to Cynthia Lennon and Lennon's first son, Julian Lennon.

May Pang lives with her children in upstate New York and produces a line of stainless steel Feng Shui jewelry. She volunteers with an animal shelter called Animal Haven in New York and owns a dog rescued after Hurricane Katrina. She also co-hosts an Internet talk radio show, "Dinner Specials with Cynthia and May Pang", at blogtalkradio.com, with on-air partner Cynthia Neilson.

AM: May, what is an average day like for you?

MP: I’ve only recently started coming out and doing events and autograph shows. Right now I like to design jewelry.

AM: How did you get interested in designing jewelry?

MP: My mother, who was a little old lady from China, passed away a few years ago at the age of 97, liked to make jewelry. I took all her supplies and started making my own jewelry as a way to honor her. She had an amazing eye for these things. I inherited her vintage Swarovski beads. I am updating all her work to fit into the 2000’s. I’m sure she can see it all from heaven. I’m also working on some limited edition photos from my book, ‘Instamatic Karma.’

AM: You really are a photographer aren’t you?

MP: Yeah, I loved it as a hobby and John loved it. He loved the eye I had for him.

AM: Did you intentionally take publicity photos of him?

MP: I never thought when I was taking photos of him that they would be published. There are a few photographs in the book that he absolutely loved. He used one for a 45 single release sleeve. The kids today don’t know what those are. One of my photos was used as a sleeve for ‘Imagine,’ even though it had come out earlier in the United States, it hadn’t come out as a single in England so they used it over there.

AM: Do you still enjoy the attention you get from that time period?

MP: I’m enjoying all of it. I have an Internet Radio Show and I would love to do more. In the past I even did some acting.

AM: I sure didn’t know that.

MP: I’m actually a SAG and AFTRA Actor. I’m in the Mike Nichols film, ‘Heartburn.’ I ran into Mike Nichols at a restaurant a few years later and I told him how much I loved all his films and then told him I was in ‘Heart Burn’ and he told me that was a good movie to be in. So we said good-bye and he walked out of the restaurant. A few moments later he came back in and said, “I remember you in the party scene.” I said, “That’s right.” He told me he never forgets a face.

AM: Do people still associate you with John Lennon?

MP: Oh absolutely!

AM: That must be like a tattoo on your face.

MP: It is a tattoo. A lot of people don’t realize that John’s biggest solo work came from the time we were together. I was with him when he was working with Harry Nilsson and Ringo Starr. I got him and Paul McCartney back together again and got him reconnected with his son Julian. To this day I am very close with Julian and his mother, Cynthia.

AM: Were you star struck when you first met?

MP: I worked in their office and the first thing I thought about was being 13 and in love with the Beatles, but after you work in the office for a while, it starts to change and it becomes a job.

AM: Did you enjoy the job?

MP: Yes, but just like any other job, if you don’t do it well, you are out. A lot of people think it was Yoko who set up the whole job and that she pulled the plug when it was over but it wasn’t that way. She suggested that John and I get together and I told her I didn’t want him. I had been with him for three years already.

AM: What was Yoko trying to do?

MP: She was pushing him on me because she was trying to date somebody else. John and I had a good employer/employee relationship. It was never Yoko who called. It was John who did the calling. He pursued me. That’s the only reason we ended up together. It wasn’t because of Yoko. Also when it ended it was a surprise to John. We were just about to buy a house.

AM: Was that rough on you at the time?

MP: Absolutely! It was devastating. I learned it was the same way for John. Even though he was back at the house with Yoko, he was still calling me. He just wanted to make sure I was alright. If anyone knew John, they knew he was not the type of person to do that. Once you were gone that was it, but that’s not how it was with us.

AM: Was John Lennon a love of your life?

MP: Looking back I feel love for each person I was involved with, but John was the first person I ever lived with. He definitely made an impression. Even though we were not together in the last five years, he stayed in touch with me. Not many people realize that. He called me a lot. Our relationship really did not end, even though there was a forced ending to it. He would still call me. He even called me from South Africa the year he died, just to talk.

To learn more about May Pang visit her web site http://www.maypang.com/

All Photos: Alan Mercer

Strunz & Farah’s music is perhaps best described as original multi-cultural acoustic instrumental improvisational guitar music, or world jazz. Their music emphasizes and luxuriates in sensuous melody and rhythm with a colorful and passionate expression, and is saturated with their cultural roots. Afro-Caribbean, Latin American folk, flamenco and Middle Eastern music all converge in an essentially jazz context, especially in the sense of improvisation, and is a unique contribution to the diversity of contemporary guitar music.

Renowned world, jazz, popular, and classical artists they have recorded collectively or individually with include Stanley Clarke, Sting, Hubert Laws, Dr. L. Subramaniam, Hayadeh, Gerardo Nuñez, Manoochehr Sadeghi, Jihad Racy, Edwin Colón Zayas, Liona Boyd, and Ashish Khan. They have also recorded with Joan Baez, and have recorded with and performed often with Jackson Browne.

Strunz & Farah are the innovators of an entirely new expression for the acoustic guitar. Well ahead of their time they created an original style that now is widely influential. They have each brought the musical influences of their native lands into their highly virtuosic, rhythmic, and improvisation-rich original instrumental compositions, inspiring fans and many guitarists worldwide. Their meeting in 1979 in Los Angeles, where they are still based, marked the first time that Latin American and Middle Eastern music, along with other important elements, came together on the guitar. They remain the undisputed masters of the style they created.

Jorge Strunz was born in Costa Rica. Given his first (three-quarter size) guitar at age 6, he grew up also in Colombia, Mexico, Spain, England, Canada, and the United States, studying and playing flamenco and classical guitar. He performed flamenco guitar professionally as a teenager, accompanying Spanish dancers and singers. He later also played electric guitar in numerous rock bands. He then turned to jazz and jazz fusion, and then focused on his own Latin American roots, Caribbean and Latin folk music. Strunz developed an original, lyrical style, and a way of playing guitar that is his own synthesis of hand techniques from flamenco, Latin folk and classical guitar combined with state-of-the art virtuoso linear plectrum playing. In 1994 and in 1998, Strunz received two Presidential awards from the government of Costa Rica for his cultural contributions.

Ardeshir Farah was born in Tehran, Iran. While still a teenager, he moved to England for schooling. He played guitar since childhood, focusing on popular music and improvisation. He has performed and recorded extensively with many of the top expatriate Persian singers and musicians in the US who fled Iran after the Revolution. Farah was the first to use Middle Eastern inflections in a contemporary guitar setting. His distinctive touch has a unique exoticism.

They prepared a repertoire, began performing, and recorded their first project, Mosaico in 1980. Although record companies at that time were not ready for this new music, Los Angeles jazz radio embraced it and world/jazz industry pioneer Richard Bock got the duo signed to the prestigious jazz label Milestone for whom they recorded their revolutionary albums ‘Frontera’ in 1983 and ‘Guitarras’ 1984. These records defined world music on guitar years before the “world music” category existed.

Since 1980, they have made 20 albums, 15 of which are studio recordings, including their very popular titles Primal Magic (1990), which topped the Billboard World Music charts, and the Grammy-nominated Américas (1992), and Heat of the Sun (1994; top 10 Billboard World Music chart). Their latest recording is Moods and Visions (April 2014), celebrating 35 years of highly successful collaboration, continuing and evolving the duo’s original synthesis of multi-cultural elements into a flowing, melodic and rhythmic acoustic guitar style of the highest virtuosity.

In their performances and recordings, which have sold about a million and a half, one can savor the fruits of one of the most unique yet enduring and harmonious musical collaborations in the world of the guitar.

AM: Did either of you envision lifelong music careers when you were children?

Strunz: I did. Definitely, I wanted to be a musician ever since I can remember. I decided I wanted to be a musician by the time I was fourteen.

AM: So you never wanted anything else?

Strunz: I went to school and studied other things, but it was to please family. Both of us did. I went to Georgetown University for five years. Ardeshir graduated with a degree in architecture from USC, but we were always musicians the whole time.

Farah: That part of the story is very similar for the both of us. I also loved playing music from a very early age, but from the part of the world that I’m from, it was about do your studying first and then you can play your guitar. I come from a family that has seven architects and Engineers.

AM: So that’s why you studied architecture. Did you enjoy it?

Farah: In some ways, yes. My family is all into buildings. I used to practice guitar three hours a night when I went to USC. Then I would look at my school books for twenty minutes.

AM: Can you talk about your background?

Strunz: My dad was a foreign services officer so he was a diplomat so we did travel around a lot and lived in a lot of different places. I did get to go to a lot of schools and live in different countries. I had an enriching childhood, certainly rich in different cultures. It can also be a bit confusing but I sorted that out later.

AM: You speak English with no discernible accent.

Strunz: My native language is Spanish but my father spoke English to me and my mother only spoke to me in Spanish so the kids in the family all grew up perfectly bilingual.

Farah: My mother’s two brothers both married Germans. My stepfather is American. My mother’s sister’s husband is also American. From childhood we always spoke English and German. We did a lot of traveling to Europe. Iran is so close that it’s very common for Iranians to drive through Turkey, Greece and France.

AM: I love a worldly upbringing! (laughter from all) Which reminds me that you are considered the leaders in the category of World Music.

Strunz: That may a bit of a stretch, but there were some people involved in doing collaborations with international musicians at the time that Ardeshir and I got together, but it was very few. There were bands like Weather Report who had international groupings. We weren’t the first but we were in the vanguard. We were the first to use third word culture exclusively and melding it with international and American influences.

Farah: World music became a category in 1987. That’s when Billboard magazine coined the name.

AM: Was that a plus for you to have a category?

Stunz: It helped a lot because we would fall through the cracks all the time.

Farah: In this country everything is categorized. You have to be rock or jazz or something.

AM: Do you relate to jazz music?

Strunz: Very much so. I was very much into John Coltrane in the late 60’s while I was living in New York City. Later on I was into Miles Davis. I liked the playing of Pat Martino and spent a lot of time studying him. I definitely have a love for certain types of jazz.

AM: When you were developing your sense of style did you realize it would be so unique?

Farah: We were very unique. We just followed our instincts and drew from our backgrounds and influences. We created the music that came to us naturally. We were not trying to fit into any particular category. I would say we are very unique.

AM: I love how you get the credit for it as well.

Farah: In the beginning it was hard because record companies thought we were too unique.

Strunz: They weren’t sure what our music was.

AM: So then you started your own record label.

Strunz: We did.

AM: Was it natural for you to be business men?

Strunz: No it wasn’t. It was a hat we had to learn how to wear. My wife helped out a lot with that. She is our third team member in a sense. We had to learn how to manufacture records. This is back in 1980.

AM: Did downloading change anything for you?

Strunz: Well, illegal downloading has made a difference for all musicians. We’re an endangered species. There are only 30,000 musicians globally who earn a living from playing music. It’s hurting music a great deal and we are affected.

AM: Is there any style of music that you haven’t recorded yet that you want too?

Strunz: Our style is already a conglomerate of styles and we specialize in it. We don’t want to specialize in other styles of music so much. We love flamenco for example, and sometime people call us flamenco, but we go out of our way to tell them no. We do not play flamenco. It’s an influence but that’s all.

Farah: It’s a completely different style of guitar music. What they do is completely different.

AM: Is there a spiritual aspect to your music?

Strunz: All music has a spiritual component to it. I say spiritual and do not mean religion. Music comes from the spirit. It deals with feelings and emotions that can’t really be put into language.

Farah: It certainly has a spiritual element to it. It also has a strong political statement. We have the coming together of different cultures and brotherhood.

Strunz: These kinds of collaborations tend to be global collaborations.

AM: You have unity of all mankind.

Strunz: We are all in the same boat and we have to deal with global issues together.

Farah: We are fortunate to live in Los Angeles which is a very cosmopolitan city.

To learn more about Strunz & Farah visit their web site http://www.strunzandfarah.com/

All Photos: Alan Mercer Lighting: Eric V.

Country music legend, Mel Tillis, started performing in the early ‘50’s with a group called The Westerners while serving as a baker in the United States Air Force, stationed in Okinawa. In 1956, Webb Pierce recorded a song written by Mel entitled “I’m Tired”, and it launched Mel’s musical career.

Mel’s stutter developed during his childhood, a result of a bout with malaria. As a child, Mel learned the drums as well as guitar and at age 16, won a local talent show. He attended the University of Florida but dropped out and joined the Air Force. While stationed in Okinawa, he formed a band called The Westerners, which played at local nightclubs.

After leaving the military in 1955, Mel returned to Florida where he worked a number of odd jobs, eventually finding employment with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in Tampa, Florida. He used his railroad pass to visit Nashville and eventually met and auditioned for Wesley Rose of famed Nashville publishing house Acuff-Rose Music. Rose encouraged Tillis to return to Florida and continue honing his songwriting skills. Mel eventually moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and began writing songs full-time. Tillis wrote "I'm Tired," a No. 3 country hit for Webb Pierce in 1957. Other Tillis hits include "Honky Tonk Song" and "Tupelo County Jail." Ray Price and Brenda Lee also charted hits with Tillis's material around this time. In the late 1950s, after becoming a hit-making songwriter, he signed his own contract with Columbia Records. In 1958, he had his first Top 40 hit, "The Violet and a Rose," followed by the Top 25 hit "Sawmill."

In 1976, Mel Tillis was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters International Hall of Fame, and that same year, he was named Country Music Association’s (CMA) Entertainer of the Year. Also, for six years in the 70’s, Mel Tillis won Comedian of the Year.

On September 21, 1999, Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) named Mel Tillis the Songwriter of the Decade for two decades. Mel was the recipient of the Golden Voice Entertainer Award for 2001. He also won the 2001 Golden R.O.P.E. Songwriter Award. The Grand Ole Opry inducted Mel Tillis as its newest member on June 9, 2007. In October of 2007, Mel Tillis became a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Mel Tillis' home state of Florida honored him on March 25, 2009, inducting him into the Florida Artist Hall of Fame. In 2012 Mel received the National Medal of Arts from the President of the U.S.

Mel has written well over 1,000 songs, and approximately 600 have been recorded by major artists. In June 2001, Mel received a Special Citation of Achievement from BMI for 3 Million broadcast performances of “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town”. Songs which have reached this coveted status are in a very select group of world-wide favorites.

Mel has recorded more than 60 albums. He has had thirty-six Top Ten singles, with nine of them going to Number One - “Good Woman Blues,” “Coca Cola Cowboy,” and “Southern Rain” to mention a few.

Mel Tillis has been in the music/entertainment business now for 50 plus years. He and his band, the Statesiders, have worked concerts all over the 50 states, Canada, England, and other countries. He has appeared on such television shows as 20/20, The Tonight Show, The 700 Club, Prime Time Country, 60 Minutes, Crook & Chase, David Letterman, and he has served as host for Music City News Awards and Music City Tonight.

Mel has appeared in numerous feature films including “Every Which Way But Loose” with Clint Eastwood, “W.W. & The Dixie Dancekings,” “Cannonball Run I and II,” “Smokey and the Bandit II with Burt Reynolds, and the lead role with Roy Clark in “Uphill All The Way.” He has starred in several television movies as well including “Murder in Music City” and “A Country Christmas Carol.”

Mel Tillis has six children: songwriter Mel "Sonny" Tillis, Jr., singer-songwriter Pam Tillis, Carrie April Tillis, Connie Tillis, Cindy Tillis, and Hannah Tillis. Mel has one brother, Richard, and two sisters, Linda and Imogene. He also has six grandchildren.

AM: Mel, my friend Larry Ferguson set us up. He was Dottie Rambo’s manager. I know you recorded a song with Dottie. Did you ever hear it?

MT: I sure did. It wasn’t in my key but it came off alright. I couldn’t believe we recorded that song and then she was killed in the bus accident. What a tragedy.

AM: Very sad indeed. I hadn’t heard that song until recently myself but I sure do know all your other music!

MT: I’ve been around for a while. I’m in the 58^th year of my career.

AM: You’ve been a superstar all my life. It must just be the most natural thing for you now.

MT: Yeah, it’s pretty natural now but in the beginning it was pretty scary.

AM: What made it so scary?

MT: I was in unknown waters and I didn’t know what was going to happen. Music and humor have been a part of my life, all my life! It seems like everything I did led to music, humor and singing. Back then I stuttered so bad and I still do a little bit.

AM: Did you understand that you were different from others when you spoke?

MT: My daddy stuttered a bit and my brother did too and I stuttered a lot. I thought that was just the way we talked. I didn’t know the difference.

AM: When did you realize you stuttered?

MT: When I started in elementary school in Florida, I came home the first day and asked my mama if I stuttered. She said, “Yes, you do son.” Then I said, “Mama they laughed at me.” She told me if they were going to laugh at me then give them something to laugh about. When I went back to school the next day, I consider that my first day in show business. I learned how to make them laugh and they’ve been laughing ever since. It’s not on a count of that stutter. I don’t play off that. If it’s there, it’s there.

AM: It certainly never held you back.

MT: I went to Hollywood and did all those variety shows. I did them all. They would write the stutter in the cue cards. I told them not to do that because I may not stutter on that word. It will happen where it’s supposed to.

AM: You are a more natural person.

MT: Yes I am. All I know how to do is be me. What you see is what you get.

AM: Did you enjoy making the movies you did?

MT: Oh yeah, I’m not an actor but when I was a kid we did a lot of play acting. I was Gene Autry. I always enjoyed playing pretend.

AM: When did you know you could sing?

MT: About the time I found out I couldn’t talk. (Laughter) I’ve been singing all my life starting in Sunday school class. My first grade teacher Miss Clark found out I could sing and took me around to all the other classes and had me sing for them.

AM: When did you start writing songs?

MT: I wrote a couple of songs while I was in Okinawa when I was in the Air Force.

AM: How did you end up in the Air Force?

MT: I finished high school and attended the University of Florida for a while. Then I felt like I was going to get drafted, so I went home where my dad had a little bakery. My dad told me, “Son, if you’re not going back to school then you’re going to have to work in the bakery shop.” I told him, “Daddy, I don’t want to be a baker.” He said he would pay me $20.00 a week and $10.00 of it will be room and board. Then I told him up until about ten minutes ago room and board was free. He told me it wouldn’t ever be free no more. Then he told me to walk across the street and get the mail. So I did that and there was an Air Force recruiter there with his table set up on the sidewalk. He had his uniform on and it was sharp. The Uncle Sam poster was there pointing at me, saying “We want you.” I thought how nice it felt to be wanted. So I delivered the mail and told Momma and Daddy I joined up. The crying started then. They took me to the train station in West Palm Beach on Christmas day.

AM: What did you do in the Air Force?

MT: After I got into the Air Force they gave me an aptitude test. I waited anxiously to see what I was suited for. The test let us know whether I should be a mechanic, a clerk or go to officer’s school or what. I was the second to last guy to get my orders and when they came in I was told to go to the Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio to the 4^th Army Baking School. (much laughter)

AM: That is too funny!

MT: Every time I tell that story my Daddy is laughing in his grave. It was really a blessing. I had a little radio in the baking area of the kitchen that I’d listen to and they had a band that played every Saturday called the Westerners. One day the band announced that the singer had done his time and was going home so they would need a new singer. I couldn’t say one word in those days. My friends told them even though I couldn’t talk I could sing. Finally I started singing and the crowd hit the dance floor. The band asked me to sing another one, so I sang a Hank Williams song and then a Webb Pierce song. I ended up singing the whole time. So they hired me and I became one of the Westerners. Not one of us was from the west! (laughter) I played with that band for two years.

AM: Were you finished with the Air Force then?

MT: After I got out of the Air Force I went back to Florida and my cousin helped me get a job with the railroad as a fireman. It was a real easy job. All I did was keep the engineer alert with my singing voice. So I had a railroad pass and I had a lot of time off. I’d use that pass to ride right into downtown Nashville.

AM: Were you trying to get discovered?

MT: There were only about six or seven publishing companies at the time. I was told to focus on writing songs since I couldn’t talk yet. I went back to Florida and wrote about five songs and returned to Nashville with them. Webb Pierce recorded my first song called, “I’m Tired’ and it went to number two.

AM: That happened pretty fast.

MT: Now my name was all over Nashville as the boy who couldn’t talk but could write songs and sing. Then Columbia Records invited me to come by and bring my guitar. I got there and Lefty Frizzell was there along with Little Jimmy Dickins, Johnny Horton and about 5 more Columbia artists.

AM: That must have been exciting and nerve wracking.

MT: I started singing my songs and they all wanted them. Before I left the room that day I was signed to a five year deal with Columbia Records. I also got signed to the publishing company. I left the railroad at that time.

AM: You were ready to be a full time writer by this time.

MT: I wrote Charley Pride’s first two singles. There was also a booking agency and they booked a bunch of people including Minnie Pearl. Minnie had a bunch of bookings and she needed a guitar player and singer. She also needed a fiddle player and asked if I knew anyone. I told her I just met one today, so I went down and asked him if he wanted a job paying $18.00 a day for one show or $36.00 for two shows. His name was Roger Miller.

AM: Did Minnie Pearl give you good advice?

MT: About a week out, Miss Minnie was watching from beside the stage and she noticed that I never said anything. Roger Miller would do all the talking for me. She told me if I was going to be in this business I had to learn to introduce my own songs and thank the people for coming and then sign autographs after the show. I told her I worried they would all laugh at me and she told me no they would laugh with me. Not too long after that I began to be on TV shows.

AM: Do you remember the first TV show you were on?

MT: The first show I did was the Mike Douglas Show out of Philadelphia. Jimmy Dean was the co-host and he told the Mike Douglas people that I stuttered and they didn’t want me on the show so Jimmy said if you don’t want him then you don’t want me, so they agreed to see my act. I ended up being on the Mike Douglas Show 48 times! From there it was movies and hit records. That’s the way my life has been. I love to entertain. I’m 82 years old. People ask me when I’m going to quit and I say, “I ain’t quitting. This is what I do. I make people happy and that’s a blessing.”

To learn more about Mel Tillis visit his web site https://meltillis.com/

All Photos: Alan Mercer Lighting: Eric V.

A founding member of the popular 1960’s female soul group Patti LaBelle & the Blue Belles, Sarah Dash continued to pursue a variety of outlets for her creative talents. In addition to recording four impressive solo albums, Sarah has sung on albums by the Marshall Tucker Band, Laura Nyro, and the Rolling Stones. In addition to recording with Keith Richards' X-Pensive Winos, she twice toured the United States with the all-star band.

The seventh of 13 children, Sarah was born in Trenton, NJ. Her father was Church of Christ father of the state of New Jersey and a bishop, while her mother was a nurse. Although she initially sang gospel music, Sarah turned to secular music as a pre-teen, when she formed a vocal duo, the Del Capris, with schoolmate Nona Hendryx. The two women were soon joined by Cindy Birdsong and Patricia "Patti LaBelle" Holte. Originally named the Blue Bells, the quartet changed their name to Patti LaBelle & the Blue Belles after discovering that the name the Blue Bells was already taken by another group.

Patti LaBelle & the Blue Belles were a success from the onset. Their debut single, "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman," was a hit, and the group was chosen to open shows during the Rolling Stones' first American tour. Although many believed that they were in danger of breaking up after Birdsong left to join the 'Supremes,' the three remaining members moved to England for a year and dramatically changed their image and musical approach. Returning to the United States as LaBelle, the three vocalists began performing in space-age costumes and featuring cutting-edge, sexually oriented, and politically charged tunes. Sarah's four-and-a-half-octave voice and her pension for silver bras, space-age skirts, and flowing feathers continued to draw attention. The revised edition of the group even surpassed the success of the original, with the Number One Pop hit single ‘Lady Marmalade.’

Signed as a soloist by the Kirschner record label, Sarah Dash released her self-titled debut solo album, which featured the hit disco single, ‘Sinner Man,’ in 1978. Although she continued to record as a soloist, Sarah increasingly worked as a session vocalist. She appeared on the Marshall Tucker Band's 1981 album, ‘Tuckerized,’ and began a long involvement with Keith Richards when she appeared on his 1988 album, ‘Talk Is Cheap,’ singing two duets, ‘Make No Mistake’ and ‘Rock Awhile.’ She continued to work with Richards and his band, the X-Pensive Winos, singing on Richards' 1991 album ‘Live at the Hollywood Palladium’ and his 1992 album ‘Main Offender,’ for which she co-wrote the single ‘Body Works.’ Sarah also appeared on the Rolling Stones' Steel Wheels.’

In 1983, Sarah released two dance singles for Megatone Records in San Francisco, both produced by Patrick Cowley. The first was ‘Low Down Dirty Rhythm’ and the second single ‘Lucky Tonight’ featuring background vocals by Sylvester, was very successful, even rising to the #5 spot on Billboard's Dance Chart, and was even a Billboard "Pick of the Week." Sarah was excited about her career again and went on an extensive tour of major U.S. dance clubs. In 2008, the long-awaited new album from Labelle, ‘Back to Now,’ was released to rave reviews. Sarah sings Lead vocals in the group's political song, 'System.'

Sarah released a ballad called ‘I'm Still Here’ in late 2011, and a dance music single ‘Hold On (He'll Be Right There),’ in May 2012. Sarah was honored by her hometown of Trenton, New Jersey, by being the grand marshal in the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade. Much of Sarah Dash's focus since the early '90's has been on helping to raise money for homeless single women with children in New York.

AM: Do you ever get tired of being interviewed Sarah?

SD: No, I can talk forever. I’ve done three hour interviews.

AM: You have such a great story being part of an iconic, legendary musical group.

SD: If we ever stop to think about how blessed we are…to have three career changes and people still know who you are. We were Patti Labelle and the Blue Belles, where we recorded classic songs like ‘Danny Boy’’ and ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone.’ Then we moved on to LaBelle and had that monstrous hit.

AM: That cemented you.

SD: ‘Lady Marmalade’ did cement us. That one song took care of us for many years. Then we all have enjoyed solo careers over the years. Patti has had the most success because she was the most prepared after the break up. Nona and myself still got to record many songs. I had the international hit ‘Sinner Man’ and had international fame before either Patti or Nona. Patti was big in the States. Of course touring with Keith Richards and the X-Pensive Winos and singing on the Rolling Stones ‘Steel Wheels’ gig didn’t hurt at all. I’m not trying to brag. These are my stats.

AM: They are your accomplishments. I bet you’ve been around the world a time or two.

SD: Oh yes I’ve been to Japan, Australia, Spain, South America, the whole world. I couldn’t have asked for a better place to be. Then being able to record jingles was great. Revlon fed me for a long time. I just feel the blessings of this life tremendously.

AM: You’re one of the few lucky ones and deservedly so.

SD: It’s called being blessed. Luck runs out. (laughter)

AM: Sarah your albums are timeless. I love to listen to your music.

SD: Thank you, I think my first solo project solidified that. ‘Sinner Man’ is still played in clubs. (Album producer) Don Kirschner knew what he was doing.

AM: The ‘Close Enough’ album is really good too!

SD: That is my brother’s favorite of my albums too.

AM: I’m also loving your newer song ‘I’m Still Here.’

SD: Thank you, I wrote that one. I open my show with that song now.

AM: Is your show a collection of your songs?

SD: The ‘Sarah Dash: One Woman’ show is not all the songs I’ve recorded. It’s more a piece about life and my musical journey on a personal level. I also do my special arrangement of ‘I Only Have Eyes For You.’ I talk about going to Paris. I went straight to Louis Vitton and bought a hunting bag! (Laughing) I thought it was a make-up bag and had room for hairspray but that was where the gun was supposed to go! My agent told me I couldn’t keep it and I had to take it back.

AM: You are enjoying social media aren’t you? You are really good about posting on Facebook.

SD: I’m good with all media. Way back in the day before you could fax, you could send a telex. My father got all his kids one so we could all keep in touch. After that I was one of the first people into computers.

AM: Are you from a large family?

SD: Thirteen children. I’m number seven. I’m the middle child.

AM: Did you get forgotten?

SD: No, my presence was very much known. (laughing) There were a lot of different personalities in the family, much like the world, but we all support each other. We are happy to be around each other but we know who we are. There are no surprises as to what is going on. We’re very respectful of each other. We can fight amongst ourselves but you can’t come in and fight with us.

AM: Was that your parents who instilled this in all of you?

SD: Of course, it all comes from parenting. I would say my mother and father did a very good job raising us. My father was a pastor and my mother was a nurse. After she had her thirteenth child she decided she wanted to be a nurse.

AM: You come from a family of over-achievers.

SD: Yes, we are lawyers, doctors….

AM: World class stars! (Laughing)

SD: We’re like any other family. We’re just aware of who we are and we are respectful. You tend to move the way your family moves. Some will go against the grain and all you can do is pray for them.

AM: You certainly can’t change a family member!

SD: You cannot try to change someone in your family as they are not going to be changeable until they’ve made up their mind to be changed. The prayer is to know the difference. I thank God. Some people are offended by that word, but we all have a higher power that we go to and we can name it and call it what we want. That has been my sustaining power through the years.

AM: I knew you had strong faith. It’s never left you has it?

SD: I always say, “I thank God for sustaining provision.” All you have to do is sit still and believe it to see it. Sometimes it’s not the proportion you want but you’re never without. At the times you are without you have to have faith it will only be for a short time and not all time.

To learn more about Sarah Dash visit her web site http://www.sarahdash.net/

Joy to the world! The Lord is come

Let earth receive her King!

Let every heart prepare Him room

And heaven and nature sing

And heaven, and heaven and nature sing

Joy to the world! the Savior reigns

Let men their songs employ

While fields and floods

Rocks, hills and plains

Repeat the sounding joy

Repeat, repeat the sounding joy

No more let sins and sorrows grow

Nor thorns infest the ground

He comes to make

His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found

Far as, far as the curse is found

He rules the world with truth and grace

And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness

And wonders of His love

And wonders and wonders of His love

All Christmas Tree photos: Alan Mercer

"Joy to the World" is one of the most popular Christmas songs in history. The words are by English hymn writer Isaac Watts, based on Psalm 98 in the Bible. The song was first published in 1719 in Watts' collection; The Psalms of David: Imitated in the language of the New Testament, and applied to the Christian state and worship.

Watts wrote the words of "Joy to the World" as a hymn glorifying Christ's triumphant return at the end of the age, rather than a song celebrating His first coming. Only the second half of Watts' lyrics are still used today.

The music was adapted and arranged to Watts' lyrics by Lowell Mason in 1839 from an older melody which was then believed to have originated from Handel, not least because the theme of the refrain (And heaven and nature sing...) appears in the orchestra opening and accompaniment of the recitative Comfort ye from Handel's Messiah, and the first four notes match the beginning of the choruses Lift up your heads and Glory to God from the same oratorio. However, Handel did not compose the entire tune. The name "Antioch" is generally used for the tune.

As of the late 20th century, "Joy to the World" was the most-published Christmas hymn in North America.

The definition of JOY

The emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by possessing what one desires

the expression or exhibition of such emotion

a state of happiness or felicity

a source or cause of delight

Go beyond happiness, because, as we all know, happiness is fleeting and temporary. Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of your life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.

All Photos: Alan Mercer Lighting: Eric V.

Sterling Day is an empath, clairvoyant, and clairaudient. She can offer truth and insight to whatever life may be dealing you. Where ever you are in the journey of yourself, as well as your life....She will give you her undivided attention.

It is important to have truth when making choices in life, no matter how big or small they may be. It is also vital to go into a reading with an open heart, and the willingness to hear the truth. Sterling is simply a messenger here to help. She can tell you that whatever the situation you may be facing, there is always an answer. And more importantly, there is always hope.

By working with the names and vibrations of your voice, she will tap into your energy and deliver messages and answers to all that you may question. Sterling is a contributing author and writer for OM Times Magazine. She has been helping clients worldwide for 9 years with no tools, and time frames are her strong point. Helping clients see into the future, and learn and heal from their past is her specialty.

I met with Sterling in her home for these photographs and our conversation. Even though it was the first time we met, she felt like a dear, old friend.

AM: When did you discover you had this gift Sterling?

SD: I’ve always known. In 1979 when I was five years old we took my grandfather to the airport. He was in the oil business so he was always traveling. I didn’t want him to go because I had a premonition something was going to happen to a plane and it did but it wasn’t his plane. It was that famous hostage situation at the time. My mom asked me how I knew about it.

AM: Did you stay tuned in after that?

SD: No I got away from it but it always followed me around. I just wanted to be a normal kid and be in sports, but I was always able to pick up on other people’s feelings.

AM: Were you a popular kid?

SD: I was always well liked because I was able to relate and empathize with a lot of people.

AM: When did you get serious about it?

SD: I was twenty seven when it really hit me in the face. The more I tried to avoid it and run away from it, the worse my life became.

AM: Were you afraid of it?

SD: No, but it was a responsibility I didn’t want. The older and more mature you get, the more responsibility you must take on.

AM: Did you start giving readings to friends first?

SD: Yes I was always giving readings to friends on the side. I just didn’t feel comfortable due to my family and their acceptance of me being this way.

AM: Was your family afraid of this?

SD: No, my mother was into metaphysics, but I made many bad choices in my twenties and I lost credibility with my family for a while. They didn’t take me seriously at first.

AM: What made you pursue this as a full time vocation?

SD: In 2008 when the economy went bad my friends suggested that I do it and I didn’t know what else to do so I started doing it.

AM: What was the first step?

SD: I aligned myself with a very reputable web site and within six weeks my life changed.

AM: Did you have to prove yourself?

SD: I aligned myself with Shay Parker, who is very reputable. I did have to be tested and certified for her. Then I started writing some magazine articles called ‘Recreating You’ because I had to recreate myself at that time. The cool thing about what I do is that not only am I able to foresee things in the future. It is much more than that.

AM: What is it really about then?

SD: It’s about giving people their power back by letting them know there are choices. There is truth and truth is power. No matter what the situation is, as long as you can see it for what it is, you can make the right decisions.

AM: What do you say to the non-believers?

SD: We are all born with intuition. Jesus was a prophet. We all have the gift of knowing. If I was 100% accurate and knew all the answers I’d be playing power ball and living in Fiji, but we’re not supposed to know everything.

AM: What is the best thing about what you do?

SD: I can help people recognize the truth about what is going on in their lives. The great thing about what we do is you realize that life is always about choices and you have the ability to create the life you want. Everything is based on the choices you make.

AM: Do people want to know the same things all the time?

SD: Yes, most people have the exact same questions. They want to know about love and money. I think now, more than ever, people want to know about themselves.

AM: Why is that?

SD: Because we are in an age where we are being forced to look and know ourselves really well because other people are looking at us through social media now.

AM: It seems your gift is more for others than for yourself.

SD: Yes, most psychics agree that it is more difficult to read yourself than a total stranger. We can’t see the forest for the trees in our own lives.

AM: Is there anything worth being afraid of?

SD: The greatest thing to be afraid of is limiting yourself and cutting yourself short.

AM: What is the best thing about what you do?

SD: The coolest aspect is when you help others learn about themselves you learn about yourself too. So as much as I may have helped someone I have been able to learn from them as well.

To learn more about Sterling Day visit her web site http://www.evolvegrowrenew.com/

All Photos: Alan Mercer Assistant: Psymon Imagery

Though best known for her 1970 R&B crossover smash hit 'Band of Gold,' Freda Payne has always first and foremost been a jazz singer, dating back to The Jimmy Wilkins Big Band at age 14. Her debut album, 'After The Lights Go Down Low And Much More!!!' was arranged by Manny Albam, while a more pop-oriented follow-up entitled 'How Do You Say I Don’t Love You Anymore' was helmed by saxophonist/arranger Benny Golson. Freda performed at the Apollo Theater in Harlem alongside Billy Eckstine backed by Quincy Jones and His Orchestra, comedian Redd Foxx and the dance team Coles & Atkins. She also graced the stage with Duke Ellington for two nights in Pittsburgh, after which he composed “Blue Piano” just for her. Freda Payne’s training and experience render her a rare vocal artist who is stylistically beyond category.

As iconic in 2015 for her timeless beauty and stage appeal as she is for her artistic versatility, Freda Payne remains among music’s and show business’ brightest shining star survivors. Her latest album, ‘Come Back To Me Love’ and her first for the Artistry Music imprint, marks not only a return to the big band and strings-laden classics from her mid-`60s beginnings with Impulse! but also marks a return to her hometown of Detroit.

“It’s a dream come true,” Freda enthuses with a smile, “Just like in 1968 when I was living in New York seeking my fame and fortune, and ran into Brian Holland of Holland-Dozier-Holland. He told me they had just left Motown and started their own company, Invictus. I flew back to Detroit, signed with them and a year later had a Top 5 record, ‘Band of Gold.’ So releasing this album on Mack Avenue’s Artistry Music imprint is truly serendipitous—a flashback to something really good happening for me at home in Detroit, my good luck charm.” Berry did write those three songs for me. However, they were never released.

In 2011 she was asked to record with Sir Cliff Richards when he did an all soul CD recorded mostly in Memphis, Tn. This all came about through her association with entrepreneur, David Gest. She was then booked to tour with Cliff Richards in his SOULICOUS TOUR in the UK playing all arena’s. Freda’s latest recording is now on the Artistry Music label for Mack Ave. records. It is titled ‘COME BACK TO ME LOVE.’ It’s her first CD in twelve years. This is probably one of her best recordings to date. This CD takes Freda back to her original jazz roots with big bands , Strings, and small trio. All this goes in concert with her starring in the musical play ELLA FITZGERALD FIRST LADY OF SONG, which got her a rave review in the Washington Post in 2014. She is currently performing in countries such as New Zealand, Australia, and the UK.

Asked if much has changed since those first 1963 jazz recordings, she marvels, “In `63 I was nervous as hell—uptight and pushing too hard to be perfect. This time I felt like I was in heaven. I was in Capitol Records’ Studio A [another company she recorded for in the mid-`70s] with 40 musicians, singing over impeccable arrangements. I was much more relaxed and secure within myself.

AM: How are you Freda?

FP: I’m fine. I’m just dealing with life.

AM: Did you have a good New Years?

FP: I had a wonderful New Years. I didn’t work on that night but I did a sold-out engagement on December 23 at Vibratto in Beverly Hills. Have you been there?

AM: Yes, it’s so beautiful.

FP: It’s a lovely restaurant/club. Everybody loved it. Berry Gordy and Billy Dee Williams came and loved it.

AM: I’m sure you performed songs off your latest album.

FP: Yes that album has been out and it has sold really good.

AM: I sure hope you are able to record another album for the same label.

FP: I’m crossing my fingers and hoping they want me to do another one since this one was so well received.

AM: It’s the most high profile recording you’ve done in a long time.

FP: You’re right. I haven’t had a major record deal since the 80’s when I recorded a song called ‘In Motion.’

AM: Wasn’t Leon Sylvers involved in some way?

FP: Leon’s brother Edmond Sylvers produced the song. I ended up getting into a little squabble with the label because they wanted Leon to produce the whole album. Here’s where I learned a lesson. I was doing like that song, ‘Stand By Your Man’ because Edmond was my boyfriend at the time. The label wanted Leon to produce the whole thing and Edmond wasn’t happy about it. I stood by Edmond and the label said they were done. That’s what happened. So I learned my lesson about standing by my man. If it’s not in my best interest I’m not standing! (Laughter)

AM: Do you have some dates booked for 2015 yet?

FP: Yes I’m coming back to Texas in a town called Teague about 100 miles outside Dallas.

AM: What are you doing there?

FP: I’m doing a Gospel Musical called ‘Crowns.’ It was written by the actress Regina Taylor. It’s been around for about 10 or 15 years. It’s about these Black church women who wear their hats. All the songs are Gospel tunes.

AM: Is this your first time performing in a Gospel play?

FP: Yes, but it’s not staged. We will be standing there with our hats on, reading the dialogue off the music stands. We are performing the show three nights on January 29, 30 and 31. I’ll be home on February 1.

AM: Did you enjoy performing in the play in Dallas a couple months ago?

FP: I enjoyed it a lot. I had to work hard because I needed to learn a lot of lines and it was a staged play. You saw it. Did I do OK?

AM: You did great! Any live performance piece is lucky to have you be a part of it.

FP: Thanks, I’m glad I got to sing one of the songs from my new CD. Then I’m doing the Portland Jazz Festival in February.

AM: Do you think you will be doing jazz festivals now?

FP: I want to do jazz festivals. In May I’m going back to the Dirty Dog in Grove Point, Michigan. That’s where my record company is located.

AM: I saw this great video of you performing in Detroit.

FP: Yes, that was August 30 at the Detroit Jazz Festival. The band was the Jazz Men of Note from the Air Force. The band was spot on.

AM: You are an A List performer Freda!

FP: Well…my dear…I’d like to believe that after all these years I am. (laughter)

AM: You won’t have time for any plays.

FP: The thing with plays is you have to donate so much time learning everything.

AM: Do you receive the same creative fulfillment from doing a play as you do a concert?

FP: No because I feel like it’s not my thing and I feel that my singing sells me more. I also like performing on my own. I hope that doesn’t sound narcissistic.

AM: No it makes sense. You are always gracious and generous with people.

FP: Well that’s how I want to be. People who are more narcissistic seem to make it bigger faster but they pay for that karma in the later years.

To learn more about Freda Payne visit her web site http://www.fredapayne.com/

All Photos: Alan Mercer

Libby Villari is best known for her recurring role as Mayor Lucy Rodell on the TV show, ‘Friday Night Lights.’ Her film appearances include ‘Infamous,’ ‘What's Eating Gilbert Grape,’ ‘Boy's Don't Cry,’ ‘The Faculty’ and the Academy Award nominated ‘Boyhood.’

She was born Margaret Elizabeth Webb in North Carolina where she lived until she was 11. The family moved to California, later moving to Texas. She graduated from University of North Texas with a B.A in Theatre. An active performer in the Texas theatre community, she often acts in productions that film in Texas.

Libby made her television debut in the 1985 television movie ‘Stormin' Home’ and followed this with ‘Adam: His Song Continues’ and the Emmy-nominated television film ‘Little Girl Lost’ with Tess Harper. In 1986 she played Mrs. Pritchard in ‘Bonnie & Clyde: The True Story.’

She made her film debut in 1993 as Camille McCloud in ‘My Boyfriend's Back,’ also Matthew McConaughey's first film. She next appeared in ‘Flesh and Bone,’ and as a reporter in Clint Eastwood's ‘A Perfect World,’ and in the 1994 television film ‘Without Consent.’

In 1995, she appeared in ‘The Big Green’ and in 1996 in ‘Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering’ and ‘The Whole Wide World’ as the mother of Renée Zellweger. She has also appeared on the series ‘Walker, Texas Ranger’ and in Robert Altman's ‘Dr. T & the Women.’

In 2014, Libby Villari's film ‘Boyhood’ by Richard Linklater opened at the Sundance Film Festival. She plays the mother of Patricia Arquette's character in the film.

Libby is also an acting coach and works with children's literacy programs. I met with Libby in Sundance Square in the heart of downtown Fort Worth for a quick photo session and a chat before she was off to Los Angeles for pilot season and to go to the Vanity Fair Oscar party!

AM: Hi Libby! I think it’s so exciting that you are going to the Vanity Fair Academy Awards Party this year. Did you ever imagine going to them?

LV: No, I wasn’t sure I would ever go but when Rick Linkletter asked, I couldn’t say no.

AM: That is such a big deal! Did you think that ‘Boyhood’ would get a lot of nominations?

LV: We didn’t know what to expect, but now I expect the biggest and the best for everything.

AM: It’s already been several years since you filmed it, right?

LV: I started 13 years ago. I’m in one of the very first scenes.

AM: What did you think about the movie 13 years ago when you started filming?

LV: We knew it would be special because what we were doing had never been done. It’s the most critically acclaimed film since ‘The Godfather.’ I always knew it would be good because I was there and I could see that really terrific work was happening. I’m a huge fan of Rick Linkletter so I felt that no matter what, it would be a good movie. I was so fascinated and envious that he was documenting his own child’s life from first grade to twelfth grade. I have a granddaughter who is 2 years younger than Mason (the lead actor in the film) and that is what got me the role.

AM: You must be close to your granddaughter.

LV: We are tremendously close. I helped raise her.

AM: Can you tell me a little about your audition?

LV: I went in and it was not a first round audition. Ethan Hawke and Rick Linkletter were there in the room. We ended up doing a very long improv. First though we sat and talked about our relationships to our children and our grandchildren and what experience we’d had with divorce and what that does to a family. It just so happened that my son was going through a very hard divorce at the time. My granddaughter was four years old so the feelings I had about the subject were right on the surface. Ethan had just gone through his divorce with Uma Thurman, so his feelings were also on the surface.

AM: So it was all very real for you.

LV: I’m certain that is what got me the role. I think it really helped Ethan to play that role. So thirteen years later here we are. My granddaughter is all grown and the kids in the movie are all grown. I think the characters evolve in such interesting ways that you couldn’t possibly have in a three month shoot. Since we shot over a period of years, we all brought new experiences to it every year. You just can’t beat that. The more experiences you have, the better actor you are.

AM: Are you working more these days?

LV: I have been working but I think it has to do with my age. ‘Boyhood’ was a secret until this past October. There was a bit of talk in the film industry but nobody knew how terrific it was until it was released.

AM: This is the most high profile film you’ve ever done isn’t it?

LV: Absolutely and I’ve done some huge films and worked with some terrific directors.

AM: Your list of directors is amazing!

LV: I know, Clint Eastwood, Alan Parker, Robert Altman, Robert Rodriguez. It’s real unusual to live on Eagle Mountain Lake, hide from the public and be able to say you’ve done that.

AM: You are more than an actress, right? You do other things as well?

LV: I have a landscape business.

AM: Is that a lifelong interest?

LV: Yes, absolutely, I’m a fanatic organic gardener. I never intended to have a landscape business but I had reached an age where I was too young to play a grandmother and too old to play a young mother and I needed a job. I went back to college and got my horticulture degree because it was something I wanted to know more about. I already had two other degrees. I’m passionate about gardens and plants. It keeps me really earthbound too.

AM: I’ve also enjoyed your performances as the mayor in the TV show ‘Friday Night Lights.”

LV: I did 21 episodes.

AM: Are you anything like that character?

LV: I can be kind of bitchy. I am like her in the sense that I am tenacious and go after what I want but I’m a lot kinder.

AM: She is pretty firm.

LV: That’s a nice way of saying it. Also I’m not a lesbian. I had already filmed two seasons when they decided to go that direction. She’s pretty clearly a Republican. So when they wrote that in I was just stunned. I did think it would be fun to play. The director asked me what did I think of this character development and I told him it would be a real stretch playing a Republican! (Laughter) I knew a lot of lesbians, but Republicans are pretty rare in my life.

All Photos: Alan Mercer

Marcia Ball is a blues singer and pianist, born in Orange, Texas who was raised in Vinton, Louisiana. She was described in USA Today as "a sensation, saucy singer and superb pianist... where Texas stomp-rock and Louisiana blues-swamp meet." The Boston Globe described her music as "an irresistible celebratory blend of rollicking, two-fisted New Orleans piano, Louisiana swamp rock and smoldering Texas blues from a contemporary storyteller."

Marcia was born into a musical family. Her grandmother and aunt both played piano music of their time and Ball started piano lessons when she started school, and showed an early interest in New Orleans style piano playing, as exemplified by Fats Domino, Professor Longhair, and James Booker. She has named Irma Thomas, the New Orleans vocalist, as her chief vocal inspiration. Ball studied English at Louisiana State University in the 1960s while playing in a band called Gum. In 1970, at age 21, she started a progressive country band called Freda and the Firedogs in Austin, Texas, and began her solo career in 1974.

Marcia Ball's piano style includes elements of zydeco, swamp blues, Louisiana blues and boogie woogie. She began her recording career as a solo artist with Rounder Records in the 1980s and early 1990s. In 2001, she joined Chicago-based Alligator Records.

Her Rounder album, ‘Sing It!,’ which featured vocalists Irma Thomas and Tracy Nelson, released in January 1998 was nominated for a Grammy Award and a Blues Music Award for "Best Contemporary Blues Album." Marcia received the 1998 Blues Music Award for "Contemporary Female Vocalist of the Year" and "Best Blues Instrumentalist-Keyboards." She was awarded "Contemporary Blues Album of the Year" for her albums ‘Presumed Innocent’ in 2002 and ‘So Many Rivers.’ The same year she also won "Contemporary Blues Artist of the Year-Female." She won the "Best Blues Instrumentalist-Keyboards" again in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009. Her 2003 Alligator release, ‘So Many Rivers,’ was nominated for a Grammy as were ‘Live! Down The Road’ in 2005 and ‘Peace, Love & BBQ’ in 2008. She was inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame in 1990.

Marcia has continued to work with Irma Thomas. In 2006, the two contributed a duet ("Look Up") on the New Orleans Social Club release, ‘Sing Me Back Home.’ In 2007, the two contributed another duet ("I Can't Get New Orleans Off My Mind") to ‘Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino.’

Marcia Ball continues to play at nightclubs, particularly in Austin and New Orleans, and performs at music festivals in North America and overseas. Her newest album is titled 'The Tatooed Lady and the Alligator Man.'

AM: Marcia, Can you talk a little about growing up in Louisiana?

MB: I’m from a little town on the Texas/Louisiana state line. My entire family heritage is in Louisiana. I come from a deeply rooted Cajun family.

AM: Was music a natural part of your life from day one?

MB: My grandmother’s father was a musician and composer. My grandmother played piano and her daughter, my aunt, played piano and her daughter, my cousin, played piano. I remember one day a piano appeared in my house and I started piano lessons.

AM: When was this?

MB: At the same time I started going to school.

AM: So playing piano seemed natural for you?

MB: It was natural and it was what we did. I come from a generation that still gathered after Sunday dinner around the piano. We’d all take turns playing the piano.

AM: Did you sing as a child?

MB: No I didn’t sing.

AM: When did you start singing?

MB: When I got to college. That’s the other part in the incredible timing of my life. When I got to college in 1966 the whole world was changing. I met a girl who sang. She had been doing folk music duos with another girl who went back home. So I was recruited to sing harmony and it turns out I could sing them. I think I never thought of singing because growing up on Tin Pan Alley sheet music, all those girl parts were high. I couldn’t reach those notes so I thought I couldn’t sing. When I first heard Odetta, I was thunderstruck.

AM: What classes were you taking in college?

MB: Mostly English.

AM: What did you think you were going to do?

MB: Well, mostly I like to read and write so I took some journalism classes. I didn’t know what I was going to do. If I had kept on going I would probably have been a librarian. But I dropped out of school to follow music.

AM: When was it apparent that music would be your career?

MB: I got in a band not long after I dropped out and enjoyed it, but I also had a day job at a radio station. Also I got married and moved to Austin. I met some people in Austin who were a lot more established with a following and some connections. So I got in a band with them and from that time on, which was 1972, I never looked back.

AM: Were you surprised to know you could actually sing lead?

MB: Yes and at that time I was singing Top 40 which was Janis Joplin and Grace Slick, so singing was not exactly what I was doing. It was more like shouting.

AM: So you must have learned how to refine your vocals.

MB: Along the way I did. The first band I was a part of in Austin was a Country Music band. In Texas, Country Music had a lot of currency. We all had long hair but we really loved the old, traditional music. So we were singing traditional Country Music with frizzy hair sticking out of our cowboy hats and Austin went for it completely. This is when Austin became the drawing place for anyone who wanted to perform like that. This is right before Willie Nelson moved there.

AM: Are you happy living in Austin?

MB: I am! I loved it from the moment I got there. My husband and I had been living in Baton Rouge and we were moving to San Francisco but we went through Austin and stopped to see some friends and we never left.

AM: Where did you record ‘Circuit Queen’ album?

MB: I actually recorded that one in Nashville for Capitol Records. They signed a bunch of young talent at the time but for most of us, nothing happened.

AM: It’s a really good album. Were you happy with it?

MB: I was happy with it but I was scared to death at that time. It was a great opportunity.

AM: You have been able to keep a long term recording career going.

MB: Yes, it’s been remarkable. I haven’t been on a lot of labels either.

AM: What is one of your favorite albums that you recorded?

MB: One that I am most proud of is the one I did with Angela Strehli and Lou Ann Barton called ‘Dreams Come True’ and it took us five years to complete it. That’s why we titled it ‘Dreams Come True.’

AM: You name Irma Thomas as a major influence.

MB: Yes I do.

AM: I have photographed Irma and I love her as an artist and person.

MB: She is a lovely person. I saw her in New Orleans for the first time when I was thirteen.

AM: You are actually more associated with New Orleans than Austin.

MB: My music certainly is. I always say about Austin, that I’m a piano player in a guitar town. I’ve always played that Louisiana music.

AM: Do you play New Orleans a lot?

MB: As much as I can. We do real well there. I’m pretty highly recognized there.

AM: You have a new album out and it’s so much fun!

MB: It was just time to record a new album because we get tired of playing the same songs.

AM: I like how all your music is so much fun.

MB: I like my music to be fun. I don’t write or play from a place of angst.

To learn more about Marcia Ball visit her web site http://www.marciaball.com/

All Photos: Alan Mercer

Thaao Penghlis was born and raised in Sydney, Australia to Greek parents. After high school, he moved to New York City. While studying art history and fashion he was encouraged to pursue a career in drama by acting coach and theater director, Milton Katselas. Thaao made his stage debut in the critically-acclaimed play, ‘Jockeys.’ He has appeared in several movies, television shows, and travels all over the world, including such places as Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and back home to Australia.

Thaao Penghlis first appeared to daytime audiences in 1981 on ‘General Hospital’ during the Ice Princess saga when he played the role of Victor Cassadine. After his character was written out of the show, by being taken to prison, he was cast as the villainous Count Tony DiMera in the NBC daytime drama ‘Days of Our Lives.’ Thaao returned to daytime in his one-time role of Victor Cassadine of ‘General Hospital’ from January 30th 2014 to March 4, 2014. He has also been a regular on ‘Santa Barbara.’

Thaao starred in the 1980's revival of ‘Mission: Impossible,’ which was filmed in his native Australia. Thaao Penghlis' role as actor, makeup artist, and voice impersonator Nicholas Black in the revival was a counterpart to Martin Landau's "Rollin Hand" and Leonard Nimoy's "The Great Paris."

In 2003, Thaao was nominated for the ‘Soap Opera Digest Award’ for ‘Favorite Return’ for his return to the cast of ‘Days of our Lives.’ He left the show in the fall of 2005. He returned to Days in May, 2007 to reprise the role of the dastardly Andre DiMera. He also began reprising the role of nice guy Tony DiMera in July, 2007. Thaao was nominated for "Outstanding Leading Actor" at the ‘Daytime Emmy Awards’ in 2008. In 2009, Thaaos' character was once again written out by having him die. In 2010 he returned to stage acting, performing in New Jersey's Cape May Stage Theatre.

Thaao enjoyed tea for two with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, carried the mythical Gloria Swanson into a Hollywood acting class and fitted Robert Redford for a suit. The former career diplomat pursued the curious and complex path of an actor's life to fund his unyielding desire for spiritual & exotic travel. His newest book, ‘Places: The Journey of My Days, My Lives’ will be published this Jule 2014. With the fervor of an archeologist and the passion of a seeker, Thaao takes readers with him on spectacluar adventures as he crosses Egypt's Sinai Desert, ascends Mt. Moses, is cleansed in a remarkable and shocking ritual in Havana, crashes in a balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings in Luxor and navigates the behind the scenes drama of daytime television, often more sudsy and tumultuous than what appeared on screen. This compelling and candid memoir weaves his deep Greek and Australian heritage with Hollywood escapades and captivating spiritual journeys to places few travel. Thaao is currently back filming on ‘General Hospital’ right now. A self-described citizen of the world, Thaao makes his permanent home in the hills of Los Angeles, California.

AM: I’d love to hear about your upcoming book Thaao, like where did you get the idea from?

TP: I thought to myself, where did the idea of my journeys come from? I think it came from the director of a play called ‘Class’ I did on the east coast. The director heard about my journeys so he suggested I do ‘an evening’ where we invite people and it will be a support for the theater, so I said, “OK.” Suddenly it dawned on me, “What was I going to talk about?”

AM: Are you able to remember all your journeys?

TP: It’s easy to recall my journeys but when you are on the spot how do you tell stories? How do you make it interesting? So I made a list of all the things I wanted to talk about. We filled the house with what we thought was an hour and fifteen minute show, but it was now two and a half hours.

AM: Where do you even start?

TP: I remembered Cavafy, the poet who had the story of Ithica. This is the poem Jacqueline Kennedy wanted recited at her funeral. It’s about one’s journey in life. This is about my journey and the beginnings and where I’ve reached so far. So I began talking about it. I knew the poem by heart and started like that, going into my journey to Israel.

AM: I bet you have some amazing stories from there.

TP: That’s where I was surrounded by Mossad agents who thought I was a terrorist. I embarrassed them by cutting to the chase when they realized I was a celebrity there because of NBC.

AM: I bet they were feeling foolish.

TP: I stopped wearing black when I went into airports after that. So the idea of the book came from going on these journeys.

AM: Had you written before?

TP: I had written eight short stories because I was going to do a series with Discovery. Cut to two years later and I have written twenty-five chapters. My publisher heard about my stories of meeting people like John Gielgud, Lillian Gish and Robert Redford and when she heard about my journey from Australia she told me I had to write it down.

AM: So did you write a short version of what became the book?

TP: I ended up writing a twenty-eight page story. It was amazing to recall.

AM: Who will be able to relate to your book?

TP: We all want to journey somewhere. Some people are couch travelers, but there are others who really want to get into it. I call them the great lovers of life. They are the ones who really want to go into the unknown. That’s what the book is about. It’s about all the spiritual journeys I have had.

AM: What is the title?

TP: The title of the book is ‘Places’ and I love that because it’s not a word you ever use on it’s own. It took me a year to get a meeting with the publisher because she was so busy.

AM: Did you have the book already outlined in your mind?

TP: I didn’t really know what the concept of the book would be until I wrote my journey to America, then everything else fell into place.

AM: Did you write about your time on 'Days Of Our Lives?’

TP: I had a bad taste in my mouth from ‘Days’ because of the way they always killed me off so violently, but my publisher told me I had to write about it, so I said, “OK.” How do you tell a story that didn’t feel complete?

AM: So how did you start this part of the story?

TP: My voice mail had a message from the show’s producer and I knew that was never good news, so instead of listening to it, I went to Cuba and went with a Babalawo priest of the Santaria religion, which originated in Egypt in ancient times.

AM: Yes I have heard of them before.

TP: He told me I had a knife in my back and he had to cleanse me. I didn’t understand what he meant so he stripped me naked and got a chicken to absorb all the negative energy.

AM: That must have been a unique experience.

TP: It was an amazing experience. The chicken died in his hands absorbing the negative energy that was put on me.

AM: Did you feel uplifted after this?

TP: Oh, felt so light afterwards. Then he told me I had much to look forward to and I had much to confront. So I called back the producer and he told me the usual...that I would be dying again. So I thought this would be an interesting way to get into the story of ‘Days.’ Most of the book deals with my journeys to the Middle East and those dangerous situations.

AM: Weren’t you ever scared in your travels?

TP: I could have been killed so many times but I never thought about death.

To learn more about Thaao Penghlis visit his web site http://www.thaaopenghlis.com/id2.htm

Mamie Van Doren March 2015

Our first "classic" photo 2005

In 2005 I had been working in Los Angeles four years already. I was blessed to be working steadily as a Celebrity Photographer during this time, shooting people like Smokey Robinson and Steven Speilberg. I also had a bucket list of people I really wanted to photograph and number one on that list was the sexy Actress, Mamie Van Doren. Luckily for me, Mamie was ahead of her time and already had a big web site filled with current, as well as vintage photographs. I could see Mamie still looked sensational, even though she was into her mid Seventies. I composed an email telling her how much I adored her and would she be interested in shooting with me. She wrote back immediately with an astounding, "YES!"

I was over the moon with excitement, but she didn't give me any clue as to WHEN she would be ready to shoot, so I wrote her back and boldly asked, "When?" It took her a few days to answer this time but she gave me a date a couple weeks away and we were set for a day in March.

The day finally arrived when Mamie, her husband Thomas and my four assistants were in the North Hollywood studio. One always imagines what someone they have looked up to and admired will be like once reality comes and you hope you will not be disappointed. I didn't have to be concerned. Mamie was everything I could ever want and MORE! She was so alive and full of positive energy. We had an amazing photo shoot and I honestly felt like I made a new friend.

Once the photos were available, we all loved them. We even got a classic shot the very first time out. You can see the red skirt flowing here while Mamie danced around joyfully. After this session we decided we had to do it again. We had more great results. We kept shooting and shooting routinely after this and built up quite a large portfolio with the passing years. Now ten years after we started we got together in 2015 to celebrate our ten year working relationship and even more importantly, our ten year friendship.

I do not believe I will ever have another relationship with anyone else I photograph even remotely like the one I have with the larger than life, Miss Van Doren. I am her photographer, her student, her creative partner, her admirer and her friend. She is my eternal creative muse.

I have picked out ten of my favorite photos over the past ten years to share on my blog. I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I enjoyed creating them with Mamie!

To learn more about Mamie van Doren visit her web site http://www.mamievandoren.com/

All Photos: Alan Mercer

With just under a decade into stand up, Nick Guerra has won over crowds from all walks of life. Whether it is performing from clubs to colleges to any place with a stage, Nick has shown that dedication and continuous work has paid off. His style balances all topics. Current events, relationship humor, and personal stories have become his arsenal when given a microphone. Many times the crowds never knew what to expect with Nick but were never disappointed.

Nick was an audience favorite on NBC’s 'Last Comic Standing' (Season 8). He was a writer, asst. director, actor and story producer for the Mun 2 reality show 'Pitbull’s La Esquina' (2nd season), performed on Comedy Central’s 'Gabriel Iglesias Stand Up Revolution' (2nd season) and Nuvo TV’s 'Stand Up & Deliver' (2nd season).

Nick is destined to be a major force in the comedy world. I met with him on an afternoon in Dallas, where his career got started ten years ago.

AM: Nick I can’t imagine being on a TV Comedy contest. What was it like for you?

NG: The experience was great. I loved it. The hardest part about doing a contest is the pre-screening where they want to see your act. If you’re a joke writer, it’s always funny, but if you’re someone like me who is more performance based, it doesn’t read funny. You have to see it. So they had to see me on stage before they were able to get it. I loved doing the show. I got a standing ovation on the first episode. I don’t know if they showed it because I never saw the actual episode. If you focus on just doing your show you can forget about the cameras and the competition.

AM: How long have you been doing your act?

NG: I’m ten years in now.

AM: Did you know you were funny at a young age?

NG: You don’t know it through your own experience unless you have a really big ego. You don’t live in the third person. It was always other people who told me I was funny. I was told I would always sing songs and try to make people laugh when I was a small child. I don’t remember that, but I do remember always trying to get people to laugh. Everyone in my life has told me I was funny.

AM: What gave you the confidence to go professional?

NG: Going professional just snuck up on me.

AM: Did you have any other intentions or aspirations in your life?

NG: I don’t know where I would be if it wasn’t for comedy right now. I didn’t plan on this. The funny thing about comedy is there is no real route. There is nothing to tell you, you are advancing. If you stay in it long enough you get fans and clubs get to know you. It’s been gradual for me and that’s exactly how I want it. More people recognize me since being on ‘Last Comic.’ It keeps you natural when it’s gradual.

AM: Do you notice the laughs are bigger now that some people know who you are?

NG: Yes, it helps a little bit. The people who may not know me will laugh more because the other people are laughing.

AM: Do you come from a big family?

NG: I have a huge family, but my immediate family is just two sisters. I have cousins, aunt and uncles everywhere! The last show I did in Houston had seventeen family members in the audience.

AM: Does family make you more nervous?

NG: No, I grew up performing in front of family. At this point they’ve been warned.

AM: You don’t have so much adult material.

NG: No I don’t. At this point it’s just growing up and I’ve gotten tired of such graphic material. Back when I started I was a little more blue.

AM: I think it’s smart to not be so graphic so you can be on television. You have to be funny on network TV.

NG: Yes that’s true. It’s so much easier to be vulgar. But often when a comic is vulgar they don’t have a point to back it up. I try to relate to the audience and let them know this is what I’m going through.

AM: So your work is based on honesty?

NG: Yes as much as I can.

AM: I see you on television on a sitcom. Do you want that?

NG: Yes, it’s always an interest. I’ve got a lot of things coming up this year that will probably help with that. That will also be a gradual step. I do come in under the radar. I’ve always known that. When I get on stage, people don’t expect me to be funny. I don’t look funny. If you see my picture I don’t pop off the page. I have to take my performance up a notch so I CAN stand out. I give it my all. I’ve never acted before so we’ll see how that goes.

AM: Do you know Cristela?

NG: Yes I know her very well. We both came from the same place and both started here in Dallas and moved to LA. It’s very difficult to produce a Latino based comedy for ABC. They have to be so careful. They want it to be nice and non-offensive. That’s what every show does on the first season.

AM: Do you have any idea what the concept for a show for you would be?

NG: Oh man, it would just be me getting mad at women for 30 minutes. I do have ideas. Mine would be about my bad romantic life. For some reason that is something I’m good at. I love to pick up on couples interactions. I have to force myself to write other topics otherwise my act would be an hour of relationship talk.

AM: Do you write all the time or is it more spontaneous?

NG: It’s both. I always have comedy in my head and I’m always thinking of ways to improve a bit.

To learn more about Nick Guerra visit his web site http://nickguerra.com/

Cover Painting by Luca Morici

Canadian Singer Khea Emmanuel recently self released her latest recording, simply titled ‘Khea’ expertly produced by her father Leroy Emmanuel and Robert Beacon. This album, on the whole, is quite admirable and Khea shows great promise as a life long performer and musical artist.

The seven cut CD is sheer bliss from the opening drum beat of Cole Porter’s 1932 song ‘Night And Day’ to the closing notes of the popular 1930 song ‘Body And Soul.’ Book ending the album with these two cuts seems like the perfect way to begin and end the musical journey. The CD is music for night and day and for body and soul. This is a real ambient music record, full of lush, slowly shifting sounds. By definition an ambient record is meant to be able to function as aural wallpaper and be fascinating to listen to at the same time. ‘Khea’ never lapses into background music. The arrangements and Khea’s stunning vocals allows the listener to really hear every nuance.

Khea delivers a tender and vulnerable treatment of the Sade classic, ‘Is It A Crime.’ It really takes a lot of courage to sing a song so closely associated with another contemporary artist, but Khea pulls it off like the song was written for her. This is the most modern song on the album and it fits right in.

She provides a warm and gentle take of the 1937 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart standard ‘My Funny Valentine.’ Considering how many artists have covered this jazz standard, appearing on over 1300 albums performed by over 600 artists, it’s a wonder when anyone can make it sound fresh and vital, but Khea does just that.

Fast forward to 1979 with the Michael Jackson penned ‘I Can’t Help It’ from his ‘Off The Wall’ album. Perhaps this is a tribute to the late Superstar and if so then Mr. Jackson is smiling down from Heaven very happy with Khea’s rendition.

What collection of jazz standards would be complete without a Duke Ellington selection? Khea and her team have picked a real winner in the 1932 composition, ‘Sophistocated Lady’ with a gorgeous flute solo opening the number. 1955’s ‘Whatever Lola Wants’ from ‘Damn Yankees’ is next and it displays the singer's playful vocals. Khea has done the unimaginable with these two cuts by making me forget these recordings by two of my favorite legendary performers, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn.

When Khea sings, ‘I’d gladly surrender myself to you, body and soul,’ you know she has, with this dynamic recording. Khea is still very young but sings like someone twice her age. She's capable of deep spiritual and musical depth. Her voice is powerful, vulnerable and yearning, a combination that very few people can manage, and she has great control. The CD has the power to haunt and stun at the same time. This collection of jazz, show tunes and pop oldies never sounded better.

All Photos: Alan Mercer

Candy Clark is best known for her role as Debbie Dunham in the film ‘American Graffiti,’ which garnered her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. 'American Graffiti,' nominated for five Academy Awards and grossing more than $200 million, overshadows everything else. The film was set in Modesto, California, but primarily filmed in Petaluma in only 28 days. The schedule was grueling for Candy and co-stars like Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Harrison Ford and Suzanne Somers. She reprised the role for the sequel ‘More American Graffiti .’

Candy is also known for her role as Francine Hewitt in ‘The Blob.’ Her other films of note are ‘The Man Who Fell to Earth,’ with David Bowie, ‘The Big Sleep,’ ‘Blue Thunder,’ ‘Cat's Eye’ and ‘At Close Range.’ She has also made guest appearances on television series including ‘Dating Game,’’ Magnum, P.I.,’’ Simon & Simon,’ ‘Matlock,’ ‘Baywatch Nights’ and ‘Criminal Minds.’

Born in Norman, Oklahoma, she grew up in Fort Worth, Texas. She attended Green B. Trimble Technical High School. She dated Jeff Bridges, whom she met on the set of Fat City, for several years. After two brief marriages, Candy quickly replies “Never!” when asked if she would ever remarry . Today, she attends many hot rod shows, and enjoys gardening, collecting antiques, and trading memorabilia on eBay.

Candy appears in the 2009 film The Informant! as the mother of Mark Whitacre, played by Matt Damon. In 2011, Candy went to Berlin to work on the play Images of Louise Brooks directed by Sven Mundt.

I met with Candy at her home in Los Angeles for a casual photo shoot and a quick conversation in her backyard, where she has three chickens running around.

AM: Candy, I think it’s wonderful that you just finished filming a new movie where you are the lead. What is the title and what’s it about?

CC: Yes, it’s called ‘Cold Moon’ based on the book ‘Cold Moon Over Babylon’ written by Michael McDowell. The book was a big hit in the Eighties. I play a character named Evelyn Larkin.

AM: Did you enjoy the filming experience?

CC: It was a lot of fun. I enjoyed getting into a role where I played a grandma. I wore a grey wig. It was fun having more than a days work. Lately I have been getting good films but small parts.

AM: That seems to be the norm for most actors.

CC: I felt like a glorified extra on ‘Zodiac.’

AM: Most of us remember you best from the classic ‘American Graffiti.’

CC: That was the second film I did. The first one was ‘Fat City’ directed by John Huston. That’s a great movie.

AM: That’s right! How did it feel to know you had never made a movie and you were going to be working with a legend like John Huston?

CC: Fortunately I didn’t really know who John Huston was. I wasn’t the person who followed films or people in films at that time. Being from Fort Worth, Texas, my highest aspiration was to be a secretary, suddenly I was working with Jeff Bridges, Susan Tyrrell, Ray Stark, Stacy Keach and all these great people. Ray Stark became my inspiration for collecting art. Ray had big bronze Henry Moore sculptures in his backyard. I realized I liked art so I started collecting.

AM: So how did you even get into acting?

CC: From my modeling work. I had moved to New York City and got involved in modeling.

AM: Did you enjoy being a model?

CC: The first year was really hard because I didn’t know how to pose in front of a camera in a relaxed way. I always thought you had to freeze for the camera but then after a year I realized the camera freezes you. Big difference! Then I fell in love with modeling. I really, really enjoyed it. Once I realized how it was done I had a knack for it.

AM: You don’t hear that very often from women who have modeled.

CC: I thought I was going to stay in New York and model forever. I didn’t think past that.

AM: So you didn’t have an aspiration to act, but you just happened to be talented.

CC: Well, I wanted to do extra work so I got a gig on a Dustin Hoffman film, ‘Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me?’ I was in a crowd scene of two hundred people and I thought this is great!

AM: What did you like about it the most?

CC: I got to meet movie stars and eat donuts. I really enjoyed that too. I had to hit pause a lot but I think I found myself in that crowd scene when I watched it on line.

AM: So you thought extra work was awesome?

CC: I wanted to do more extra work so I went to my agents office and met a very famous casting director, Fred Roos. He asked me if I wanted to go watch the screen test for ‘The Godfather.’ So I said, “Sure!” This was at a time when if someone looked nice you’d just go off with them. It was more of a hippie era. It was a nicer era when people were nicer and more trustworthy.

AM: You couldn’t do that today! We live in a different world now.

CC: I would never think of going off with a stranger now.

AM: I find it interesting and fascinating when someone ends up being successful as an actor when it wasn’t what they were going after.

CC: Yes it’s all by accident!

AM: I’m used to people struggling and suffering.

CC: Well I struggled and suffered for a year with modeling.

AM: George Lucas wasn’t a legend when you worked with him.

CC: No he was just beginning.

AM: Did you enjoy working with him?

CC: Yes, but I really enjoyed the script from ‘American Graffiti.’

AM: You occupy a special place Candy. No other actor is anything like you.

CC: Do you know any other actor raising chickens?

AM: LOL I don’t know about that. Your personality comes off as very unique.

CC: Thank you.

AM: You seem to really appreciate life.

CC: I do. I come from a very poor background so I do appreciate a lot. I appreciate animals, reading and collecting. I love estate sales and yard sales. I’m a garage sale junkie.

AM: Is that how you fill your spare time?

CC: Yes, most of the things in my house are from a second hand store or an estate sale. I don’t care for new things.

AM: Do you feel the spirit in these things?

CC: Yes, I even prefer used clothing because they’ve been broken in. Now they make new clothing to look like it’s used.

All Photos: Alan Mercer

Make-up: Sandra Sanz

Hair: Melissa Herrera

Photo Shoot Coordinator: Mauricio Carrera

Quinceañera is the Spanish word for a girl who is 15 years old. Among Latinos in the United States, quinceañera also is the name given to the coming-of-age celebration on a girl’s 15th birthday.

The quinceañera has its origins many centuries ago when both boys and girls participated in rites of passage. To prepare for womanhood, girls were separated from other children at a certain age so the elder women could teach them about their future roles as members of family and community. During the official rites of passage, the community would thank the gods for the future wives and mothers, and the young women would vow to serve the community.

Later, missionaries turned the event into a personal affirmation of faith by the young women and a pledge to become good Christian wives and mothers. A church celebration became an important part of the occasion.

Today, the quinceañera celebration often is a lavish party that may include a mariachi band, a feast and many guests—much like a wedding. Planning for a quinceañera can start as early as the birth of a daughter. The family and godparents save up money until the girl is of age. Actual preparations may take anywhere from six months to a year and a half. Dances have to be learned, decorations decided upon, cakes ordered, and in some cases, dresses made.

The tradition of the Quinceañera continues to influence popular Mexican youth culture today. Its traditions have been linked to ancient Aztec rites of passage for young women; however, no one knows the exact birth of the Quinceanera, which only adds more to its mythological elements of identity.

One myth revolving around the Aztec tradition explains how around the age of fifteen, young girls were being prepared for marriage. Women in Aztec society were not considered an important part of the functioning society, and often times the education of many young girls was placed in the hands of the elder women of the community. Important tasks and traditions such as weaving, cooking, housekeeping and child rearing were passed down through generations to the next girl of appropriate age. During this time as well, the young girls were taught the modest behaviors of a married women and were expected to change according to tradition.

All Photos: Alan Mercer

Vivian Reed is a multi-award winner with two Tony Award nominations, Drama Desk Award, Theatre world Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, Dance Education of America Award, NAACP Award and several others. Vivian began formal voice training at the age of eight at the Pittsburgh Musical Institute, later continuing at New York's Juilliard School of Music followed by years of extensive dance training.

She became a polished performer under the guidance of Honi Coles and Bobby Schiffman of the Apollo Theater. Vivian received critical acclaim for her work in 'Bubbling Brown Sugar' on Broadway and Europe. She captured the attention of Pierre Cardin who booked her into his theater and held her over for several weeks. Through Cardin she went to Japan for the first time and later made her first European TV special. Later she was invited by the Prince and Princess of Monaco to perform in Monte Carlo.

Vivian has appeared on many TV variety and talk shows both nationally and internationally including ‘The Tonight Show,’ ‘The Today Show’ and the ABC-TV daytime drama, ‘One Life To Live.’ She has shared the bill with such notable performers as Bill Cosby, Pattie Labelle, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Audra McDonald, Elaine Stritch, Alan King, Sammy Davis Jr., Quincy Jones, Ashford and Simpson and Charles Aznavour just to name a few. Her film credits include ‘Heading for Broadway,’ ‘L'Africaine’ with Catherine Deneuve and ‘Le Rumba,’ in which she portrayed Josephine Baker. Recently she produced and starred in a short film ‘What Goes Around’ written by Angela Gibbs.

Vivian has also brought her nightclub act to major gatherings of organizations and dignitaries, including Mercedes Benz, IBM, Top Fashion Designers Gala at the Theatre Champs Elysees and the American Film Festival in Deauville. She appeared at the Festival del Vina in Chile along with other top performers and received the coveted ‘Torch Award,’ an honor bestowed by the mayor and citizens of Vina for only the most exceptional and stirring performances.

Vivian has been featured in the world's most read and influential news and fashion magazines such as Vogue, Elle, Paris Match, People, Ebony, Cover of Jet and Time Magazine. Her personal style and taste for designer clothes have won her a place on Mr. Blackwell's Best Dressed Women List and she was selected by People Magazine as one of the ‘25 Most Intriguing People of the Year.’

Vivian has received critical acclaim in major productions of ‘Sophisticated Ladies,’ ‘Roar of the Greasepaint,’ ‘Smell of the Crowd,’ ‘Blues in the Night,’ ‘Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope,’ ‘High Rollers’ and ‘Show Boat’ in which she portrayed the role of 'Queenie' and Tintypes. Her recent plays include ‘Blues for an Alabama Sky,’ ‘Crumbs from the Table of Joy,’ ‘Pork Pie’ and ‘Cookin' at the Cookery.’ Vivian was featured in the highly anticipated ‘Marie Christine’ at Lincoln Center. She also portrayed Lena Horne in a new piece, ‘More Than A Song’ with the Pittsburgh Ballet Company at the Benedum Theater in Pittsburgh.

Vivian contributed her talents to the Lena Horne Awards Show hosted by Bill Cosby honoring Rosie O'Donnell and Quincy Jones at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts in New York. She appeared in ‘Three Mo' Divas,’ the follow-up to ‘Three Mo' Tenors’ at the San Diego Rep. and Arena Stage in Washington, DC and as an actress received critical acclaim for her portrayal as Gloria Franklin in ‘The Second Tosca.’ Vivian has also given back of her talent by teaching nearly three years at Berklee College of Music in Boston where she created a performance class teaching the many aspects of performing and also establishing a yearly concert event called Singer's Night. Recently she presented her nightclub act to two sold out houses and concluded two book musical workshops ‘One For My Baby’ and ‘The Countess Of Storyville.’

Vivian took a few years off from performing to help care fro her elderly parents in their last years. Now she is back to her career full time. Besides her theatrical career she has made a total of six albums, done voice overs and TV commercials and she is a professional photographer and scarf designer for VJR scarves.

AM: Vivian you are what I think of as a Renaissance woman since you do so many things. How did you get started designing scarves?

VR: My mother was an incredible seamstress. She made all our clothes as we were growing up. Even the gowns for my first concerts. She taught me how to sew. I always wanted to design scarves, but because I was taking care of her, my heart just wasn’t in it. Being the Gemini that I am, I wanted to launch into it with passion and everything. After she passed, I said I was going to start doing some of the things I really wanted to do. I took three months off and went to the fabric district and bought a bunch of fabric and started sewing. I sew every scarf myself. I painted every one of the 30 inch square scarves. I like to paint in the abstract and see what comes out.

AM: So you have a lot of creative energy.

VR: Yes I do.

AM: Do you notice if this creative energy has stayed the same all your life or has it increased or decreased?

VR: The only thing that has decreased is my passion for building things. I can rival any contractor with power tools. I have every tool imaginable. I’ve built cabinets. My father was a Mr. Fix-It person. I think I got this from him. When I bought my brownstone up in Harlem, I wanted to build cabinets for my television and things like that.

AM: How did you even get started learning about building furniture?

VR: I went out and bought a lot of power tools and read a lot of books until I became very good at it. That energy has decreased in me because it takes a certain amount of strength when you are dealing with heavy, large pieces of wood. But that would be the only thing that has decreased. I’m so creative and I love doing things with my hands. The scarves and photography will go on for a while.

AM: You’re an amazing photographer too and I don’t get to say that very often.

VR: I feel honored that you would say that. Thank you.

AM: How did you get started with photography?

VR: I didn’t start off wanting to be a photographer but I had a bad experience with a photographer in New York. To this day I didn’t get a photo I can use out of the session. I had a feeling the photos wouldn’t be right after the session was over and they were not.

AM: That can actually hurt.

VR: I got angry and cried because it cost a lot of money. So I pulled my little camera out of the closet and moved my furniture around. I started shooting with my remote control and one shot turned out. I was surprised that it looked good. So that’s how it started. Once again I bought lots of books and took thousands of photos.

AM: That’s how you get good!

VR: I would bring people over and shoot them for nothing. At first I didn’t light the background but I learned how important that is so I started lighting it.

AM: What is your favorite type of photo to take?

VR: I love dark, creative, dramatic, theatrical lighting. I understand it because I come from the theater.

AM: I love that style too. So did you buy a bunch of photography equipment?

VR: Yes I did and as you know it is expensive.

AM: People don’t always realize how expensive photography is. You have certainly mastered the art of taking portraits.

VR: Thank you!

AM: You will always be an amazing singer since that is how I first knew of you. I know you had an album out before ‘Bubbling Brown Sugar.’

VR: I had a couple of albums out there. I don’t even like to talk about my recording career.

AM: That album on Epic is stellar.

VR: I was a baby then. When you look at the cover you can still see the baby fat in my face.

AM: You make every song on that album your own. You always do cover songs in a special and unique way.

VR: When Bobby Schiffman and Honi Coles owned the Apollo Theater and became my managers, I was eighteen and still going to Juilliard. We talked about when you have music that everyone knows you have to take that piece of music and see how you can put your stamp on it. Otherwise, why else would you do it? I teach this same thing to my students now. Now that I’m doing my show at 54 Below I met with the musicians and one of them said, “Oh I know that song.” and I said, “No you don’t. You only know the title.”

AM: Your arrangements and phrasing are always very specific to you.

VR: Yes I will sometimes work with arrangers to get the right key so it becomes a collaborative work but the phrasing is all me. Nobody can tell me how to sing it.

AM: It seems so innate for you. It’s like it magically happens.

VR: Well a lot of times it does. A lot of people believe that if you are African American you can automatically riff and that’s not true. That is crazy. I tell my students don’t do what isn’t natural because then it will sound like that.

AM: One of your most famous songs is ‘God Bless The Child.’

VR: I put a different stamp on ‘God Bless The Child’ for 'Bubbling Brown Sugar.’ There were some jazz enthusiasts that were upset because I had touched the great Billie Holliday. I didn't even want to do the song. It wasn’t my kind of thing. I didn’t want a bunch of heavy jazz chords, and I like jazz, but just not for that song. So we changed some of the chords and that’s how my version of ‘God Bless The Child’ came out. Now I can’t do a show without including it some 30 years later.

AM: What makes your version different?

VR: I sing it with a bit of R&B and Gospel so it’s not how people are used to hearing it. One time a few years ago I did a pre-Grammy show with Merry Clayton and Darlene Love for Clive Davis and I sang 'Wind Beneath My Wings.' When I was done singing the song, Clive came up to me and told me it was the best arrangement and I made him forget Bette Midler’s version. I said that was the whole point. He loved it and I got a standing ovation.

AM: You can make us forget all other singers when you are singing.

VR: I think that’s the approach any artist should take if you are doing covers. I’m all about keeping the integrity of the piece. That is essential, but you have to find a way to make it yours.

To learn more about Vivian Reed visit her web site http://www.vivianreed.com/ and facebook page https://www.facebook.com/VivianReedOfficial

All Photos: Alan Mercer Make-Up: Theresa Ford

Stylist: Irene Soderberg

Photo Shoot Coordinator: Joseph Anthony Goodwin

The legendary Lou Reed song ‘Take a Walk on the Wild Side’ opens with a reference to Holly Woodlawn, indelibly imprinting her story in American pop culture. "Holly Came From Miami, F-L-A..." are the beginning lyrics forever describing Holly's arrival in New York City and ultimate imprint on the landscape of 1970s chique.

Born Haroldo Santiago Franceschi Rodriguez Danhakl in Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico, Holly grew up in Miami Beach, where she came out at a young age. Holly is best known as an Andy Warhol Superstar and has appeared in his movies ‘Trash’ in 1970 and ‘Women in Revolt’ in 1972.

The name Holly came from the heroine of ‘Breakfast at Tiffany's,’ and in 1969 added the surname from a sign she saw on an episode of ‘I Love Lucy.’ After changing her name she began to tell people she was the heiress to Woodlawn Cemetery.

In 1962, Holly left Florida, heading north. She recollects that "I hocked some jewelry and ... made it all the way to Georgia, where the money ran out and ... had to hitchhike the rest of the way" to New York. By 1969, she had considered sex reassignment surgery, but decided against it.

In October of 1969, she was given a bit role in ‘Trash,’ but so impressed director Paul Morrissey that she was given a much larger role. In 1970, she received word from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences that the legendary Hollywood Director, George Cukor, supported by others, was petitioning the Academy to nominate her for best actress for her work in ‘Trash,’ however, nothing came of this campaign.

In 1982, Holly was hired by the producers of ‘Tootsie’ to coach Dustin Hoffman in his role as 'Michael Dorsey/Dorothy Michaels' in the art of being a man acting as a woman in films.

Holly’s autobiography, ‘The Holly Woodlawn Story: A Low Life in High Heels’ was published by St. Martin's Press in October 1991. The book chronicles Holly’s life as a "shopaholic," boozehound, drug abuser, and cross-dressing "glamourina."

Holly Woodlawn continued to make cameo appearances in plays and films such as ‘Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss’ throughout the 1980s and 1990s. After Andy Warhol's death, she was interviewed frequently on his life and influence.

Currently, Holly can be seen making three cameo appearances on Season One of the critically acclaimed amazon original program ‘Transparent.’

Special THANKS to Joseph Anthony Goodwin.

AM: Holly I think it’s so fantastic that you are on ‘Transparent.” How did that happen?

HW: A friend of mine called me and told me amazon was making a new show that I would be perfect for and it was about a seventy year old divorced man with children, who wants to become a woman.

AM: Did you ever think there would be a show like this in your lifetime?

HW: Never! I practically started the whole thing in the 70s. When I did ‘Trash’ for Andy Warhol, I never thought I’d see it in a regular theater. I thought it would stay underground.

AM: Not only that, ‘Trash’ has lasted and still has legs and you weren’t even supposed to be in that movie were you?

HW: No, they didn’t know who I was yet. I told an underground magazine interviewer I was an Andy Warhol Superstar already and they published it. Paul Morrissey was upset about it, but he wanted to meet me. He was intrigued by my boldness. I went to his office and he asked me why I was lying about being cast in the movie. I charmed him enough that he gave me a one scene part that he paid me $25.00 for. He liked me enough to put me in the whole movie and the rest is history.

AM: Wow that made your whole career!

HW: I sure got more than my 15 minutes.

AM: Now the ‘trans’ world is a very big topic.

HW: It’s about time. There are so many talented people in the world who are transgender and now they’re being recognized.

AM: Do you have an opinion on Bruce Jenner?

HW: I really don’t care about Bruce Jenner. That’s his life. I don’t like any of that Kardashian thing. I can’t be bothered with any of them.

AM: How old were you when you realized you wanted to be a different gender?

HW: I was six years old.

AM: Did you let people know?

HW: As much as I could.

AM: What did your parents think?

HW: My parents didn’t know anything until I was sixteen when I ran away from home. The story is documented in Lou Reed’s famous song ‘Walk On The Wild Side.’ I couldn’t stay in Miami. I wanted to be in New York where the lights, the action and the people are.

AM: Did you always want to be an entertainer?

HW: Yes, I just didn’t know what or how.

AM: Do you find acting creatively fulfilling?

HW: Yes, even though I only did 5 minutes in ‘Transparent.’

AM: I’d love to see much more of you in the next season of ‘Transparent.’ Do a lot of people want to interview you?

HW: Yes, I do a lot of Q and A’s. I’ve also done my nightclub act in New York and in Europe. I’m more appreciated on the East Coast and definitely Europe.

AM: When was the last time you saw ‘Trash?’

HW: Last year they had a screening with Joe Dallesandro in a cemetery! It was screened at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. (laughter)

AM: I love your autobiography from 1991, ‘A Low Life In High Heels.” Was it therapeutic to write your life down?

HW: Yes, I finally realized how funny I was. I also realized how much I LIVED and had a life.

AM: Do you have any future plans Holly?

HW: There’s talk of making a documentary on my life. Also I sold the rights to ‘A Low Life In High Heels’ for a film to be made from that. I just returned from Austin, Texas where I was part of the Austin Drag Festival with Charles Busch and Lady Bunny.

AM: Did you have fun and enjoy Austin?

HW: Yes I did have fun and the event was a huge success, but Austin gave me allergies!

AM: People think of you as always glamorous Holly. Do you try to maintain that image?

HW: Either I am dressed up to go out or I slop around the house in shorts and a t-shirt. I’m still the same person no matter what I’m wearing. Now we can wear anything anytime. When I first ran away to New York you could be arrested for female impersonation.

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