Meeting "Stars"

I have been very fortunate. In the last two and a half years, working with radio, my magazine and other publications, I've had the fortune and the pleasure of meeting several of my favourite musicians.
Lets see...whom have I met so far. Well there was Engelbert Humperdinck, Mark Knopfler, Bryan Adams, Joe Satriani, Deep Purple, Ronan Keating, Michael Learns To Rock, Shaggy, The Rasmus, Flipsyde, Alan Parsons and Freak Kitchen (I may have missed a few others). I'm hoping to meet Buddy Guy soon and I can't wait to see him!

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not writing this to tell you that its really cool to meet all of these guys (and it was cool, there' s no denying that). For me however, it is almost like living my dream. I love music...I always have. I've grown up listening to some of these guys and to meet them in person, talk to them, spend a little time with them...well just getting to be with them for a bit is a brilliant experience for me.
Its akin to an artist getting to meet say...Picasso or Da Vinci.
I think of myself as a singer first and then all of the other things I'm doing. For me it is such a incredible thrill to meet these guys who have been doing what I SO want to do for all of my life. There's something to learn from all of these guys. You know what, I don't even care if I didn't get to interview them...but then I'd probably never get a chance to meet them. So interviews started off...and the thrill is not in getting the interview...for radio...or print or whatever. The thrill is to meet these men and women and maybe find something from them that I'd like to incorporate in myself and believe me, I've learnt a lot.

You may have a whole lotta talent, but it'll just take you so far. There's so much more to being a super performer or a "star" than talent alone. There's poise, there's dignity, there's grace, there's decency, there's kindness, there's generosity...there's class.

I've known a bit about these things thanks to a few simple, normal people I've met and known very well...and I've learnt of many of those things from some of these "stars".

So yeah, I'll keep meeting these people and keep learning from them...and who knows maybe, many many years from today when some kid like me, some where in the world comes up and meets me, not because I'm a "star" or anything like that...I mean if he just comes up and meets me...maybe, just maybe, I'll have something to pass on to him too.

Well, I'm off to see Alan Parsons play live in a bit. Isn't it just brilliant! I mean music is just so wonderful. :)