in England, near our good friend Emma, from Bath. Three of my children’s plays, “Wolf ‘n the Hood’; “The Raven”; and “The Little Watch Girl” made the cut. Lazy Bee has two more under consideration, “The Emperor’s New Nose” and the musical comedy “Wolf Who Cried Boy”. There are many more to market and I’m working on two new ones. Amazing, my having had so many of my plays produced in Houston and other cities over the years, and just now getting round to having them published. And… I’m working on two new ones as I write this.
I started making headway with my songs too this summer. I got excellent reviews from my agency, TAXI, in Calabasas, CA. You can listen to some of them at:
My wife Brenda and I visited the TAXI office when we drove out to Los Angeles in April. While there, I played at a club in Beverly Hills near Sunset Boulevard, jammed with my good friend Jeff Mann in his incredible San Fernando Valley home-on-the-hillside, and spent time with old and dear brother-like friend Mike Cahill in Burbank. We toured Warner Bros. studios, it was like going home to all the classic film stars I’ve loved over the years, Errol Flynn, John Barrymore, Bogart, Gary Cooper, Edward G. Robinson and so many others… bought some genuine Mexican charro shirts down on Olvera Street and just absorbed the magnificent weather and atmosphere in lala land.
On the way back, I wrote one of my best songs, “Drinking Margaritas With The Lord”, and recorded it shortly after getting back, in one very productive afternoon. Got it down just in time for…
My first bona-fide stand-up comedy and music show at the Strand Theatre on June 21. It happened in downtown Galveston Island on a Saturday night. An unexpected thunderstorm didn’t offset the sold out house, and nearly 200 brave souls endured my 2 ½ hour act. They were ready to laugh, and I delivered my somewhat rehearsed stream-of-consciousness geononsense to a very enthusiastic and appreciative audience. There will be another one soon. It was also a successful fundraiser for the Strand Theatre.
I began advertising to do portraits in Galveston Daily News Coast magazine and the Space City News in Clear Lake. I’ve received two commissions to do children’s portraits. This followed a painting I created of local music legend Frank Incaprera, which now hangs in the Galveston City Council chambers.
I finally left the local Galveston Island Target store on August 4 to join the crew of the Artist Boat
where I am administrative and marketing coordinator. Artist Boat is a worthy non-profit organization of very bright and talented individuals who teach art, environmental science and kayaking throughout the Gulf Coast region, helping preserve the natural habitat surrounding Galveston Bay. I’m very pleased to be there.
I’m really looking forward to 2009. If I can get enough time between doctor’s appointments, surgeries and tests, I expect to do very well indeed. I’ll keep you posted!
