OK WHOLE STORY FROM THE BEGINNING! THIS IS HOW MY SHOW CAME TO BE AND FATE IS REAL!!
EVERYTHING YOU ARE ABOUT TO READ IS TRUE. I DO NOT FABRICATE LIES OR TELL STORIES TO BOOST MY CREDIBILITY! FATE IS REAL!! These events in my life and the "moments" of my life and show can all be proved by friends and family as well as long time listeners of my show have heard and seen these events play out in my life as "perfectly timed insanity". Its all fact!!
To KNOW me is to KNOW my show and vice versa! Its all connected in ways I cant EVEN begin to understand!!
Folks! I'm smart, I have a alot to say! I've built a successful radio show from "nothing" and have built myself from being a "nobody" to being revered and "highly respected" in the business! I'm a bit of a wordy guy and I apologize but when you have lead the life Ive lead, its way too much information in my head for me or you to have to process...lol I shall probably have to write a book one day! For now here's a mini-novel...lol
Favorite quote (by--Oscar Wilde) "Life is too serious to be taken too seriously" ...so I joke and pick..lol
SYNCHRONICITY--Synchronicity is an experience of two or more events which occur in a meaningful manner, but which are causally un-related. In order to be 'synchronistic', the events must be related to one another temporally, and the chance that they would occur together by random chance must be very small.
In layman's terms "It means a person who experiences a high volume of these events is on the right path to his goals or destiny" and I experience them daily, weekly, or monthly.
(WARNING!! Long PROLOUGE first..lol and you thought I was gonna get right to it...ha!!!!!)
We all make decisions that we think is the best thing for us at the time which it probably was (fate wanted you to go that route) but things you're used to in life and your passions (those things that make us WHO we are) always manage to find a way to teeter back to the surface and at the center of whats important in your life. I "shelved" my music passion for many years before I could NOT take it anymore and had to let the "beast" out! It was the right time for that to happen. 8 years ago I made a POINT to change my life (when I signed up with Road Runner Records) and have been derailed countless times but because of my unbridled tenacity, I NEVER gave up hope!
My lady gave up on me when she saw I was NOT gonna give in to her control anymore (around the time of Ep 8). LONG STORY but she hated FACEBOOK and made me close my account for a year to work on our relationship (because the "music" was getting in the way...she thought..nope it was my very demanding job as a property inspector for BIG BANKS) I had to hide working on my show or doing it in the middle of the night ..stupid I wasn't allowed to WORK on our future but working my life draining job for the rest of our lives was OK. She was so jealous of my show and she had no reason to be. Anyway (that one year derailment left me solely with TWITTER but 2 very important bands FOUND ME on Twitter and both from overseas and BOTH with connections to NC?????? WHAT??? Fate did and end around on Sharon and circumvented her controlling nature and found a way for me to expand!! (So a year later I reactivated FB and it pissed her off!!) Then the show started to grow!! I had to make a tough decision knowing that was gonna end our relationship eventually. I just wouldn't pull the plug, I was about to. The MUSIC was calling me and it was time for my life to make a change and move forward! It took a few years but fate knew what was going to happen and set it all up for me so I could MOVE ON! It wasn't time yet for all this crazy stuff in the fate story to play out. I wasn't in the position yet so that's why everything happens for a reason.
Why do I call on you artists in particular? Well a few (good and great bands) I get sent in emails or people find me on FB or Twitter, but MOST I find myself. I have a particular type of sound and a type of artist I look for to be on my show. It has to be the highest of quality and skills to be on my promo show. I ONLY work with the best, so If I happen to find your band or artist profile and I like what I hear and feel my audience will too then I will call on YOU! That's fate changing the game for YOU! I'm a fate changer!! Is it cause I happen to "stumble" across one of your accounts or was I "supposed" to stumble across your account and offer you an opportunity especially for the ones who have been out of the game for awhile.
I "hear" what I "hear" and if it catches my ear then consider yourself lucky and one of the chosen few. Ive listened through THOUSANDS of bands to find these 100 you've heard across all my episodes. Why these opportunities come to YOU and not others is for the universe to decide! I have noticed no matter what we choose in life, if it was the wrong decision or right one at the time, or fate didn't have that planned for you something outside of your control will alter your plans or future (could be soon or could be years down the road) or at least come along an offer you that chance to change your destiny, which you're not actually changing anything, just your current life path (from your perspective) fate and destiny are GOING to find their way, you're just CHOOSING what you're should be doing anyway..read on!!
Get that extra money on your check you didn't expect and something breaks on your car to counteract what was not supposed to happen to begin with, OR you got that extra money because something on your car was going to break. Make that BIG decision to MOVE to another city because it will be more money and a better job and the whole thing goes south and dumps all over you, well that was fate telling you that was not supposed to happen. Others move into the new job and have a great life because that WAS supposed to happen for them at that time (something could change that later on). People say oh well that's just "life", no that's FATE rearing its ugly head. You get that new job and do well with it for years then a new "opportunity" rises to "find your passion" again after the first try didn't go so well. That means now its time for you to seek that out when "it wasn't time" before. You weren't supposed to make that BIG leap yet or change your job. It all becomes a learning curve for later in life when that first attempt didn't work out. Its not meant for ALL of US to get it right on the first try. Sometimes you have to be patient and LET LIFE COME TO YOU! (even if that opportunity came to you the first time, it doesn't mean it was "going to follow through" , when it doesn't go as planned and then it forces you into another path at the time, that was "supposed" to happen to set you up for later in life when FATE comes knocking again for your passion. I jumped on "my second chance" and it has paid off in spades!
SIDE STORY ...I tried to move to Florida years ago before I met Sharon, I couldn't take my car at the time, It was a split second decision by my father to send me to Florida with a buddy that was moving there. He was set up with a job already at a bank, I was not, got there found work, left my car at home to have the motor rebuilt, MY father paid for it, 1000 bucks, I pack all my stuff and head to Florida. Daytona Beach my car catches fire in the middle of the interstate and I LOSE everything! NOW what the hell??? That was a seriously depressing time!! Had to come back home and start over. See! I couldn't be in Florida. I wasn't allowed to be in Florida! My life was NOT to go that route! It was an unplanned "event" and FATE said NO!!
When it comes YOUR WAY and you weren't expecting it then that means its for a greater purpose and that may JUST be your new calling in LIFE! Actually its not may, it is because that means a FATE CHANGER has showed up on your doorstep. (Everything was just fine in your life and going smoothly, you thought, and someone like me shows up and throws a monkey wrench in things out of the blue). That's a life "cue" to seriously look at that new avenue. The best opportunities come when we least expect it. That "super" job you always wanted that came available and you missed it or its halfway across the country. It wasn't your turn. It was someone else's and no matter what you think, you couldn't have changed that outcome.
I have noticed when it seems like a fight to get something accomplished, its for a reason, especially if its something you initiated! Perfect example, I had no problem getting a magazine article written about me and my show because the writer approached me!! FATE QUE..do the flippin' article..lol. After that, I initiated an effort to get a newspaper article completed which that project has been accepted but its stalled progress over getting professional pics for the paper in a studio here in town. Well timing and schedules haven't lined up so its been months stalled on that plus I was not ready! I needed some more clout and awards and a def answer on the SHACKFEST happening, location, dates, bands so forth. None of that was ready for an article to PLUG a local concert when I started on the endeavor back in July I think. So finally all that is sorting itself out and the article is coming together now. But you see why its finally happening NOW.
I also know a guy with the local news, we met one day after a bad thunderstorm and he features me on the local news at 11pm talking about the storm that just came through the area. Cool!! FATE brought me a news anchor, (nope) we get to chatting about my show. He wants to do a story on me on local (NBC affiliate) WXII channel 12, but he's pitched me 3 times to management and they keep shooting him down! So even though I got a fighter in my corner over there, It's still a case of something WE want but FATE doesn't want. At least NOT YET! Maybe down the road the reasons will become apparent! So I've been learning to watch for those opportunities that "show" up my way. Ive had a few, podcast interview coming up on the MIKEY MIKE show, and a Venture Capitalist with Universal Records has landed on my doorstep recently so that's interesting. I didn't go looking for either, they found me. (Just the same as me finding YOU) That's FATE coming to share some good fortune down the road. When it shows up out of nowhere looking for you then that's "supposed" to happen! That person is a game changer in your life. Nothing but fight to get a newspaper article or TV spot on the news cause I went looking for it and it wasn't time for me to LOOK for it. Get it now!
So some of you bands and artists I find have not been active for awhile and it makes you wonder WHY ME? I like what I hear, I don't know you're not active maybe it appears that you are, maybe it appears you aren't but you wouldn't mind having your music aired, maybe you're thinking about the "game" again and want back in. I don't know so therefore I ask (wont hurt to ask). I don't know why its YOU (whomever band and artists I call on) but evidently it seems to be pretty dang important to my life and future life and the future of the music industry if you get wrapped up in my crazy world or I call on you to get wrapped up in it. You can bet its for a reason and a reason that a higher power (GOD) wants you involved and back singing or entertaining again. He gave you folks a GIFT for those that aren't using it and wishes it to be used for its intended purpose. To write, sing, feel passion in your life for something that has been ingrained in each and every skilled singer and musician. FATE has something in store for you if I hit you up about being in the show and you agree for your music to be heard. That's a voice in you telling you its time to look at a possible change or at least integration back into music even if its not full time. Its a part of your soul. Take the opportunity and don't let it die inside and wither away before you're wondering where did all those years go without music and DANG I should have "jumped on that bandwagon" when it came playing through!
I said awhile back I'm noticing I'm not in charge of my show or my life anymore. It kind of tells me what to do and when to do it...all about life's "cues" that tell us what to do next. When opportunities rise up out of nowhere that you weren't seeking its up to you to decide whether you want to grab that and manifest a change in your life. You might not get that chance again to do something that's in your heart and soul. I have had my fair share of "lucky" moments to propel me forward and understood (later) that I needed to capitalize then and that's why things changed in my life or they were never going to.
Its all about hindsight, I see now why we split, I see now why things were timed perfectly so we could split with ease and I could move on and grow the show. HALSHACK could not grow with me still in my relationship. I wasn't ready to expand a few years ago. I created a bunch of new shows in advance in OCT 2018 by FEB/MAR 2019 everything in the folder and the new shows planned for those times started coming TRUE! SYNCHRONICITY is real and I live a LIFE of it.
I was not happy in our relationship but I wouldn't be the BAD GUY and split us up so FATE had to handle it from another direction. Everything that happens in life is for a reason. Major opportunities that could change your life happen for a reason. Also stagnation happens for a reason as well, stalling you out for the right plan to move forward or keeping you in the same job and feeling good about your life path and not getting involved with the wrong people or situations. We all think were in charge until fate decides to hand us a different outcome. The choice is whether to accept that integration and possibly change the outcome of your life and go with the new life path. The new life path could be very rewarding, don't know if we as people don't try. Had I done anything different in my past then my future path would not be laid out for me now. I see that all to clearly. My job for 10 years as a property inspector bought me the time I needed to grow as a person, grow my show, give me the income stability I needed to be able to do BOTH and NOT have to rely on an income stream from music that I DON'T have set up yet (hopefully soon) for the next phase of growth for my company and I can FINALLY leave my job for my happy place...MUSIC!!
FATE STORY BEGINS HERE
Here we go, I'm not going for proper writing here, its more of a timeline, so I will be phrasing alot to keep it less wordy...lol (yeah right, me less wordy..lol)
Quick synopsis---This journey started for me with a band (On Second Thought in Denver, CO). I found this band through a random encounter at my friend's house, my closest buddy Billy Watkins (but he wasn't at the time so even stranger I ran into someone at his house that would change my future) It would seem Billy's friend (Brian Folkins) was the catalyst for my entire life from that point until now. Anyway, Brian was in town just for the weekend (Well damn I just realized it was a guy named Brian that forever changed my future again years later as you read on.. this is nuts..lol) he used to live here in North Carolina, he was starting to do photo shoots for this band in Denver. He gave me a cd and it completely opened my eyes to the indie scene and that there were great bands not on the radio working their asses off to make a dime. I contacted the band about how I could help, meanwhile I was starting to do local concerts, Battle of the Bands events and so forth here in my area. I tried to help boost them but with internet marketing just taking off at the time, it was very hard...lol. So, the band calls it quits after gaining some success.
We fell out of touch, a while later a new band forms with 2 of the old members without my knowledge because I went completely off the grid with music for a long time. So I found out about it kind of late in the game (Savage Henry) started working with them around 2008-9. After finding the original band OST (I met a good girl named Sharon and we bonded over music (and that band especially) and immediately started dating and we were together all our lives (no longer).
2012 ---- Joined up on Roadrunner Records Sign Me Too as a potential scout for the company with my first band (Savage Henry from Denver, CO). I quickly became well known and established with all the top scouts and A&R's within 6 months. Then the company was bought out by Warner Bros. and the entire staff fired except for 2 to reorganize the company and so forth. (Really???....I had 6 months to build myself up and crack the top charts, past everyone who had been involved in it for years) with my band in just enough time for the company head to take notice, Jon Satterly, and then the company is purchased by a larger label. That's weird! Go me, I got lucky..lol (nope that's been my luck usually, day late and a dollar short as they say here in the states..lol) Anyway, so I took a few bands with me from RoadRunner and pushed on by 2013.
2013--- I'm making friends with the Reputation Radio gang in the UK. Johnny Summers, Pete Ringmaster, Matthew Meadows (great buds), and Tom McNeil. So I start doing guest spots with Matthew on his Rango the Dog (Rango Unmuzzled) show over in Seattle. We did several episodes together and made awesome friends along the way.
Summer/Fall 2014---- I'm offered my own show. I had amassed just enough bands to pull off my first show released on Oct 16, 2014 So I put out a few shows and I was just starting to grow by (ep 4) Feb 28, 2015.
April 2015--- I put out ep 5 (first and only fully video interactive show) Dang that was difficult, took a couple months about to put that together. I will NEVER do that again...lol. By that time, I was growing more and Johnny was having difficulty with scheduling and conflicts of interest since my show was gaining steam he felt it was best I grow on my own. I was like OK, here we go syndication.
SO I was off the network and in syndication for the first time and just starting to grow outside of the US because of Rep Radio and their great boost they gave me to get started. I will always be thankful for those guys. Picked up Narrow Plains (London) from a Twitter message from them. An outstanding group from England who JUST won a contest to come .....guess where???...you got it, North Carolina (I didn't know about this and neither did they) They were like "were coming to the states, "great, where" "NC to work with a famous producer", "really.. I'm in NC", "awesome, lets meet they said" WOW! I got an opportunity to meet them, see them play and do my first interview May 23, 2015. OK, by now I'm really getting connected to England in mysterious ways. These guys were awesome gentlemen and we had a successful interview and alot of fun. They helped propel me forward with a HUGE leap when I released the show they were in and their interview in the late summer of 2015.
Ep 6 Aug /Sep 2015 ---- Here's another BIG moment (Narrow Plains special) This was my best show period to date!! THIS SHOW PUT ME ON THE MAP!! These guys were tremendously helpful along with new British act Luke Potter (300k followers and now signed to Sony). Between Luke and Plains, I was propped up in England quite nicely. I would say that's the first time my show received any REAL recognition!! I started to turn a few heads with that one and England made it happen! This was going on for a month or two after the show's release. Now starts the first of many sync moments with my life and show. This is the first time I mentioned anything about me or my life in my show banter. It was all about the bands and music up until that point. I talked about how we had to move and that the power bills were sucking us dry and I had songs in my library I had just received or had waiting for this show and low and behold, first track of the show "Thrown Away" all those years we threw away in that house and wasting money with high power bills and not moving forward. "Make You Move" another track that fell into place. Losing the home so we had to be "made to move". I cant think right off hand if there were other moments in the show but those stand out right now. So riding HIGH for months off Narrow Plains special we get to Christmas before the show hits a giant stall.
(Totally funny side note, you wanna know how I found my house that we moved too. After looking for months with no luck cause its a "hot area" for schools. I called a guy knowing full well he had no house for rent in our needed area and asked him if he knew anyone with a house out here. Ill be damned, he knew a guy with a house that was just coming available, I called him set it up, met with him and got the house before it ever hit the market. Tell me this was not meant to happen. The house address 1053, the same as my birth time. WHAT??????...lol
Dec 2015 (ep 7)-- I put out one more show for the end of the year and introduced a brand new band from the island nation of MALTA (Airport Impressions) and their promoter lives..guess where...you got it, North Carolina...crazy!! We make friends and she really helped to build me up. Also picked up VerseCity from Texas with guess what (Movin' Up) I indeed was "Movin' on up to the east side , to that deluxe apartment in the skkyyyy"..lol (sorry Jefferson's tangent there..lol) Perfect timing for that song after being on the rise with Narrow Plains. (They also sent me some other good songs and a HUGE landmark tune that I don't get to play because of a legal battle with a label until a perfect timed moment 3 years later the song is available for me to play right when I need it) I'll tell you about that when I get to it..its juicy good stuff..lol!!
I needed that (press) badly for what was about to come my way. Struggling to find new bands so it completely stalled me out and slowed my progress for 8 months until a BIG FISH bit my worm..lol.
Summer 2016-- A popular band in California sends me an email asking to be on my show. (Boom!! next sync moment, right when I'm ready to open my shack back up after being closed all winter..lol) Cool, that's awesome!! Magic Giant is their name. So I bring them on and put this HUGE show together. Did a big show with MG as the spotlight and the Halshack was finally gaining a little momentum.
May 2017---- Ok derailed again (for another 8 months or so) because I'm waiting new material and new acts. We get to Spring 2017 and I got a "cue" from life and my bands to start again. Bunch of new music coming out, albums I had been waiting on to finish and so forth and kept getting delayed approvals from new bands I was calling on to be in the show ..finally (Ep 9 May 2017) I managed to land some fantastic acts. I put this show out and REALLY gained some ground and won a couple of awards for that episode. Awesome!!
Somewhere along the way I had to come up with an idea to keep the show going (while I wasn't active with it) 3 episodes over 1.5 years was killing my momentum. (If i had any at all) So I got in touch with some old record label buddies from RR days and asked if they would start writing reviews for the bands I find and will start doing that and (Crews Views) was born!!
Summer 2017, I decided to (another cue) an idea came to me that I'm stagnant as hell right now for new acts and the show is getting stale. I need something "good" to refire this puppy..lol. Battleshack summer contest, perfect idea, get everyone to vote over the summer. Have a top 10 show in the fall from the results. Oh it was awesome. Now in the meantime (fate moment) Magic Giant gets popped by Rolling Stone for Top 10 bands to watch and we popped on them first before hand and gave them a nice review and we stated the same remarks Rolling Stone did but we (BEAT them to it by a YEAR) OK Boom instant catapult!! I started sharing that around and gaining more "street cred" for that milestone.
Oct 2017--- Battleshack 1 Top 10 show (ep 10) Magic Giant is our winner!! Then "cue", I get an idea to make a bonus show (featuring the next round of bands with votes) to make up some extra time to fill my time slots because now I'm growing on radio stations that happened in earlier in the year maybe over the summer I started setting up those connections maybe around when 9 came out. (Tom McNeil added me to Bombshell Radio) and (Dave Cruttendan put me on his station Discover Unsigned). Cool partners...hehehehehe!! That show in turn gained me some advertising partners and so forth.
Dec 2017 I got a new microphone for Christmas and that was the best gift ever. It was a professional MIC so now I needed new equipment to make it work because I was just using a cheap mic that sounded like absolute donkey poo....lol. I'm surprised I ever got anywhere off that old mic. I managed to impress some important people with that last episode and it changed my life because
Frankie Muniz came into the fold (major TV star) with a band after they heard Episode 10. I contacted the band after finding Kingsfoil with Frankie as the drummer. Excellent band so I had to get them on. I contacted them and asked the guys if they wanted to be on my show, asked if I could do a Frankie special and talk all about him and so forth? They said yeah but we got a new band too that Frankie does not play in (he's our manager now). Alright sure, send me the cd for the new band and I'll check it out.
Now I got back in touch with the band (one song changed everything here to start) I was really embarrassed about their cd. I can't play this not up against Kingsfoil (the original band) this is not the same quality at all. (I'm a stickler for a particular type of radio ready quality, this was not it..lol). I was ready to back out the whole gig. I couldn't believe I would do that and not play Kingsfoil because I needed Astro Lasso as well. It was the agreement that we made so I could get Frankie on the show but I was ready to just scrap my plans for ep 11 altogether and the band said well we got this new song we just cut. Its not posted yet, maybe you'll like this. OMG song saver of the day!!! Came back around to what made Kingsfoil so good but put the Astro Lasso spin on it the "right" way this time and made a hell of a radio single (name of the song TALK TALK TALK)...lol..ok another sync moment, Lauren Dair brand new artist has a song plays after Talk Talk Talk called "High Places" I never clued in on this till later listening back (in her song one of the lines said "she feels like a lasso out in space"..what???..lol and I just played a song by Astro Lasso right before her that wouldn't have been in the show. (eerie just too eerie)
So I knew I had to capitalize then or I was DONE and closing the shack for good and luckily that track saved my "party hut" from closing!!..lol Ok happy again and wanting to start the new show for Jan 2018 (ep 11) but cant now because of the one band that was a hold up I chose for the beginning track and that's where the fate story picks up. OH the song that replaced "House on Fire" ...what kind of timing is this? "ON MY WAY"...wth? Its a song about the love being lost and he's on his way to new heights with a new love he doesn't even know yet (I think that's what he's saying). Really????? Very interesting now that I look back it was the time for the next set of events to be set in motion.
Sharon met someone about this time (not looking, shopping, he works there..lol) but she didn't think that way at first about him. Just friends for a long time while I'm just starting to TRULY grow and here is this song ON MY WAY and the subject matter it dealt with and well she's on her way out , not knowing it yet herself either. (Now I wasn't thinking at the time our love was on the way out, I thought we were OK)
Jan 2018--- (ep 11 "New Beginnings") started to name episodes..that's new and cool!! My new mic audio was awesome and that really helped to gain some new fresh momentum. KINGSFOIL and Frankie Muniz were a lifesaver. (Fate moment) I picked a band and called them "Breakout Artist of the Month" for my show for ep 11. Trapdoor Social (by the time ep 15 rolled around) they landed a gig on the farewell tour for the B52's this past summer in England and Germany. That was a good score (more credit for the Halshack..heck yeah baby!!) and a great way to open that episode replaying the band and announcing their BIG tour!!
May 13, 2018- My father passes. Sad moment in life. He was a great Dad and loved by many. He did so many impressive things with his life but the one thing he did the best was LOVE and always showed me affection, caring and always supported me in so many facets of life. My Dad was an angel!!
Summer 2018 ---(ep 12 "Able to Label")--- THIS I CANT EXPLAIN...
From the fate story (April 24, 2018) its time to release the new PAPER JACKETS that I landed because of getting ON MY WAY on my show and James Mason being the only person on the planet connected to both bands and is the singer/writer for both lands me the Stevie Nicks "exclusive" out of 8 billion people I chose the ONLY PERSON that was secretly working behind the scenes with her on the Stand Back remake. NO ONE KNEW about this except for a select few people. I had no clue for sure. He hits me back and tells me this and I'm just jumping for joy that he could make that possible. HOW DID I DO THAT?? So I landed the brand new killer "exclusive" with STEVIE NICKS...just amazing opportunity.
The band got the deal to cover 100% authorized endorsed reboot of Stand Back (1983 hit by Stevie) ..she absolutely loved it. The label (Label X) who was going to publish the cd asked for 14 songs plus Stevie's song for an album "Electric Youth". A month before release (the album tanked and was shelved after printed and ready for release by the label) The band and the label couldn't agree, the label wanted to change stuff and so forth and not only that the Manager who got them the Stevie connection disappeared from the company. WTH??..lol Now, no connection to Stevie after we had already obtained approvals to play the song and the album on my show and Stevie had agreed. The band was distraught to say the least (Now what's really strange is when we set this up I asked for an exclusive, If I could play it early, maybe a couple of weeks) They said the label was not gonna do that so I'd have to play it on release day (4/24) and we would do a simultaneous release and Pete Ringmaster would have a nice review written up for them to coincide the big release day. Awesome, I got all that set up and ready to go. Pete was on it and had me a review done by Feb. I was so thankful for his article and its unfortunate that the album ran into a major brick wall!!!
I get the news in March/April that its all tanked and that they are not sure what's going to happen next. Well, I guess it was a month or two later, James Mason the lead of the band hits me up and we chat about the progress, they signed with an indie label in Cali and headed a different direction with their sound. He said I can HAVE the original album as an "exclusive" for my show. WHAT???? They wanted that material out there to be heard but NO ONE else gets to play it. You can't even find it on Spotify (yeah on my show you can on Spotify but not just to play on their profile...nope only the new material on their page) or wherever because its on lock-down for my show ONLY! WOW!! I am truly honored and blessed I get to be involved in this project! So we blew up Pete's review to the world and its helped alot so The PAPER JACKETS have been a HUGE boost to my show and credibility!
Late summer/Fall 2018--- I start to "change my show" with my first stand alone bonus show Shackstars series (full cd compilations or best of compilations). Its time for new adapting and growth again. (Ep 13 "Lucky 13") Halloween based show and another "cue". Start making bonus shows (Hallowshack) themed idea shows with song titles and subject matter dealing with whatever subject. (Talked about all this in the fate story). WOW!! this one is BIG (11-22-18) ..."Omen" and "Fate" at play because this is the pivotal moment that ignited the fate story chain of events. (I have the folder still on my computer showing what date it was created). I'm looking at all my song names in my folders and I'm noticing trends in my songs. I was like "huh" I've got lots of song titles here dealing with like subjects and names. Let's see what I can muster up. An hour or so later, I had about 10 new bonus shows planned and new show ideas for the main shows and then wrapped around some of these bonus ideas and what not.
WOW!! That changed everything!! I was able to ramp up my frequency and increase more listeners and so forth. So from the fate story, all those shows started slowly coming TRUE in their meanings and subject matters and right at the time when I was releasing that show!!. Crazy thing is the timing too, I try my best to not double up on recently played songs. The new or casual listener and even the die hard fan gets a "new" different experience every show they press play. So each one of those shows was the natural choice for the next show in line. I couldn't have done anything else anyway..lol. Just totally weird beyond words!!
Dec 2018 ---- 2 new bonus shows to kick off more frequent episodes (Light My Fire) and (Destination Unknown) that matured into higher play counts, downloads, gaining more notoriety in the biz and more subscribers. Good play there Hal...lol
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Feb 2019 (Valentines Day) --Sharon and I split. I DID NOT see this coming!! (hence the fate story). This is a tough time until summer. Heart hurting. Waiting to mend and trying to move on. Hoping an angel is gonna come in to my life one day and heal my heart with love like I've never known.
Still waiting...(not for the lack of trying) I keep running into roadblocks and dead ends like fate is trying to stall me out for the "right" girl. Well its been a lonely 10 months and I'm just about to go stir crazy because being a Libra and alone (for prolonged period) just don't mix well...lol, now that its Nov, 2019.
To all the single ladies I'm a ROMEO..lol. I'm also a Libra Sun with a Sagittarius Moon for you astrology buffs, makes me happy and positive and full of fire burning personality (so girls, what you waiting on?..lol, also I am told I'm charming and funny as well...lol) . I'm the loyal trustworthy kind of Libra, same woman for over a decade, no cheating here, loved her well (but we were NEVER close..sad!!)
I was always good to her, we just grew apart, music was NOT to be her future!! If this matters, I'm a true romantic and love to have fun and be happy with my partner. Adventuring or staying at home (music is a big part of what makes me happy and fun). Driving to a cool place in the mountains or hitting the beach for the day or stay home and cuddle with Netflix or playing video games or just being together doing your favorite activity, hearts as one!.....(OK girls this is where you go awwwwww...he's just the sweetest guy..lol...pickin',I love to joke,we only live once right??)
Ive got a HUGE company to build with a lofty goal to change music back to FUN, CATCHY, and MELODIES using unknown artists better than today's top stars!! I have a future life ahead of me of prosperity and wanting to be philanthropist for people as well as the Earth.
(I'm all about helping the underdog and those in need, those that are misunderstood or cant help themselves due to mental illness or whatever the case) We got to SAVE the Earth from humanity, we are causing devastation on this planet at a mass scale. Pollution and tree destruction play a key role in Earth's degradation.
I'm a super sweet guy that just wants to GIVE love and get it back just as BIG!!You should support one another in life. She could never support this goal but I supported her in everything. I look at it like this "If its important to you than its important to me". Love IS life and all that find "true love" can prosper and grow as people and as a couple!
I want to melt a girls heart, (I sing too and pretty well, I do come from a musical background..lol) I want to steal hers and lock it away and I want mine stolen forever so she never gives it back (maybe she will even sing to my heart so it becomes whole, that would be the ultimate LOVE! I've never had a girl sing to me, that's just clandestine!!). I've never had a singer for a girlfriend or a wife, I've never been married! Still holding out HOPE on that one too one day. I feel like I've been short changed on love my entire life (that's painful for a Libra and I put up with it for years!! I'm ready to be truly happy!!) all we want is to share and be a team and to have LOVE, AMAZING LOVE. I've had it for a little while but NEVER getting ALL of it and haven't really felt it like I want to in A VERY LONG TIME (and have it felt back, it takes 2 to tango..lol). I know there's the ONE still out there.
Usually have no problem meeting women but I've been waiting for that "special girl" to appear, that one that will "Light a Fire" in my heart.........that "Good Comet" Tyler Stenson sings about in some of my shows. That special lady that only comes around once maybe twice in a lifetime. I know she's out there circling the sky, thought she would have come down by now... "Whos gonna take the first step? Show a little leap of faith" (excerpt from Closer by Big Little Lions) I'm game! Are you? You know I can probably help a woman out with her career as well especially a singer..lol...Just sayin'!!
......WHERE ARE YOU....... JULIET??..lol
Speaking of Shakespeare (unrelated however not totally unrelated..lol.) I recently learned more of my heritage on my mothers side. My grandmother was a Crowell from the deep south. Her father Glen Crowell from the Edward Cromwell line in NJ (the family that changed their name to Crowell) to hide from the Cromwell fallout. Which in turn puts my direct bloodline from that of Oliver Cromwell. The most cherished or most hated ruler in British history and I believe he's the one responsible for Shakespeare's fire at the Globe Theater.
Legend has it a family crest and documents were seized in North Carolina back in 1781 from a chest containing all the records of the Cromwell history and the names and so forth. My bloodline is direct from this line so Ive been told in England I am a LORD...lol
Wow!! So my Dad being a Jester and my Mom being royalty. How does this work ladies?..lol
Am I supposed to entertain myself???..lol
I can keep you girls in stitches if I want to ...give me the right chemistry and we can shake mountains!!
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March 31st, 2019--- Leaving for Nashville, TN. (This day here was amazing for my show). 2 long overdue reviews for Narrow Plains and Big Little Lions came in the morning I was leaving. What?? So I pressed out those to the world along with the 2 brand new shows I was releasing that day to head out to Nashville. OMG, I had my best one day play count ever that day (at that time) and the news broke I was heading for Nashville to start work on building my record label!! Nashville was a terrible trip but It grew and expanded my show. I came back with NO Direction in my life and no start to my label. Confused, lonely, and needing a place to organize, regroup and "fit-in". I found Drooble. (a social media site for musicians)
Spring/Summer 2019---OK THIS ONE IS WEIRD...I needed some new female artists for my Mohters Day (Mothershack episode). I had already built up 5 or 6 prior and, as I was building my name on Drooble, I found 2 new females on there to give me 8, I believe it was, for the new show. Perfect! I want to say this was in April. I was pretty much oblivious to facebook or twitter or any of that for a couple of months. I DUG into Drooble and sank my teeth in to the place..lol. All the while on Drooble my fanbase was growing alot. All of my songs that I had (posted) were rotating on Drooble radio which sees rotation play on several stations around the world. I was seeing lots of new activity boosting my show numbers at my website and my podcast host providers and so forth. Sweet!! Drooble was helping so I have become one of their top members now by doing cool stuff like finding some really fantastic talent. 2 British acts (Versonic and Maisie Mae) Versonic had a song in their library which was the first one I heard and I'm working on the time based show coming up , their song "A Second in Time" and Sam Tinnesz comes in last second with "READY SET LETS GO"..what?????
Another perfect synch moment.... I also find Lucia Banfield on Drooble and cool i've got enough now for a Mothersday show and trying to save face with the Drooblers. I put that out in early May and stayed focused on Drooble still.
I released EP 15 (Springtime Sublime) with a special Kesha remake of TIK TOK ROK by Versecity, this band is in Texas. I had been sitting on that track for 3.5 years before I was officially allowed to play it. That music was sent to me (synch moment) for Ep 7 with "Movin' Up" from the band and well I was in fact moving up after landing Narrow Plains on my show. This band was absolutely stupid in what they did. They decided they could make Kesha's Tik Tok a whole new song and no one take notice....lol. Well the song is smokin' hot awesome and yeah 2 million plays the label took notice for sure. Legal battle, letters, lawyers and so forth. 3 or so years later the label decided to allow it to stay with no money ever going to the band because they just LOVED the track they said it could stay on the market. I got clearance to play this song (I had hoped I could play it, I planned on it and bam I could..sweet!!) when I was working on the very last of my bonus show series (already named and based on Time and Space back 7 or 8 months prior) right when all that was planned. I had main show ideas built around 2 of the shows and this was one of them. I was very unhappy, you know what sucks, this has been my most popular show and I was at my "WORST". I'm so down and sad because my life was an absolute wreck after the split. I started up and down down I went till the end and found my spunk again...lol.
So there again all this stuff in my life plays out in the fate story and we get through to this summer where even more spooky connections happening around Kansas City and my 777th friend who turned out to be a HUGE lucky winner for me. She's been helping me out alot sharing my show and what not and really enjoys it..awesome!! I already have a band in KC and a big fanbase there building, now remember Collective Soul the band, I'm sure you do, they had seven #1 hits in the 90s. Well, 2 of the members are forming a new band with a new lead singer and they want me to launch their band next year and they are from KC!...nuts!
OK lets get back on track
Sep/Oct 2019 ---I got new bands and new songs with guess what kind of titles...yep..lights and fire and even the names of the artists, the Lighthouse (this is strange too) A year ago, Lighthouse came out with their first song. Its name was Catch Fire, they sent it to me right when Light My Fire 1 was due to come out. (sync moment 476876984...lol. I was going to include them in the show and ultimately decided against it since they were a new band and it was a bonus show. I did not want to introduce a new band in a bonus at the time. Bonus was a new idea and I couldn't talk about them and present them properly so I put them on the back burner..lol..no pun intended. (yes of course its a pun..lol)
The band completely fell off my radar. I had forgot all about them and it appears fate wanted me too. This band is phenomenal and they didn't have all their music ready yet. Full cd finished now so they get a full run of all their material played on my show over the next year to probably set them up for Battleshack 3 winners.
Sara Lightman new artist with "Let Your Light In", meanwhile I've got new songs from older acts and so forth with the same theme. Play with Fire, Lights, then things like Feels good to Be Home, Take Me Home, going home for the holidays theme and passion theme too like Wild and Little Queen ...ok really fate?? and then the new Libra friend (same birthday) and producer I made and we make (Shine) well before I had any plans for this show.
And thats how my show has become so popular....lets keep growing! All those derailments and Im still going. Persistence is the key along with tenacity and alot of ambition is the pathway to a golden future.
EVERYTHING YOU ARE ABOUT TO READ IS TRUE. I DO NOT FABRICATE LIES OR TELL STORIES TO BOOST MY CREDIBILITY! FATE IS REAL!! These events in my life and the "moments" of my life and show can all be proved by friends and family as well as long time listeners of my show have heard and seen these events play out in my life as "perfectly timed insanity". Its all fact!!
To KNOW me is to KNOW my show and vice versa! Its all connected in ways I cant EVEN begin to understand!!
Folks! I'm smart, I have a alot to say! I've built a successful radio show from "nothing" and have built myself from being a "nobody" to being revered and "highly respected" in the business! I'm a bit of a wordy guy and I apologize but when you have lead the life Ive lead, its way too much information in my head for me or you to have to process...lol I shall probably have to write a book one day! For now here's a mini-novel...lol
Favorite quote (by--Oscar Wilde) "Life is too serious to be taken too seriously" ...so I joke and pick..lol
SYNCHRONICITY--Synchronicity is an experience of two or more events which occur in a meaningful manner, but which are causally un-related. In order to be 'synchronistic', the events must be related to one another temporally, and the chance that they would occur together by random chance must be very small.
In layman's terms "It means a person who experiences a high volume of these events is on the right path to his goals or destiny" and I experience them daily, weekly, or monthly.
(WARNING!! Long PROLOUGE first..lol and you thought I was gonna get right to it...ha!!!!!)
We all make decisions that we think is the best thing for us at the time which it probably was (fate wanted you to go that route) but things you're used to in life and your passions (those things that make us WHO we are) always manage to find a way to teeter back to the surface and at the center of whats important in your life. I "shelved" my music passion for many years before I could NOT take it anymore and had to let the "beast" out! It was the right time for that to happen. 8 years ago I made a POINT to change my life (when I signed up with Road Runner Records) and have been derailed countless times but because of my unbridled tenacity, I NEVER gave up hope!
My lady gave up on me when she saw I was NOT gonna give in to her control anymore (around the time of Ep 8). LONG STORY but she hated FACEBOOK and made me close my account for a year to work on our relationship (because the "music" was getting in the way...she thought..nope it was my very demanding job as a property inspector for BIG BANKS) I had to hide working on my show or doing it in the middle of the night ..stupid I wasn't allowed to WORK on our future but working my life draining job for the rest of our lives was OK. She was so jealous of my show and she had no reason to be. Anyway (that one year derailment left me solely with TWITTER but 2 very important bands FOUND ME on Twitter and both from overseas and BOTH with connections to NC?????? WHAT??? Fate did and end around on Sharon and circumvented her controlling nature and found a way for me to expand!! (So a year later I reactivated FB and it pissed her off!!) Then the show started to grow!! I had to make a tough decision knowing that was gonna end our relationship eventually. I just wouldn't pull the plug, I was about to. The MUSIC was calling me and it was time for my life to make a change and move forward! It took a few years but fate knew what was going to happen and set it all up for me so I could MOVE ON! It wasn't time yet for all this crazy stuff in the fate story to play out. I wasn't in the position yet so that's why everything happens for a reason.
Why do I call on you artists in particular? Well a few (good and great bands) I get sent in emails or people find me on FB or Twitter, but MOST I find myself. I have a particular type of sound and a type of artist I look for to be on my show. It has to be the highest of quality and skills to be on my promo show. I ONLY work with the best, so If I happen to find your band or artist profile and I like what I hear and feel my audience will too then I will call on YOU! That's fate changing the game for YOU! I'm a fate changer!! Is it cause I happen to "stumble" across one of your accounts or was I "supposed" to stumble across your account and offer you an opportunity especially for the ones who have been out of the game for awhile.
I "hear" what I "hear" and if it catches my ear then consider yourself lucky and one of the chosen few. Ive listened through THOUSANDS of bands to find these 100 you've heard across all my episodes. Why these opportunities come to YOU and not others is for the universe to decide! I have noticed no matter what we choose in life, if it was the wrong decision or right one at the time, or fate didn't have that planned for you something outside of your control will alter your plans or future (could be soon or could be years down the road) or at least come along an offer you that chance to change your destiny, which you're not actually changing anything, just your current life path (from your perspective) fate and destiny are GOING to find their way, you're just CHOOSING what you're should be doing anyway..read on!!
Get that extra money on your check you didn't expect and something breaks on your car to counteract what was not supposed to happen to begin with, OR you got that extra money because something on your car was going to break. Make that BIG decision to MOVE to another city because it will be more money and a better job and the whole thing goes south and dumps all over you, well that was fate telling you that was not supposed to happen. Others move into the new job and have a great life because that WAS supposed to happen for them at that time (something could change that later on). People say oh well that's just "life", no that's FATE rearing its ugly head. You get that new job and do well with it for years then a new "opportunity" rises to "find your passion" again after the first try didn't go so well. That means now its time for you to seek that out when "it wasn't time" before. You weren't supposed to make that BIG leap yet or change your job. It all becomes a learning curve for later in life when that first attempt didn't work out. Its not meant for ALL of US to get it right on the first try. Sometimes you have to be patient and LET LIFE COME TO YOU! (even if that opportunity came to you the first time, it doesn't mean it was "going to follow through" , when it doesn't go as planned and then it forces you into another path at the time, that was "supposed" to happen to set you up for later in life when FATE comes knocking again for your passion. I jumped on "my second chance" and it has paid off in spades!
SIDE STORY ...I tried to move to Florida years ago before I met Sharon, I couldn't take my car at the time, It was a split second decision by my father to send me to Florida with a buddy that was moving there. He was set up with a job already at a bank, I was not, got there found work, left my car at home to have the motor rebuilt, MY father paid for it, 1000 bucks, I pack all my stuff and head to Florida. Daytona Beach my car catches fire in the middle of the interstate and I LOSE everything! NOW what the hell??? That was a seriously depressing time!! Had to come back home and start over. See! I couldn't be in Florida. I wasn't allowed to be in Florida! My life was NOT to go that route! It was an unplanned "event" and FATE said NO!!
When it comes YOUR WAY and you weren't expecting it then that means its for a greater purpose and that may JUST be your new calling in LIFE! Actually its not may, it is because that means a FATE CHANGER has showed up on your doorstep. (Everything was just fine in your life and going smoothly, you thought, and someone like me shows up and throws a monkey wrench in things out of the blue). That's a life "cue" to seriously look at that new avenue. The best opportunities come when we least expect it. That "super" job you always wanted that came available and you missed it or its halfway across the country. It wasn't your turn. It was someone else's and no matter what you think, you couldn't have changed that outcome.
I have noticed when it seems like a fight to get something accomplished, its for a reason, especially if its something you initiated! Perfect example, I had no problem getting a magazine article written about me and my show because the writer approached me!! FATE QUE..do the flippin' article..lol. After that, I initiated an effort to get a newspaper article completed which that project has been accepted but its stalled progress over getting professional pics for the paper in a studio here in town. Well timing and schedules haven't lined up so its been months stalled on that plus I was not ready! I needed some more clout and awards and a def answer on the SHACKFEST happening, location, dates, bands so forth. None of that was ready for an article to PLUG a local concert when I started on the endeavor back in July I think. So finally all that is sorting itself out and the article is coming together now. But you see why its finally happening NOW.
I also know a guy with the local news, we met one day after a bad thunderstorm and he features me on the local news at 11pm talking about the storm that just came through the area. Cool!! FATE brought me a news anchor, (nope) we get to chatting about my show. He wants to do a story on me on local (NBC affiliate) WXII channel 12, but he's pitched me 3 times to management and they keep shooting him down! So even though I got a fighter in my corner over there, It's still a case of something WE want but FATE doesn't want. At least NOT YET! Maybe down the road the reasons will become apparent! So I've been learning to watch for those opportunities that "show" up my way. Ive had a few, podcast interview coming up on the MIKEY MIKE show, and a Venture Capitalist with Universal Records has landed on my doorstep recently so that's interesting. I didn't go looking for either, they found me. (Just the same as me finding YOU) That's FATE coming to share some good fortune down the road. When it shows up out of nowhere looking for you then that's "supposed" to happen! That person is a game changer in your life. Nothing but fight to get a newspaper article or TV spot on the news cause I went looking for it and it wasn't time for me to LOOK for it. Get it now!
So some of you bands and artists I find have not been active for awhile and it makes you wonder WHY ME? I like what I hear, I don't know you're not active maybe it appears that you are, maybe it appears you aren't but you wouldn't mind having your music aired, maybe you're thinking about the "game" again and want back in. I don't know so therefore I ask (wont hurt to ask). I don't know why its YOU (whomever band and artists I call on) but evidently it seems to be pretty dang important to my life and future life and the future of the music industry if you get wrapped up in my crazy world or I call on you to get wrapped up in it. You can bet its for a reason and a reason that a higher power (GOD) wants you involved and back singing or entertaining again. He gave you folks a GIFT for those that aren't using it and wishes it to be used for its intended purpose. To write, sing, feel passion in your life for something that has been ingrained in each and every skilled singer and musician. FATE has something in store for you if I hit you up about being in the show and you agree for your music to be heard. That's a voice in you telling you its time to look at a possible change or at least integration back into music even if its not full time. Its a part of your soul. Take the opportunity and don't let it die inside and wither away before you're wondering where did all those years go without music and DANG I should have "jumped on that bandwagon" when it came playing through!
I said awhile back I'm noticing I'm not in charge of my show or my life anymore. It kind of tells me what to do and when to do it...all about life's "cues" that tell us what to do next. When opportunities rise up out of nowhere that you weren't seeking its up to you to decide whether you want to grab that and manifest a change in your life. You might not get that chance again to do something that's in your heart and soul. I have had my fair share of "lucky" moments to propel me forward and understood (later) that I needed to capitalize then and that's why things changed in my life or they were never going to.
Its all about hindsight, I see now why we split, I see now why things were timed perfectly so we could split with ease and I could move on and grow the show. HALSHACK could not grow with me still in my relationship. I wasn't ready to expand a few years ago. I created a bunch of new shows in advance in OCT 2018 by FEB/MAR 2019 everything in the folder and the new shows planned for those times started coming TRUE! SYNCHRONICITY is real and I live a LIFE of it.
I was not happy in our relationship but I wouldn't be the BAD GUY and split us up so FATE had to handle it from another direction. Everything that happens in life is for a reason. Major opportunities that could change your life happen for a reason. Also stagnation happens for a reason as well, stalling you out for the right plan to move forward or keeping you in the same job and feeling good about your life path and not getting involved with the wrong people or situations. We all think were in charge until fate decides to hand us a different outcome. The choice is whether to accept that integration and possibly change the outcome of your life and go with the new life path. The new life path could be very rewarding, don't know if we as people don't try. Had I done anything different in my past then my future path would not be laid out for me now. I see that all to clearly. My job for 10 years as a property inspector bought me the time I needed to grow as a person, grow my show, give me the income stability I needed to be able to do BOTH and NOT have to rely on an income stream from music that I DON'T have set up yet (hopefully soon) for the next phase of growth for my company and I can FINALLY leave my job for my happy place...MUSIC!!
FATE STORY BEGINS HERE
Here we go, I'm not going for proper writing here, its more of a timeline, so I will be phrasing alot to keep it less wordy...lol (yeah right, me less wordy..lol)
Quick synopsis---This journey started for me with a band (On Second Thought in Denver, CO). I found this band through a random encounter at my friend's house, my closest buddy Billy Watkins (but he wasn't at the time so even stranger I ran into someone at his house that would change my future) It would seem Billy's friend (Brian Folkins) was the catalyst for my entire life from that point until now. Anyway, Brian was in town just for the weekend (Well damn I just realized it was a guy named Brian that forever changed my future again years later as you read on.. this is nuts..lol) he used to live here in North Carolina, he was starting to do photo shoots for this band in Denver. He gave me a cd and it completely opened my eyes to the indie scene and that there were great bands not on the radio working their asses off to make a dime. I contacted the band about how I could help, meanwhile I was starting to do local concerts, Battle of the Bands events and so forth here in my area. I tried to help boost them but with internet marketing just taking off at the time, it was very hard...lol. So, the band calls it quits after gaining some success.
We fell out of touch, a while later a new band forms with 2 of the old members without my knowledge because I went completely off the grid with music for a long time. So I found out about it kind of late in the game (Savage Henry) started working with them around 2008-9. After finding the original band OST (I met a good girl named Sharon and we bonded over music (and that band especially) and immediately started dating and we were together all our lives (no longer).
2012 ---- Joined up on Roadrunner Records Sign Me Too as a potential scout for the company with my first band (Savage Henry from Denver, CO). I quickly became well known and established with all the top scouts and A&R's within 6 months. Then the company was bought out by Warner Bros. and the entire staff fired except for 2 to reorganize the company and so forth. (Really???....I had 6 months to build myself up and crack the top charts, past everyone who had been involved in it for years) with my band in just enough time for the company head to take notice, Jon Satterly, and then the company is purchased by a larger label. That's weird! Go me, I got lucky..lol (nope that's been my luck usually, day late and a dollar short as they say here in the states..lol) Anyway, so I took a few bands with me from RoadRunner and pushed on by 2013.
2013--- I'm making friends with the Reputation Radio gang in the UK. Johnny Summers, Pete Ringmaster, Matthew Meadows (great buds), and Tom McNeil. So I start doing guest spots with Matthew on his Rango the Dog (Rango Unmuzzled) show over in Seattle. We did several episodes together and made awesome friends along the way.
Summer/Fall 2014---- I'm offered my own show. I had amassed just enough bands to pull off my first show released on Oct 16, 2014 So I put out a few shows and I was just starting to grow by (ep 4) Feb 28, 2015.
April 2015--- I put out ep 5 (first and only fully video interactive show) Dang that was difficult, took a couple months about to put that together. I will NEVER do that again...lol. By that time, I was growing more and Johnny was having difficulty with scheduling and conflicts of interest since my show was gaining steam he felt it was best I grow on my own. I was like OK, here we go syndication.
SO I was off the network and in syndication for the first time and just starting to grow outside of the US because of Rep Radio and their great boost they gave me to get started. I will always be thankful for those guys. Picked up Narrow Plains (London) from a Twitter message from them. An outstanding group from England who JUST won a contest to come .....guess where???...you got it, North Carolina (I didn't know about this and neither did they) They were like "were coming to the states, "great, where" "NC to work with a famous producer", "really.. I'm in NC", "awesome, lets meet they said" WOW! I got an opportunity to meet them, see them play and do my first interview May 23, 2015. OK, by now I'm really getting connected to England in mysterious ways. These guys were awesome gentlemen and we had a successful interview and alot of fun. They helped propel me forward with a HUGE leap when I released the show they were in and their interview in the late summer of 2015.
Ep 6 Aug /Sep 2015 ---- Here's another BIG moment (Narrow Plains special) This was my best show period to date!! THIS SHOW PUT ME ON THE MAP!! These guys were tremendously helpful along with new British act Luke Potter (300k followers and now signed to Sony). Between Luke and Plains, I was propped up in England quite nicely. I would say that's the first time my show received any REAL recognition!! I started to turn a few heads with that one and England made it happen! This was going on for a month or two after the show's release. Now starts the first of many sync moments with my life and show. This is the first time I mentioned anything about me or my life in my show banter. It was all about the bands and music up until that point. I talked about how we had to move and that the power bills were sucking us dry and I had songs in my library I had just received or had waiting for this show and low and behold, first track of the show "Thrown Away" all those years we threw away in that house and wasting money with high power bills and not moving forward. "Make You Move" another track that fell into place. Losing the home so we had to be "made to move". I cant think right off hand if there were other moments in the show but those stand out right now. So riding HIGH for months off Narrow Plains special we get to Christmas before the show hits a giant stall.
(Totally funny side note, you wanna know how I found my house that we moved too. After looking for months with no luck cause its a "hot area" for schools. I called a guy knowing full well he had no house for rent in our needed area and asked him if he knew anyone with a house out here. Ill be damned, he knew a guy with a house that was just coming available, I called him set it up, met with him and got the house before it ever hit the market. Tell me this was not meant to happen. The house address 1053, the same as my birth time. WHAT??????...lol
Dec 2015 (ep 7)-- I put out one more show for the end of the year and introduced a brand new band from the island nation of MALTA (Airport Impressions) and their promoter lives..guess where...you got it, North Carolina...crazy!! We make friends and she really helped to build me up. Also picked up VerseCity from Texas with guess what (Movin' Up) I indeed was "Movin' on up to the east side , to that deluxe apartment in the skkyyyy"..lol (sorry Jefferson's tangent there..lol) Perfect timing for that song after being on the rise with Narrow Plains. (They also sent me some other good songs and a HUGE landmark tune that I don't get to play because of a legal battle with a label until a perfect timed moment 3 years later the song is available for me to play right when I need it) I'll tell you about that when I get to it..its juicy good stuff..lol!!
I needed that (press) badly for what was about to come my way. Struggling to find new bands so it completely stalled me out and slowed my progress for 8 months until a BIG FISH bit my worm..lol.
Summer 2016-- A popular band in California sends me an email asking to be on my show. (Boom!! next sync moment, right when I'm ready to open my shack back up after being closed all winter..lol) Cool, that's awesome!! Magic Giant is their name. So I bring them on and put this HUGE show together. Did a big show with MG as the spotlight and the Halshack was finally gaining a little momentum.
May 2017---- Ok derailed again (for another 8 months or so) because I'm waiting new material and new acts. We get to Spring 2017 and I got a "cue" from life and my bands to start again. Bunch of new music coming out, albums I had been waiting on to finish and so forth and kept getting delayed approvals from new bands I was calling on to be in the show ..finally (Ep 9 May 2017) I managed to land some fantastic acts. I put this show out and REALLY gained some ground and won a couple of awards for that episode. Awesome!!
Somewhere along the way I had to come up with an idea to keep the show going (while I wasn't active with it) 3 episodes over 1.5 years was killing my momentum. (If i had any at all) So I got in touch with some old record label buddies from RR days and asked if they would start writing reviews for the bands I find and will start doing that and (Crews Views) was born!!
Summer 2017, I decided to (another cue) an idea came to me that I'm stagnant as hell right now for new acts and the show is getting stale. I need something "good" to refire this puppy..lol. Battleshack summer contest, perfect idea, get everyone to vote over the summer. Have a top 10 show in the fall from the results. Oh it was awesome. Now in the meantime (fate moment) Magic Giant gets popped by Rolling Stone for Top 10 bands to watch and we popped on them first before hand and gave them a nice review and we stated the same remarks Rolling Stone did but we (BEAT them to it by a YEAR) OK Boom instant catapult!! I started sharing that around and gaining more "street cred" for that milestone.
Oct 2017--- Battleshack 1 Top 10 show (ep 10) Magic Giant is our winner!! Then "cue", I get an idea to make a bonus show (featuring the next round of bands with votes) to make up some extra time to fill my time slots because now I'm growing on radio stations that happened in earlier in the year maybe over the summer I started setting up those connections maybe around when 9 came out. (Tom McNeil added me to Bombshell Radio) and (Dave Cruttendan put me on his station Discover Unsigned). Cool partners...hehehehehe!! That show in turn gained me some advertising partners and so forth.
Dec 2017 I got a new microphone for Christmas and that was the best gift ever. It was a professional MIC so now I needed new equipment to make it work because I was just using a cheap mic that sounded like absolute donkey poo....lol. I'm surprised I ever got anywhere off that old mic. I managed to impress some important people with that last episode and it changed my life because
Frankie Muniz came into the fold (major TV star) with a band after they heard Episode 10. I contacted the band after finding Kingsfoil with Frankie as the drummer. Excellent band so I had to get them on. I contacted them and asked the guys if they wanted to be on my show, asked if I could do a Frankie special and talk all about him and so forth? They said yeah but we got a new band too that Frankie does not play in (he's our manager now). Alright sure, send me the cd for the new band and I'll check it out.
Now I got back in touch with the band (one song changed everything here to start) I was really embarrassed about their cd. I can't play this not up against Kingsfoil (the original band) this is not the same quality at all. (I'm a stickler for a particular type of radio ready quality, this was not it..lol). I was ready to back out the whole gig. I couldn't believe I would do that and not play Kingsfoil because I needed Astro Lasso as well. It was the agreement that we made so I could get Frankie on the show but I was ready to just scrap my plans for ep 11 altogether and the band said well we got this new song we just cut. Its not posted yet, maybe you'll like this. OMG song saver of the day!!! Came back around to what made Kingsfoil so good but put the Astro Lasso spin on it the "right" way this time and made a hell of a radio single (name of the song TALK TALK TALK)...lol..ok another sync moment, Lauren Dair brand new artist has a song plays after Talk Talk Talk called "High Places" I never clued in on this till later listening back (in her song one of the lines said "she feels like a lasso out in space"..what???..lol and I just played a song by Astro Lasso right before her that wouldn't have been in the show. (eerie just too eerie)
So I knew I had to capitalize then or I was DONE and closing the shack for good and luckily that track saved my "party hut" from closing!!..lol Ok happy again and wanting to start the new show for Jan 2018 (ep 11) but cant now because of the one band that was a hold up I chose for the beginning track and that's where the fate story picks up. OH the song that replaced "House on Fire" ...what kind of timing is this? "ON MY WAY"...wth? Its a song about the love being lost and he's on his way to new heights with a new love he doesn't even know yet (I think that's what he's saying). Really????? Very interesting now that I look back it was the time for the next set of events to be set in motion.
Sharon met someone about this time (not looking, shopping, he works there..lol) but she didn't think that way at first about him. Just friends for a long time while I'm just starting to TRULY grow and here is this song ON MY WAY and the subject matter it dealt with and well she's on her way out , not knowing it yet herself either. (Now I wasn't thinking at the time our love was on the way out, I thought we were OK)
Jan 2018--- (ep 11 "New Beginnings") started to name episodes..that's new and cool!! My new mic audio was awesome and that really helped to gain some new fresh momentum. KINGSFOIL and Frankie Muniz were a lifesaver. (Fate moment) I picked a band and called them "Breakout Artist of the Month" for my show for ep 11. Trapdoor Social (by the time ep 15 rolled around) they landed a gig on the farewell tour for the B52's this past summer in England and Germany. That was a good score (more credit for the Halshack..heck yeah baby!!) and a great way to open that episode replaying the band and announcing their BIG tour!!
May 13, 2018- My father passes. Sad moment in life. He was a great Dad and loved by many. He did so many impressive things with his life but the one thing he did the best was LOVE and always showed me affection, caring and always supported me in so many facets of life. My Dad was an angel!!
Summer 2018 ---(ep 12 "Able to Label")--- THIS I CANT EXPLAIN...
From the fate story (April 24, 2018) its time to release the new PAPER JACKETS that I landed because of getting ON MY WAY on my show and James Mason being the only person on the planet connected to both bands and is the singer/writer for both lands me the Stevie Nicks "exclusive" out of 8 billion people I chose the ONLY PERSON that was secretly working behind the scenes with her on the Stand Back remake. NO ONE KNEW about this except for a select few people. I had no clue for sure. He hits me back and tells me this and I'm just jumping for joy that he could make that possible. HOW DID I DO THAT?? So I landed the brand new killer "exclusive" with STEVIE NICKS...just amazing opportunity.
The band got the deal to cover 100% authorized endorsed reboot of Stand Back (1983 hit by Stevie) ..she absolutely loved it. The label (Label X) who was going to publish the cd asked for 14 songs plus Stevie's song for an album "Electric Youth". A month before release (the album tanked and was shelved after printed and ready for release by the label) The band and the label couldn't agree, the label wanted to change stuff and so forth and not only that the Manager who got them the Stevie connection disappeared from the company. WTH??..lol Now, no connection to Stevie after we had already obtained approvals to play the song and the album on my show and Stevie had agreed. The band was distraught to say the least (Now what's really strange is when we set this up I asked for an exclusive, If I could play it early, maybe a couple of weeks) They said the label was not gonna do that so I'd have to play it on release day (4/24) and we would do a simultaneous release and Pete Ringmaster would have a nice review written up for them to coincide the big release day. Awesome, I got all that set up and ready to go. Pete was on it and had me a review done by Feb. I was so thankful for his article and its unfortunate that the album ran into a major brick wall!!!
I get the news in March/April that its all tanked and that they are not sure what's going to happen next. Well, I guess it was a month or two later, James Mason the lead of the band hits me up and we chat about the progress, they signed with an indie label in Cali and headed a different direction with their sound. He said I can HAVE the original album as an "exclusive" for my show. WHAT???? They wanted that material out there to be heard but NO ONE else gets to play it. You can't even find it on Spotify (yeah on my show you can on Spotify but not just to play on their profile...nope only the new material on their page) or wherever because its on lock-down for my show ONLY! WOW!! I am truly honored and blessed I get to be involved in this project! So we blew up Pete's review to the world and its helped alot so The PAPER JACKETS have been a HUGE boost to my show and credibility!
Late summer/Fall 2018--- I start to "change my show" with my first stand alone bonus show Shackstars series (full cd compilations or best of compilations). Its time for new adapting and growth again. (Ep 13 "Lucky 13") Halloween based show and another "cue". Start making bonus shows (Hallowshack) themed idea shows with song titles and subject matter dealing with whatever subject. (Talked about all this in the fate story). WOW!! this one is BIG (11-22-18) ..."Omen" and "Fate" at play because this is the pivotal moment that ignited the fate story chain of events. (I have the folder still on my computer showing what date it was created). I'm looking at all my song names in my folders and I'm noticing trends in my songs. I was like "huh" I've got lots of song titles here dealing with like subjects and names. Let's see what I can muster up. An hour or so later, I had about 10 new bonus shows planned and new show ideas for the main shows and then wrapped around some of these bonus ideas and what not.
WOW!! That changed everything!! I was able to ramp up my frequency and increase more listeners and so forth. So from the fate story, all those shows started slowly coming TRUE in their meanings and subject matters and right at the time when I was releasing that show!!. Crazy thing is the timing too, I try my best to not double up on recently played songs. The new or casual listener and even the die hard fan gets a "new" different experience every show they press play. So each one of those shows was the natural choice for the next show in line. I couldn't have done anything else anyway..lol. Just totally weird beyond words!!
Dec 2018 ---- 2 new bonus shows to kick off more frequent episodes (Light My Fire) and (Destination Unknown) that matured into higher play counts, downloads, gaining more notoriety in the biz and more subscribers. Good play there Hal...lol
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Feb 2019 (Valentines Day) --Sharon and I split. I DID NOT see this coming!! (hence the fate story). This is a tough time until summer. Heart hurting. Waiting to mend and trying to move on. Hoping an angel is gonna come in to my life one day and heal my heart with love like I've never known.
Still waiting...(not for the lack of trying) I keep running into roadblocks and dead ends like fate is trying to stall me out for the "right" girl. Well its been a lonely 10 months and I'm just about to go stir crazy because being a Libra and alone (for prolonged period) just don't mix well...lol, now that its Nov, 2019.
To all the single ladies I'm a ROMEO..lol. I'm also a Libra Sun with a Sagittarius Moon for you astrology buffs, makes me happy and positive and full of fire burning personality (so girls, what you waiting on?..lol, also I am told I'm charming and funny as well...lol) . I'm the loyal trustworthy kind of Libra, same woman for over a decade, no cheating here, loved her well (but we were NEVER close..sad!!)
I was always good to her, we just grew apart, music was NOT to be her future!! If this matters, I'm a true romantic and love to have fun and be happy with my partner. Adventuring or staying at home (music is a big part of what makes me happy and fun). Driving to a cool place in the mountains or hitting the beach for the day or stay home and cuddle with Netflix or playing video games or just being together doing your favorite activity, hearts as one!.....(OK girls this is where you go awwwwww...he's just the sweetest guy..lol...pickin',I love to joke,we only live once right??)
Ive got a HUGE company to build with a lofty goal to change music back to FUN, CATCHY, and MELODIES using unknown artists better than today's top stars!! I have a future life ahead of me of prosperity and wanting to be philanthropist for people as well as the Earth.
(I'm all about helping the underdog and those in need, those that are misunderstood or cant help themselves due to mental illness or whatever the case) We got to SAVE the Earth from humanity, we are causing devastation on this planet at a mass scale. Pollution and tree destruction play a key role in Earth's degradation.
I'm a super sweet guy that just wants to GIVE love and get it back just as BIG!!You should support one another in life. She could never support this goal but I supported her in everything. I look at it like this "If its important to you than its important to me". Love IS life and all that find "true love" can prosper and grow as people and as a couple!
I want to melt a girls heart, (I sing too and pretty well, I do come from a musical background..lol) I want to steal hers and lock it away and I want mine stolen forever so she never gives it back (maybe she will even sing to my heart so it becomes whole, that would be the ultimate LOVE! I've never had a girl sing to me, that's just clandestine!!). I've never had a singer for a girlfriend or a wife, I've never been married! Still holding out HOPE on that one too one day. I feel like I've been short changed on love my entire life (that's painful for a Libra and I put up with it for years!! I'm ready to be truly happy!!) all we want is to share and be a team and to have LOVE, AMAZING LOVE. I've had it for a little while but NEVER getting ALL of it and haven't really felt it like I want to in A VERY LONG TIME (and have it felt back, it takes 2 to tango..lol). I know there's the ONE still out there.
Usually have no problem meeting women but I've been waiting for that "special girl" to appear, that one that will "Light a Fire" in my heart.........that "Good Comet" Tyler Stenson sings about in some of my shows. That special lady that only comes around once maybe twice in a lifetime. I know she's out there circling the sky, thought she would have come down by now... "Whos gonna take the first step? Show a little leap of faith" (excerpt from Closer by Big Little Lions) I'm game! Are you? You know I can probably help a woman out with her career as well especially a singer..lol...Just sayin'!!
......WHERE ARE YOU....... JULIET??..lol
Speaking of Shakespeare (unrelated however not totally unrelated..lol.) I recently learned more of my heritage on my mothers side. My grandmother was a Crowell from the deep south. Her father Glen Crowell from the Edward Cromwell line in NJ (the family that changed their name to Crowell) to hide from the Cromwell fallout. Which in turn puts my direct bloodline from that of Oliver Cromwell. The most cherished or most hated ruler in British history and I believe he's the one responsible for Shakespeare's fire at the Globe Theater.
Legend has it a family crest and documents were seized in North Carolina back in 1781 from a chest containing all the records of the Cromwell history and the names and so forth. My bloodline is direct from this line so Ive been told in England I am a LORD...lol
Wow!! So my Dad being a Jester and my Mom being royalty. How does this work ladies?..lol
Am I supposed to entertain myself???..lol
I can keep you girls in stitches if I want to ...give me the right chemistry and we can shake mountains!!
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March 31st, 2019--- Leaving for Nashville, TN. (This day here was amazing for my show). 2 long overdue reviews for Narrow Plains and Big Little Lions came in the morning I was leaving. What?? So I pressed out those to the world along with the 2 brand new shows I was releasing that day to head out to Nashville. OMG, I had my best one day play count ever that day (at that time) and the news broke I was heading for Nashville to start work on building my record label!! Nashville was a terrible trip but It grew and expanded my show. I came back with NO Direction in my life and no start to my label. Confused, lonely, and needing a place to organize, regroup and "fit-in". I found Drooble. (a social media site for musicians)
Spring/Summer 2019---OK THIS ONE IS WEIRD...I needed some new female artists for my Mohters Day (Mothershack episode). I had already built up 5 or 6 prior and, as I was building my name on Drooble, I found 2 new females on there to give me 8, I believe it was, for the new show. Perfect! I want to say this was in April. I was pretty much oblivious to facebook or twitter or any of that for a couple of months. I DUG into Drooble and sank my teeth in to the place..lol. All the while on Drooble my fanbase was growing alot. All of my songs that I had (posted) were rotating on Drooble radio which sees rotation play on several stations around the world. I was seeing lots of new activity boosting my show numbers at my website and my podcast host providers and so forth. Sweet!! Drooble was helping so I have become one of their top members now by doing cool stuff like finding some really fantastic talent. 2 British acts (Versonic and Maisie Mae) Versonic had a song in their library which was the first one I heard and I'm working on the time based show coming up , their song "A Second in Time" and Sam Tinnesz comes in last second with "READY SET LETS GO"..what?????
Another perfect synch moment.... I also find Lucia Banfield on Drooble and cool i've got enough now for a Mothersday show and trying to save face with the Drooblers. I put that out in early May and stayed focused on Drooble still.
I released EP 15 (Springtime Sublime) with a special Kesha remake of TIK TOK ROK by Versecity, this band is in Texas. I had been sitting on that track for 3.5 years before I was officially allowed to play it. That music was sent to me (synch moment) for Ep 7 with "Movin' Up" from the band and well I was in fact moving up after landing Narrow Plains on my show. This band was absolutely stupid in what they did. They decided they could make Kesha's Tik Tok a whole new song and no one take notice....lol. Well the song is smokin' hot awesome and yeah 2 million plays the label took notice for sure. Legal battle, letters, lawyers and so forth. 3 or so years later the label decided to allow it to stay with no money ever going to the band because they just LOVED the track they said it could stay on the market. I got clearance to play this song (I had hoped I could play it, I planned on it and bam I could..sweet!!) when I was working on the very last of my bonus show series (already named and based on Time and Space back 7 or 8 months prior) right when all that was planned. I had main show ideas built around 2 of the shows and this was one of them. I was very unhappy, you know what sucks, this has been my most popular show and I was at my "WORST". I'm so down and sad because my life was an absolute wreck after the split. I started up and down down I went till the end and found my spunk again...lol.
So there again all this stuff in my life plays out in the fate story and we get through to this summer where even more spooky connections happening around Kansas City and my 777th friend who turned out to be a HUGE lucky winner for me. She's been helping me out alot sharing my show and what not and really enjoys it..awesome!! I already have a band in KC and a big fanbase there building, now remember Collective Soul the band, I'm sure you do, they had seven #1 hits in the 90s. Well, 2 of the members are forming a new band with a new lead singer and they want me to launch their band next year and they are from KC!...nuts!
OK lets get back on track
Sep/Oct 2019 ---I got new bands and new songs with guess what kind of titles...yep..lights and fire and even the names of the artists, the Lighthouse (this is strange too) A year ago, Lighthouse came out with their first song. Its name was Catch Fire, they sent it to me right when Light My Fire 1 was due to come out. (sync moment 476876984...lol. I was going to include them in the show and ultimately decided against it since they were a new band and it was a bonus show. I did not want to introduce a new band in a bonus at the time. Bonus was a new idea and I couldn't talk about them and present them properly so I put them on the back burner..lol..no pun intended. (yes of course its a pun..lol)
The band completely fell off my radar. I had forgot all about them and it appears fate wanted me too. This band is phenomenal and they didn't have all their music ready yet. Full cd finished now so they get a full run of all their material played on my show over the next year to probably set them up for Battleshack 3 winners.
Sara Lightman new artist with "Let Your Light In", meanwhile I've got new songs from older acts and so forth with the same theme. Play with Fire, Lights, then things like Feels good to Be Home, Take Me Home, going home for the holidays theme and passion theme too like Wild and Little Queen ...ok really fate?? and then the new Libra friend (same birthday) and producer I made and we make (Shine) well before I had any plans for this show.
And thats how my show has become so popular....lets keep growing! All those derailments and Im still going. Persistence is the key along with tenacity and alot of ambition is the pathway to a golden future.
A TRUE STORY..Have any of you ever had a big FLUKE that changed your life?
A great post was put out by another user on www.DROOBLE.com asking if you would have done anything differently with your music career if you could "go back" and change something.
My response was "Nothing" and the reasons below are stated. Just thought I'd share this story about
how this show was "no accident"
This is how I got my "BIG Break"!
You can believe this or not but its the TRUTH!!
An exclusive deal with Stevie Nicks came through one person on the planet out of 8 billion (in a top secret advanced knowledge deal cause he is the singer in the band) I fluked into him cause he wasnt my first choice for a song I needed to fill the opening song for ep 11. I had already chosen a band but for some reason they would not respond to my offer and it was bad timing too (Black Taxi was the group song was "House on Fire" and all hell was breaking loose in Cali with the wildfires (dec/Jan 2018) so i wasnt happy with that song in light of the current events at the time (just put a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach) so when no response came from them I had this last spot to fill.
I contacted James Mason about a band he was in (The Vantage) wanting to play his song. He was like sure go ahead but were not a band anymore. (i didnt care, I needed a good opener pronto) Podcast was released that had his song in it. He contacted me a few weeks later and thanked me for showcasing his old band and their song and said their management team and Stevie Nicks were so impressed with me that they wanted my help with their new top secret project. Bringing "Stand Back" back out under a new band The Paper Jackets. I was like HOLY COW!! yep im on it!!
Its been dropped off on my show as an exclusive!! The whole album and deal with Stevie has been put on indefinite hold so Im the only person on the planet allowed to promote and play this album. Cant be uploaded to any servers, cant be streamed on Spotify or anywhere. The entire album is on lockdown for my show only cause well quite frankly (its never going to be officially released) until I get in a position to at least try to get this out to the public and I couldnt be more honored to have this project wind up on my show and have earned her respect.
But Frankie Muniz (Malcolm in the Middle)--hes a good drummer..who knew we would get "Malcolm in the pocket" now...lol and his band Kingsfoil are also in that same episode which helped to land Stevie Nicks. Thats the first big leap and I was so stoked to be able to do a piece on Frankie Muniz and include their music. Too cool!
Baby steps folks. Had I done anything different in my life things would not be the way they are for the Halshack and my future career in the industry as the show grows and takes hold of the music market.
Just goes to show how "Fate" may just be real. My future life has all been hinged on this one event happening. Thats how finite the universe is.
There also a small story and bio on each show and why that show was made. Almost every show is personal in someway unless its themed to a holiday or what not. It was crazy, I made all those bonuses months before I released them and months before my lady and I split. I had no idea the events that were about to unfold.
I got the theme idea off of Halloween. So right after Halloween I started looking at all my songs from my acts and I was noticing trends, well I put together rough drafts of songs in folders each having a certain subject matter, and as time went on things started happening around the show, gaining more advancements, and the holiday shows were all of course made for that specific time, but Valentines hit and we started having problems, I mentioned a little about it on ep 14 "but kept in code"..lol Just talking in general how people feel about love and your current state of your life. Well right after that, she gave me enough happy that we were ok to get through that show then Bang!! the bombed dropped!!
So my life went to hell and a handbasket. (Verbal Actions) show about the death of my MANY years with her and for my life and relationship and finding the music and the motivation to move forward. So we get to Savage Henry the band that started it all for me as look back to my roots and how to reorganize my life and my show so I pulled up Savage for a compilation of their best works which I had planned as well just didn't know when I was going to use it. (Last track of Verbal Actions was a Savage track and I didn't know that was gonna happen, it just worked out that way and it inspired me to lead right in to their full show. Crazy!! Now (Nashville Dreams) was not named that, I didn't know at the time, I'm not that clairvoyant..lol that I was going to Nashville but the show was originally called State of Mind or Dream State, i hadn't decided yet. The show songs were all about chasing the dream and the pretty girls and the fame and fortune and I created Walla/Hoonch to take with me to Nashville to be the first band I'm going to sign when I become a label. Always wanted to do Walla/Hoonch show so it was perfect timing. (yet again)
Then Nashville was a bust ,in a sense, so I had a show (No Direction) already planned, now I got NO Direction in my life and label, recently single stuck between something good happening and something great down the road. So that leads me to Drooble. I came back home from Nashville a beaten dog and looking for a home to plant myself to start restructuring. It helped tremendously but put me in a degraded state and holed up in my room for weeks, when not working, but in that time I wasn't just doodling on Drooble , I was applying to every known music service and got approvals one after the other from just about every network on the planet and am still awaiting approvals from NPR and Pandora (otherwise I have not been turned down for airing). So got terrestrial radio applications in the works and other goodies coming for expansion.
So while at home and nothing to do Funkin' 420 was spontaneous, had not planned that one..lol, then I started finding Drooblers (Maisie and Lucia) that inspired me for Mothershack Day (which I had planned in my mind for a girl based show but needed more) boom 2 Drooblers fell in my lap..awesome!! Made that show, then Time and Space based themes were also already planned (I thought at the time cause its spring and time moving forward and time is so precious to us all..and blah blah well it turns out the theme was time for the Halshack to grow and expand and Id been sitting on that Kesha remake of Tik Tok for (3 1/2 years..finally approved by the label for promotion..really??..interesting timing) and Versonic (drooble) fell in my lap with " A Second in Time". and Sam Tinnez with "Ready Set Lets Go" comes in last minute...literally!
Now WTH?? ifs fate just messin' with me or was all this predestined to happen?? I wouldn't sit here for an hour typing all this out if that's not exactly how it happened and went down. Its freakin' nuts. There's more too, event surrounding the show as well and the progresses made at just the right time to capitalize on another advancement. Also alot of the subject matters of the songs of some of the newer acts Ive found all fell in line right at the time of me needing them. Just nuts.
And now I got spooky connections happening in Wichita and Kansas City where my biggest fanbase is outside of Greensboro.
Ive learned Im not in control of my show. It tells me what to do and when to do it. I just follow its lead..lol (truth)
theres more too but Im done for now.... hope you guys enjoyed this read!!
A great post was put out by another user on www.DROOBLE.com asking if you would have done anything differently with your music career if you could "go back" and change something.
My response was "Nothing" and the reasons below are stated. Just thought I'd share this story about
how this show was "no accident"
This is how I got my "BIG Break"!
You can believe this or not but its the TRUTH!!
An exclusive deal with Stevie Nicks came through one person on the planet out of 8 billion (in a top secret advanced knowledge deal cause he is the singer in the band) I fluked into him cause he wasnt my first choice for a song I needed to fill the opening song for ep 11. I had already chosen a band but for some reason they would not respond to my offer and it was bad timing too (Black Taxi was the group song was "House on Fire" and all hell was breaking loose in Cali with the wildfires (dec/Jan 2018) so i wasnt happy with that song in light of the current events at the time (just put a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach) so when no response came from them I had this last spot to fill.
I contacted James Mason about a band he was in (The Vantage) wanting to play his song. He was like sure go ahead but were not a band anymore. (i didnt care, I needed a good opener pronto) Podcast was released that had his song in it. He contacted me a few weeks later and thanked me for showcasing his old band and their song and said their management team and Stevie Nicks were so impressed with me that they wanted my help with their new top secret project. Bringing "Stand Back" back out under a new band The Paper Jackets. I was like HOLY COW!! yep im on it!!
Its been dropped off on my show as an exclusive!! The whole album and deal with Stevie has been put on indefinite hold so Im the only person on the planet allowed to promote and play this album. Cant be uploaded to any servers, cant be streamed on Spotify or anywhere. The entire album is on lockdown for my show only cause well quite frankly (its never going to be officially released) until I get in a position to at least try to get this out to the public and I couldnt be more honored to have this project wind up on my show and have earned her respect.
But Frankie Muniz (Malcolm in the Middle)--hes a good drummer..who knew we would get "Malcolm in the pocket" now...lol and his band Kingsfoil are also in that same episode which helped to land Stevie Nicks. Thats the first big leap and I was so stoked to be able to do a piece on Frankie Muniz and include their music. Too cool!
Baby steps folks. Had I done anything different in my life things would not be the way they are for the Halshack and my future career in the industry as the show grows and takes hold of the music market.
Just goes to show how "Fate" may just be real. My future life has all been hinged on this one event happening. Thats how finite the universe is.
There also a small story and bio on each show and why that show was made. Almost every show is personal in someway unless its themed to a holiday or what not. It was crazy, I made all those bonuses months before I released them and months before my lady and I split. I had no idea the events that were about to unfold.
I got the theme idea off of Halloween. So right after Halloween I started looking at all my songs from my acts and I was noticing trends, well I put together rough drafts of songs in folders each having a certain subject matter, and as time went on things started happening around the show, gaining more advancements, and the holiday shows were all of course made for that specific time, but Valentines hit and we started having problems, I mentioned a little about it on ep 14 "but kept in code"..lol Just talking in general how people feel about love and your current state of your life. Well right after that, she gave me enough happy that we were ok to get through that show then Bang!! the bombed dropped!!
So my life went to hell and a handbasket. (Verbal Actions) show about the death of my MANY years with her and for my life and relationship and finding the music and the motivation to move forward. So we get to Savage Henry the band that started it all for me as look back to my roots and how to reorganize my life and my show so I pulled up Savage for a compilation of their best works which I had planned as well just didn't know when I was going to use it. (Last track of Verbal Actions was a Savage track and I didn't know that was gonna happen, it just worked out that way and it inspired me to lead right in to their full show. Crazy!! Now (Nashville Dreams) was not named that, I didn't know at the time, I'm not that clairvoyant..lol that I was going to Nashville but the show was originally called State of Mind or Dream State, i hadn't decided yet. The show songs were all about chasing the dream and the pretty girls and the fame and fortune and I created Walla/Hoonch to take with me to Nashville to be the first band I'm going to sign when I become a label. Always wanted to do Walla/Hoonch show so it was perfect timing. (yet again)
Then Nashville was a bust ,in a sense, so I had a show (No Direction) already planned, now I got NO Direction in my life and label, recently single stuck between something good happening and something great down the road. So that leads me to Drooble. I came back home from Nashville a beaten dog and looking for a home to plant myself to start restructuring. It helped tremendously but put me in a degraded state and holed up in my room for weeks, when not working, but in that time I wasn't just doodling on Drooble , I was applying to every known music service and got approvals one after the other from just about every network on the planet and am still awaiting approvals from NPR and Pandora (otherwise I have not been turned down for airing). So got terrestrial radio applications in the works and other goodies coming for expansion.
So while at home and nothing to do Funkin' 420 was spontaneous, had not planned that one..lol, then I started finding Drooblers (Maisie and Lucia) that inspired me for Mothershack Day (which I had planned in my mind for a girl based show but needed more) boom 2 Drooblers fell in my lap..awesome!! Made that show, then Time and Space based themes were also already planned (I thought at the time cause its spring and time moving forward and time is so precious to us all..and blah blah well it turns out the theme was time for the Halshack to grow and expand and Id been sitting on that Kesha remake of Tik Tok for (3 1/2 years..finally approved by the label for promotion..really??..interesting timing) and Versonic (drooble) fell in my lap with " A Second in Time". and Sam Tinnez with "Ready Set Lets Go" comes in last minute...literally!
Now WTH?? ifs fate just messin' with me or was all this predestined to happen?? I wouldn't sit here for an hour typing all this out if that's not exactly how it happened and went down. Its freakin' nuts. There's more too, event surrounding the show as well and the progresses made at just the right time to capitalize on another advancement. Also alot of the subject matters of the songs of some of the newer acts Ive found all fell in line right at the time of me needing them. Just nuts.
And now I got spooky connections happening in Wichita and Kansas City where my biggest fanbase is outside of Greensboro.
Ive learned Im not in control of my show. It tells me what to do and when to do it. I just follow its lead..lol (truth)
theres more too but Im done for now.... hope you guys enjoyed this read!!