I’m giddy at the thought of tonight. I’ve been very lucky to be able to meet so many of the musical heroes of my youth. And one of them is coming to London to perform at the 10th annual Rock the Park and because Free-FM is presenting tonight’s entertainment, there’s a very good chance I’ll get to spend a little time fumbling for words in front of him!
Rock the Park is a three-night concert series at Harris Park in London. It’s a fund-raiser for Bethanys Hope Foundation. Bethany was born in 1993 and except for walking late and having some trouble with balance, she was an active, bright little girl. So when the diagnosis came, it was a crushing blow: Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD). It’s a progressive disease with no cure. Month by month, Bethany lost her abilities, first to swallow, then speak, then move. She died five years later and her parents have taken up the cause of raising money for research. They held BBQs and golf tournaments, raising thousands for the Foundation and then in 2004 they met promoter Brad Jones. Together they conceived Rock the Park and every year big name bands play the shows. So far $1.5-million has been raised to fight MLD.
It was at RTP that I met the original Doobie Brothers and stood nearby as they played songs I spun endlessly on my 45s: Black Water, China Grove, Listen to the Music. And that’s where I also got soaked in a wicked rainstorm with former Styx co-lead singer Dennis DeYoung.
I’ll tell you how little I thought about actual bands and singers at one point. I loved Styx but I could never figure out why the singer sounded different on every song. D’oh! DeYoung and Shaw traded lead vocals back then, before their falling-out. And for my money, Shaw is the stronger singer. I loved his 1984 solo album Girls With Guns. The title song peaked at #6 but the album languished in the middle of the top 100 for a while. To me, back then, every song was a gem. They even used Girls With Guns in an episode of Miami Vice. Oh it’s a thick slice of delicious cheese now but in its day it was a hit! I look forward to meeting him.
I LOVE IT! And the fact that you got to meet him – priceless. Thanks for sharing this exuberant slice of radio life. Come for the ungodly hours, stay for the moments that “younger you” would never, ever have dared dream possible! Yay!
You’re so right Erin. The teenage me singing along with Styx on my record player (google it, kids!) never would have dared to imagine meeting these guys. I met Dennis DeYoung a few years ago so now I’ve bagged both major players in Styx! (Even if they don’t talk anymore!)