I was on my tour bus when I heard the news that Michael Jackson had been rushed to the hospital. Almost immediately it seemed as though the world held its breath, hanging on the words of the media outlets they trusted to tell them he was going to pull through. I received a flurry of text messages and phone calls. I did my best to hold back tears when CNN finally confirmed his passing, and I honored his contribution to history with a moment of silence at my show in Atlanta that night:
The reverence I experienced in the room at that moment will stay with me for life.
The end of this clip shows me reverting back to my childhood for a moment during soundcheck. For a few seconds, I took off my cool and became the little boy that believed I could be just like him. I’m sure many of us can remember what came over us when we saw Michael perform. We wanted to dance like he did – to feel the exhilaration and pass on the electricity that we’d just experienced. I appreciate Michael’s contribution to my life. In many ways his music, videos, and live performances lit the spark in me to pursue the career path that I chose as a young teenager. His ability to bring people together in peace and celebration serves as a standard to which we as entertainers are all measured.
When I was blogging almost daily from NS4Life.com from 2005-2006, I captured hours and hours of footage that’s still in my archives. Here’s an example:
We were on our way back to London from a gig I’d done just outside of the city when we saw a car catch fire and flip over in the rear view mirror. I immediately told my driver to stop and ran to the scene of the accident. There I found a man miraculously standing on the side of the highway nursing a head wound. Having no first aid kit, I gave him the shirt I was wearing to use as a bandage. Unexpected circumstances are the norm on the road. If you know this man, I’d like to send him a copy of my album and a message thanking him for the new appreciation I have for life based on this experience.
The 24-hour Apple Store on 57th street in NYC gets most of my business because I can stop in on my way home from the studio – usually in the wee hours of the morning. I really appreciate everyone who follows my updates, and I’m always looking for ways to cross the virtual/digital bridge and meet you in person. Here’s an example:
I’m grateful that I can communicate with you directly. Here I was: driving in Manhattan, listening to “Zodiac”, enjoying life, and inspired to pass on the good energy in some way. When I randomly posted the message that I’d be at the Apple Store in 15 minutes giving away signed iPods, I got a few @replies asking if I was joking or misleading everyone. This video shows I’m a man of my word! Listen closely and you’ll hear how the live instrument textures on “Zodiac” really sweetened the record. Stay tuned for more regarding the new album very shortly. Studio vid anyone?
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