”for the LOVE of Music” with Sara Troy and her guest Willie J, on air from March 16th
Willie J is a native of East St. Louis/Washington Park, IL USA. As a young boy, he was faced with many challenges and struggles. Standing tall in his years of growing pains, he conquered many fears. He suffered losing several close family and friends throughout his journey. These events caused him to push harder and to ignite his passion of writing and singing while striving to perfect other gifts. Having the will to succeed, with faith and perseverance, has helped to usher him into the man he is today. After years of hard work, Willie J has been given opportunities above and beyond his expectations. Some of these chains of events have been newspaper features with celebs: Beyonce’, Floyd Mayweather, Gucci Mane, Terrence Howard, etc. The featured magazines over time: Modern Drummer, XXL, the front cover of Music Nation magazine, and the most recent, a national front cover shoot and interview with 101 Stardom Magazine, who have also featured Kendrick Lamar, K. Michelle, 50 Cent, and many more.
Willie and his daughter perform “We Love You, Puerto Rico.” He wrote these songs in hopes of empowering people and changing lives.
His most recent success is his new hit single, Moving Up, which has been climbing three Global charts, two of which were spotlighted in the top-20 DRT, peaking at #14. Another single, Level Up, reached #7 in the DRT Independent chart. Also released in 2018 was the Exit the Dragon album. Willie J released his single, Sunshine With the Rain, featuring Arthur “Flash” Johnson, who is a four-time World Boxing Champion Hall of Famer. The track rose to #3 twice in the Euro Indie Top 200 chart. He is preparing and the Pure Mission Entertainment artists for national TV live performances on Hallmark TV “Home and Family” on September 26, 2019, and the “Kelly Clarkson Show” will be aired on October 15, 2019.
Sara’s View of Life with Sara Troy, on air from March 9th
Freedom! what does it mean to you? Are you free to be YOU? Are you free to think as you like, speak as you want, and live the way you would desire? The Freedom of heart and soul letting my spirit flow is my kind of freedom. I have for so long bent to the wishes of others that it cost me my freedom to be who I really am. I am not perfect, nor would I want to be, I am SARA, WITH ALL MY FLAWS, PASSIONS, CONVICTIONS, AND LOVE, I AM ENOUGH I AM ME.
I have just bought a car, I have not had one for 6 years, and I forgot the freedom to just go where ever I want to go. My fight for freedom to be me was a lot longer but so worth it in the end, for I like me now, I like what I stand for, I like who I care for, I like my purpose and I love what I do for it brings so much meaning into my life and those who listen.
Last year I was to launch a new program, Covid happened, but no sweat, it was just a pause. Now is the right time and with the right person Shahiroz as a collaborator, and now the timing is right to let it be what it is meant to be. It is ok to have a pause, alignment is key, but do not wait till everything is perfect, for then nothing will ever happen.
So are you free to be you? Are you free to pursue your dream, your desire, your meaningful purpose? Freedom first comes of mind and then the soul’s heart, and then the spirit is ready for Actionism and you are a go, even if only small steps, you can move forward into your self, setting yourself FREE.
We are not robots, we are not meant to live in boxes, we are expressive creative creatures of wonderment and abundant abilities to make ourselves and this world a kinder more meaningful world to live in, and it all lays in our freedom to just be YOU.
An Authors Kiss with Sara Troy and her guest Barrett Clemmensen Powell, on air from March 2nd
During this interview, we talk about San Diego, why this and the next book are situated in the USA (pandemic related, and a link Lori discovered between the polio pandemic, Jonas Salk and racism in San Diego. The story is that the University of California San Diego wanted Jonas Salk to establish the Salk Institute and be a part of the faculty. But there was redlining in La Jolla. Redlining is housing discrimination. Blacks and Jews were not not being allowed to buy houses in La Jolla. Jonas Salk refused to come to the university unless Jews (he was Jewish) were allowed to live and own houses in La JOlla. That finally broke the redlining for Jews. It still continued for Blacks and is why there is still segregation and only about a 9% African American population in San Diego overall.
Barrett Clemmensen Powell has travelled and lived in Central and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Middle East. Her future travel plans include Africa, Asia, and Oceania. After working for a decade as a newspaper and TV/radio journalist, she took her communication background and graduate theology studies to launch a spirituality-based entrepreneurial business development consultancy and resilience coaching practice to help women in business. Barrett enjoys travelling, learning languages (she speaks including French, Danish and Hebrew), writing, crafting, playing the guitar and hanging with Shalom and Shiloh. The first and second books in the Lori Leak children’s travel series took the African American main character to Paris and then Copenhagen to learn a new culture, language, food and history. Now in 2021, she is heading to San Diego, CA – nicknamed “America’s Finest City”. Children and their adults will now get to better know Lori and the Leak family as well as the things there are to see and do in this city. Richly illustrated by Kristen Palana, readers will see San Diego as never before! Barrett has this to say about the Lori Leak series: The story we tell ourselves about anything is the reality we manifest in our lives. When you stay focused on your vision, you manifest it. The effect of that story can be seen in our lives in the reality we create for ourselves. With Lori Leak, I am able to tell a story from the heart about a father-daughter bond, a family, and exploring the world. Travelling, visiting, or living in other cultures is central to my heart. You learn so much about yourself and your origins when you spend time with other people in their country and culture. Building bridges across cultures and between people is my mission, and travelling empowers me to accomplish my goal.
All of our shows/interviews are done by donation; if you enjoyed this show, please support us here with either a one-time donation or subscribe and support. Thank you. Please support Our Forgotten Seniorsanthology and help to bring this book to awareness.
Ignite your heart and soul with Sara Troy and her guest Amy Dempster, on air from February 23rd
Amy Dempster helps in understanding the healing power of the earth. What began as openly sharing her spiritual journey on her popular blog Following Hawks, has become a resource for others wanting to learn how to communicate with nature and share their own unique healing gifts with the earth.
Together with the Spirits of the Land in the mountains of northwest Montana, she tends seven portals on the land where she lives, along with any grid keeping work she is assigned. She also leads the Earth Tenders Academy, an immersive online journey to help others re-establish their connection with their ancient ancestors, learn to communicate with the seen and unseen forces in their environment and respectfully offer their healing energy to places in need.
“for the LOVE of Music with Sara Troy with her guest Michael Michael Mesey, on air from February 23rd
As the go-to special show and traveling drummer for Chuck Berry for many years, Michael Mesey had a blast creating explosive moments on stage with the legendary musical pioneer all over the country. Yet one of his most cherished memories is a moment on a tour bus, when Berry was listening to a blues tune, turned to him and said, “This is how I want us to play the blues – because when it’s time to rock, you rock me. No, I mean, you REALLY rock me!”
While transcendent, pinch me moments like these have happened throughout the St. Louis native’s multi-faceted 40 years as a writing, recording and touring musician, Mesey also knows a little something about the darker side of the life he chose – spending long stretches on the road, spending weeks at a time and holidays apart from beloved family members (including his daughter as she was growing up) while blazing away in the service of rock and roll. A few years ago, when he wrote “Together” for his hard rockin’ band American Greed, he never dreamed that the poignant powerhouse of a song – reflecting the personal heartache and longing of the road warrior musician – would become a universal anthem perfectly meeting our anxious collective moment during the age of COVID-19.
Over a propulsive, mid-tempo groove created by Mesey, Matt Arana’s sizzling electric guitar energy, lead vocalist Dave Farver’s searing, emotional vocals speak eloquently for all those apart from their loved ones due to the pandemic, from family and friends who must Zoom to communicate to relatives of those suffering in the hospital and front liner workers spending hours away from home: “Sorry for the tears you cried/I wasn’t by your side when you needed me. . .all I ever wanted was to be by your side/In this jaded heart of mine, you know I really tried/How can I find a way/To heal our soul of sorrows for the time I was away…I just wanna hear you say, we’ll be together, We will be together.”
In addition to nearly 200,000 streams on Spotify, “Together” –featuring the searing emotional lead vocals of the four-piece band, American greed – is a hit on two influential international charts, reaching #9 on the World Indie Music Chart and hitting #14 on the DRT Global Top 50 Rock Airplay Chart during a week when AC/DC’s “Shot in the Dark” was #1. Its impactful video, which opens with the words “We Are In This Together,” has over 400,000 views on YouTube.
The clip, created by Mesey, intersperses hard-edged live performance clips of American Greed with compelling images of healthcare workers, military personnel reuniting with family members, eerily empty city streets, medical ships, a busy ICU and crowds of masked people – images which are now familiar to us but only a year ago would have seemed like a new sci-fi movie.
“Together” is the title track from American Greed’s 2020 full length debut album, which was produced and engineered by Malcolm Springer, who has worked with Matchbox 20, Collective Soul, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Isaac Hayes. The track has received an impressive array of critical accolades from prominent indie music outlets. Garth Thomas of Hollywood Digest writes, “Carried out with a thrilling rock ballad music bed, this understated track is one of exceptional musicianship. ‘Together’ ties the binds that glues the best of the best rock tracks together – a band that rocks together can also release heartfelt songs. The song is inspiring and hits close to home for many. , .American Greed captures the hurt and balances it out very well with the pining for forgiveness . . .a way to say thank you for the selflessness.”
Michael Rand of Mobangeles.com adds, “Packed tightly with a near symphonic rock guitar and a percolating percussion, American Greed spoils the listener with the right amount of heart, rock and power pop. ‘Together’ feels like the culmination of hard work, exceptional talent and wearing one’s heart on the sleeve.”
“The song had some promotional stops and starts in the past,” Mesey says, “but it turns out that this year was the perfect time to release it, because the message is that much more meaningful in light of everything that’s happening. Every line I wrote literally fits what we’re witnessing – people going into the hospital alone, the first responders spending hours away from loved ones. I originally wrote it because I was often on the road for Thanksgiving, and I regretted missing so many moments in my family’s life and wondered how I could make things right. I thought maybe the concept would touch the lives of military personnel who are away for months or years at a time, but now it’s an experience almost everyone is going through.
“The truth is, we all have someone that we miss, that is all alone, that is on the front lines working to keep us safe and healthy, and some loved ones we have lost,” the drummer adds. “Whether it’s the pandemic, the protests due to racial injustice or everyday life, the truth is that despite our differences, we are in this together. Everything in the world and in America is about being ‘Together.’ I truly believe that we need to come together, rise together, heal together and then we will be together. I hope the song and the video helps everyone in some way or another to feel like they’re not alone, that so many others are dealing with the same challenges and frustrations.”
Prior to their breakthrough with “Together,” American Greed scored some major indie success winning a total of six Los Angeles Music Awards – including Music Video of the Year and Live Video Producer of the Year – and nominated for such honors as Rock Single of the Year, Rock Artist of the Year and Hard Rock Band of the Year. In addition to performing extensively in and around their home base of St. Louis, they’ve opened the LA Music Awards and the Phoenix Music Awards in Arizona and played the legendary Whisky a Go Go on Sunset Blvd.
Mesey split his time for many years between high profile gigs with Chuck Berry and recording and touring with famed St. Louis based Classic Rock Band Head East, including performances with Sammy Hagar, Boston, ZZ Top, REO Speedwagon, Heart, Cheap Trick and many others. His time with Berry includes shows at legendary venues like The Fox Theatre in St. Louis, The Show Boat in Atlantic City, Bayside in Miami for the Super Bowl, in front of 66,000 at Busch Stadium and performing “Johnny B. Goode” for a live worldwide broadcast from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena CA for The Voyager project.
The drummer also produced and performed on an all-star version of “Johnny B. Goode” featuring one of the last studio performances by legendary pianist Johnnie Johnson, in addition to Michael McDonald (who sang lead vocals) and saxophone legend David Sanborn. Also interesting to note, Mesey owns the only Chopper drum set in the World and has been featured in many articles around the world including Drum Magazine, Music Connection, Motorcycle USA and Thunder Roads Magazine.
“All of these incredible experiences have led me and American Greed to this moment where we are sharing ‘Together’ with the world,” says Mesey. “In my heart, this is the rock song for the moment we’re living in. I hope that when people hear it, they forget about left and right and can relate to it no matter what they’re dealing with personally in their lives. It’s not a political statement, it’s a song about the current realities of what’s happening in families everywhere around the world, written straight from the heart. If they feel when they listen the way I felt when I wrote it, maybe they can let all the other things, the differences between us and the issues that divide us, drift out of their head. I would love for everyone to think about “Time can seem very long, remember me when you hear this song, and close your eyes with a little smile”, because it’s truer than it’s ever been, we are all in this together.”
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