Wednesday, October 21, 2009

David Proposes to Heidi

I have been extremely fortunate to be part of many weddings, proposals, and anniversaries. Recently I met David Glaze while performing in Europe. Soon thereafter he brought Heidi Roberts to hear me sing in Dallas and included me in his plan to propose to her. Here is a video of a few of those moments.  The video may too big for the blog space but you can click on the title and it will take you to the actual video.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Hawaii


ALOHA = The Breath Of God!

I have waited for several years to write about Hawaii in my blog for just one reason.

There is just no real way to fully describe the wonder of paradise.

This is a diverse culture with so many different types of customs, people, and social parameters from all over the world. The True Hawaiian natives are a passionate people who are very protective of their home. They share their paradise with tourist from every corner of the world and have the best attitude except when they encounter ungracious people. Soooo often I have seen people come to Hawaii expecting a certain thing and when they get here it is so much more than they ever thought or dreamed. Let me just tell you, if your image of Hawaii came from old Elvis Presley movies then, you are going to be disappointed. If your idea of an island is taken from reruns of Gilligan’s island, then you are in for a rude awakening. If you come to Hawaii thinking it’s all grass skirts and coconuts, then you have not done your research. The people here watch television, go to college, and live in homes just like everyone else on the mainland. Hawaii is America and even comes with the same compliment of Walmart stores.


The Napoli Coastline

Yes Hawaii is American but it has not been so for very long. There are still customs, which require strict attention. The word for hello, goodbye, and Love are the same word in Hawaiian - ALOHA. That should tell you something very important about the people of these great and beautiful islands. They are a loving and passionate people with a fierce desire to appreciate nature and family. They see others from around the world spending small fortunes to come to their home to relax and play. They see people of every level of wealth, on a daily basis, doing everything they can to get here to spend precious vacation time doing the same things they, as natives, have done their entire lives. They do not jump for anyone when called. They take their time to do most things and enjoy every aspect of life. If you are in a hurry to do anything in Hawaii then you did not schedule enough time to be there. If you spend so much money to fly to Hawaii then you should absolutely stay for at least two weeks and not rush the experience. Come to Hawaii but leave the stress on the plane. Wear your flip flops, sandals, water shoes, or no shoes at all, but leave the stress and aggravation on the plane. You are coming to Paradise and everything that it symbolizes.


Kauai Waterfall

Airports are notorious for causing a rise in blood pressure and a rise in stress levels, so plan carefully. Before your plane lands, take at least an hour to think about throwing off the things that weigh you down. Fold up the bills like a pair of pants and toss them aside. Think about what it will be like to wear only your swimsuit, but do also remember that there are some places in Hawaii where even the swimsuit is optional. Take off the pressure of work like a dirty shirt and toss it aside or hang it neatly for later, but definitely lose it. Do not allow yourself to be bothered by anything or to be in a hurry to get a taxi, get to the hotel, or get anywhere. You’ll get there. Walk slowly on purpose. Be patient with families traveling with small children. Take in the whole experience as if you were observing life for material in a new book you are writing. Notice details and appreciate the diversity of others without having an opinion. Certainly the girl with blue hair doesn’t care what you think, so why think anything except, ‘Oh, there’s a girl with blue hair.’ Wait in line without allowing an impatient attitude to cause you to fidget. By all means, you know that the lines at the airport are going to be long, so go early and at some point, have a glass of wine to calm your nerves. Some things will never change even if you have great wealth and can fly first class. There will always be a line.

Big Island Volcano on the ocean!

I have learned these things after too many occasions wasting precious time having to rest from just the travel experience of home to airport, and then airport to hotel. I would end up having no energy because I had allowed those things to dictate my mood and thus destroying my vacation or new city experience. By the time I got through moving luggage, stumbling over small children, little old ladies who do nothing in a hurry, screaming babies, and smelly feet on airplanes, all I wanted to do was to get to my hotel room and sleep. Just thinking about this stuff, right at this moment, raises my anxiety levels.

The Wall Of Kona!

In June of this year I decided to change me and see whether or not it would make a difference. I invested in a pair of headphones that cancel noise from my surroundings and put my favorite music to listen to, sleep to, and an audio book, onto my ipod. I started being physically active again about a month before my travel date so that I was smaller and had more energy. This allowed me to sit on the plane more comfortably and I wasn’t so bone weary in the end. I had a glass of wine on the plane, listened to my book, slept, ate, listened to my book again, dozed yet again, and before I knew it the flight was over and the crying baby did not bother me at all. The smelly feet I will never get over, but I had cologne in my bag and when that person was asleep I killed the deadly smelly.

Botanical Gardens Of Hilo!

Once I reached my destination, I took my time getting through customs and then getting to the hotel. When I arrived at the hotel, I thought I would rest a bit but found I wasn’t really tired. I took a shower, wrote in my facebook about public restroom etiquette for men, and went for a 4 mile walk through the city. That would never have happened before.


COME TO HAWAII but leave the mess and stress on the plane. Bring your best ideas of what Paradise can be and you will find what you are looking for. Romance is alive here. Relationships can be rekindled as you make perfect memories under rainbow ensconced waterfalls. The white or black sand beaches will record your journey as they have done for lovers and friends for thousands of years. Witness the splendor of a living volcano, ski in the morning, surf in the afternoon, have the most beautiful orchids in the world shipped back to your home, to remind you of your experience. Know each other in paradise making memories that can only be spoken of by looking into each other’s eyes.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Michael Jackson


Will We Still Not Dance?
Will we ever know the truth of Michael on this side of heaven, and does it really matter once we hear the beat?
Will we still not dance? 

How many hit songs will now be released previously held back from our ears, because of shame and speculation? Does it matter once we hear the beat?

Will we still not Dance?!?!
How many reports will be rendered and how many tears will be shed? How many arguments will be exchanged over his innocence and or guilt?  How many of us really care about all of that once the music starts?

WILL WE STILL NOT DANCE?!?!?!?

The reigning king of pop had the greatest and most highly anticipated appointment of his existence on June 25th and I hope it was all he hoped it to be. I hope when the angels heard his song of revelation and honor to God in heaven... THEY DANCED!!

We are sad because we will miss him being alive and dancing for us. We will miss the one who taught us all to dance. We all feel in some small way we know him. FOr those of us who love him for his music and his magic perhaps all the frenzy over his death will be because we realize that through his music we really did know him. We don't need more than that.

When his private world was partially exposed we found his reality too fantastic to digest and so we vilified him. ‘A mile in my shoes’ is the phrase that come s to my mind. We did not need more of him than the music and that was all he freely gave.

I once worked with a lady who grew up down the street from the Jacksons in Gary, IN and her words were quite revealing. She says Michael was too young for the spotlight and did not have proper counseling and did not have mature and constant adult supervision. He was simply not handled properly. She said he was abused in ways that make a child never want to grow up.  Children abused like this feel safest with other children who have no hidden agenda. Was he too old to spend so much time with children? I wonder why they never talked about the fact that he gave to more charities than any other person in history... it IS IN THE GUINNESS book of world records.

Other industry people have told me that several of the adults in Michael’s life truly abused him. Perhaps he had a broken place in his soul which caused this fear of adulthood and this ultimately manifested an overwhelming fear of, and fascination with death.
Perhaps his heart could not face growing up and when it was time to really lay it all down, and we all know that his body was trying to tell him the same, Michael found it too hard to face. 

His personal revelation and subsequent announcement that this would be his final concert tour must have really shocked him to the point of a determination to work harder and to shine even brighter, but we saw that it proved to be too much. Some cutting edge psychologists who study the emotions behind actual physical pain say that a heart problem stems from a fear to face life’s realities. Whether any of this be true or not and whether it makes any difference once the music starts …
WILL WE STILL NOT DANCE?!?!?!?

The king of pop demands our respect and requires an active show of appreciation not with bows and personal praise but simply by the swaying of hips and rhythmic movement of feet! The lip service he requires are repeating his songs with a smile of joy. He is not a hard king to appreciate. 

Who can sit still when Michael sets the groove? Who can resist raising their voice when Michael starts to sing? Have we not all sang “Cause it’s the Thriller” “Say you wanna be startin something, You got to be startin something” “Because I’m Bad, I’m bad, really, really bad!”? Have we not all sang “We are the World, We are the children!” 

His is a name that is only unknown by the very young. Even the farthest reaches of the earth know the name Michael Jackson and it is because the music has a sound that speaks to the deepest part of our humanity. It touches us in a place more rudimentary than language. If music is the universal language then nobody has ever spoken it better than Michael Jackson. We have all run to the dance floors, packed arenas, and crowded around our televisions to hear and see him speak it with the greatest effect and finesse. We have allowed him to cast his spell over us, for truly it was magic, and we love magic.
So come now Sony music!!! What unreleased treasures have you hidden in your vaults for those of us who love the music beyond the legend...

 WE WILL STILL YET DANCE!!!

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

WT Greer Performing Nightly!

The internet is full of amazing websites and I have found one which allows me to post my videos in high definition.
Coy the link below to your browser in order to see the video promo for my new performance venue.

http://vimeo.com/2886504?pg=embed&sec=2886504&hd=1

Happy New Year and remember the economy can recover quickly if we work together to solve our energy demands
domestically. Use American oil, and build cars that run on water. THEY EXIST already. People of America demand what you
want.