This of course, brings me back to the subject at hand “Skylar Grey”.

When Skylar Grey burst onto the scene, many in the public and industry were scratching deep to gleam as much information about her as possible. A small short list of friends, family and close knit industry folks knew the whole story but were sworn to secrecy in respect of the artist herself and the anticipated firestorm to follow. We waited on pins and needles for  the ripples in the industry waters when the Grammy winners were to be announced. Our fears were lain to rest as the ripples became waves and washed ashore to every square inch of the industrial ocean of which we reside. For those of you that dont know me, keeping my mouth  shut on this subject was like having my wisdom teeth pulled without any anesthesia. I did keep my promise despite the overpowering urge “and pain” to voice my personal opinion to certain individuals in the industry for a lack of insight.

It is well known now that Skylar Grey is the former Holly Brook. The history of Holly and the former career path is well known now and I should not have to revisit from start to  finish. There are parts of the former self that I specifically shall touch on as it mirrors the careers of many within the industry as a whole. As with most, she shared her own fan base of extremely loyal fans and friends that would have gone way beyond the call of duty to push her into the forefront of the public eye. That kind of loyalty is not given but earned by the artist by loyalty in return to them in return.  These fans, friends and family rode every wave, high or low
that Holly endured during those troubled times. Our faith in her and her music never wavered even though she may have doubted herself at times due to the legal complexities and stone walls placed in her path. I do not claim to know every detail of the troubled times she  endured, but I know enough and of others to have the insight required.

So here is the gist of the entire story, becoming visible after being invisible. The new track from  Skylar Grey “Invisible” in my opinion, is as much about her personal experiences as well as other artists and those fans that have experienced much of the same in their own way. When I listened to this track, I could actually picture her singing it in my mind. I could see Skylar singing in the forefront and Holly singing chorus and background vocals. I think of all the folks that looked right through Holly and never saw the person or the potential are regretting that mistake and shall do so forever more. It is also noteworthy to acknowledge Alex da Kid for his part in this story as well. Alex could have done what others had done so many times in the  past and just looked right through her without so much as a second glance. Instead, he took a path that so few do in this industry. He took a chance on Holly and the rest of the story is a page, documented in the chronological records of music history. A rare occurrence but he has garnered much respect and admiration from my end for doing just that. Perhaps others will take note and be a bit more daring in regards to other fine artists of whom need to be seen  and heard. The chance he took has served them both, very well indeed!

I guess, no matter how far or how great Skylar Grey becomes, my first respect and admiration will always be Holly Brook. If it were not for all the determination and courage of Holly Brook, there would not be a Skylar Grey. In that regard I give that credit to her parents as this  kind of courage and fortitude is not genetic, but is a learned and nurtured quality from early on in life’s teachings.

Holly Brook might not have been in the forefront like Skylar Gey is now,
but it is safe to say she is Invisible No More!

There is much to be said about the madness in which Twitter operates. Keeping things short and sweet does have advantages, especially for celebrities that really don’t want to wake up in the morning to 200 or so emails of a gigabyte each. Believe it or not, they have better things to do than read emails professing undying love, listen to my album or being quizzed on what type and color underwear they have on this fine morning. If you think you get junk mail as a normal everyday person, just imagine the amount you would get as a celebrity.

Twitter for me,  is a magnificent open forum of sociology. Where else can you delve into the minds and interests of so many diverse people? Consider how many people (okay, celebrities) that you would have given anything to get to know on a personal basis. In this domain, those possibilities are endless and all it takes is to click the follow button. You wake up in the morning, tune in Twitter and can pretty much find out where your favorites are and what they have planned for the day. Not to mention getting periodic updates on everything from work to shopping sprees.

Personally, joining up has afforded me with some great insight to some of my favorite artists, actresses and business associates in the industry. My good friend Tammy Hunt from Hunt Talent Management was one of my first follows. I found one of the artists that was fundamental in me starting up RupturedEarDrums and REDLight Internet Radio, Ms Mandi Perkins. I spotted her picture with the elevated bad finger of which I have seen on many occasion. Alison Sudol is another of my all times favorites, an accomplished lyricist and piano player whom i have had the pleasure of conversing with before. From her tweets, i can picture her sitting in a mountain retreat, poring over her new lyrics and music to a fresh glass of red wine. My favorite ex Law & Order ADA, Angie Harmon of whom left the show and took much of the grit and attitude of which I adored in that series. The others were good, but Angie’s character gave the show so much more depth. I have never been able to get her quote of “Hang them all” out of my head from one of the episodes. Every time I see an injustice on the boob tube, Angie’s voice echos through my head “Hang them all”! The new to you but not new to me Skylar Grey. An artist I have followed and supported for quite a while. Seeing her finally get the recognition for her talent as of late was a dream come true for me as well as for her. Yeah, i follow Denise Richards. Not for the bullshit about her ex but because I always liked her as an actress. No! I do not follow Charlie Sheen. I have more than enough social retards living around my neck of the woods that I do not have to go on the internet and find any more. OTEP Shamaya, the metal goddess speaks! Always interesting to see what topic she champions during the day or her general musings of the minute. WATF or We Are The Fallen Band, one of my all time favorites as it is the base setup of the former Evanescence with Carly Smithson at the vocal helm and of course Marty O’Brien on bass.

Last but not least of my recent favorite things on Twitter is Tawny Kitaen. For those of you that might need a little history lesson, Tawny was an actress that broke unto the scene and sent ripples across the entertainment industry with her gorgeous looks and talent. She was voted  the woman with the most intimidating hair in the industry, red, thick and so very long. Women were jealous as many a man (including me) sat at the tv and drooled like a child on Seconal at any glimpse we could get. A Whitesnake video sent many an fellow man over the edge at that point and time in history. We didn’t have you tube in those days so we had to scrounge for these things (imagine that). I have had the pleasure of conversing with and discussing the history of Henry the 8th and his dealings with his 6 wives with Tawny. A very enjoyable thing considering how long i have been a fan of hers.

This Twitter world has many nice attributes to someone whom will behave themselves and use this as a forum to get to know the artists, actors and other celebrities that have had an impact in their lives over the years. take what they give and be happy and content for the info and the moments it brings. They do not have to do this, it is a willing thing on their part to share bits and pieces of their personal lives and inner most thoughts. Int the end, you might just come to the realization that celebrities are nothing more than people, just like me and you. They are husbands, wives, parents, social activists, the only difference between us and them is the jobs and industry in which the work. Living in the public eyes is not always what it is cracked up to be. Every move you make, every spoken word must be carefully calculated and weighed for the better good. I can spit on the side walk, voice my opinion in relative obscurity and without much recoil. A celebrity is always under the microscope and every word and move can be misconstrued and be on the evening news and every major magazine and tabloid by daybreak. Nothing you do is off limits to the press and paparazzi. Privacy is no more once you are listed in the public eye.

Anyway, i like this Twitter World. Enjoy it, have fun, make friends with some of the people you have admired. Just treat them as you would have others treat you back.

This particular statement has many different meanings and apparently is open for anyone’s interpretation nowadays. Ask any actor, actress, musician, entertainer and you might find their answer somewhat disturbing. Somewhere along the legal battle lines, being in the public eye has come to pass that you must give up a portion of your constitutional rights to privacy. You can be chased by paparazzi, photographed in public or private places, have stories written about you that may or may not have a shred of truth to them. We all have seen the usual story line which always has the statement “from a source close to” somewhere in the article. Many fan and follower alike really have no clue as to what kind of privacy invasions this amounts to.

Imagine what it would be like to never be able to leave your home without 2 or 3 people shadowing your every move, snapping pictures of you and asking you stupid questions over and over again. Imagine having to shield your children from the very same people on a daily basis. You have to go home, close all your windows so that the folks with the telephoto lenses don’t get any intimate shots of you and your spouse. Imagine losing your temper and waking up to every newspaper and tabloid in the country, detailing totally different views of what little you did as a major social event. Consider spending a fortune on a suit or dress and having some snot ragg in a JC Penny bargain brand telling the world of your apparent lack of good taste. God forbid if you gain any weight, those pictures will be on every magazine, news paper and you tube before you get off the scales. You would have to be ever so careful about what you say in public and private as that would certainly of interest to the entire world as well. I could go on and on with the items that you would have to put up with on a daily basis.

Being in the public eye is not the honor you might think it to be. Look at all the articles on your favorite personalty that are being stalked by an assortment of demented weirdo’s. Lets not forget how many have been attacked, brutalized and even killed by the over indulgent fans. Consider how much they have had to give up to be where they are today. I don’t think you will find too many that just became overnight stars and never had to sacrifice for the things they have obtained.

We don’t say to not admire them, be fascinated and genuinely interested in their personal lives. Just don’t ask them to give up something for you that you would not be willing to do in return. No one whether celebrity or fan should have to give up their constitutional rights to feed the addiction of a nation of information addicts.

Message From Ben Moody

If I intended to compete with Ev I would have done it oh…. about seven fucking years ago. And it is this presumption that I’m somehow trying to start a war with Evanescence that demands my rebuttal.

If you truly believe, that after the most selfless sacrifice I’ve ever made in an attempt to atone for the person I had become, YEARS of taking the high road and the endless verbal bashings I still receive TO THIS DAY that i never defended myself against.; that I would then spend another year and a half and a sizable financial investment to launch this band just to reignite a fictional feud between myself and Amy Lee after ALL I DID TO GO IN PEACE….If you TRULY believe that’s even plausible; then you are lost. And you are wrong.
Every single bit of success that Evanescence achieves, is a success for me. Every cd they sell (with or without my contributions), every venue they sell out, strengthens the one great thing I did with my life. Ensuring my sacrifice wasn’t in vain. I want nothing more in this world than for Evanescence to have decades of success and connection with the millions of people that connected to our music. It is absolutely absurd that anyone would think otherwise.
It has been the greatest disappointment and hurt of my life that the very people that so passionately supported my life’s work, who gave me the strength to walk away, were so quick to make me the villain. And even though Amy Lee, the one you hold so dear, has TOLD YOU ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS that the happiest she’s ever been in the band was after my departure…you make her a victim. She has absolute empirical control of the creative direction of Evanescence for the rest of her life. I literally handed everything over without fighting for a thing. Yet all I’ve heard for seven years is “Ben Moody is an asshole for leaving. Ben Moody is douche. Ben put Amy through hell and betrayed her.” I honestly thought eventually you’d all move on, but WATF has apparently incited an uprising. Though some of you will continue to disagree, and contradict this…the absolute 100% unavoidable FACT of the situation is that you still have Evanescence SOLELY because I was willing to leave. And I refuse to sit silent while while a great number of you insist on making something that should be so wonderful and positive in to this bullshit. Evanescence is bigger than that. It’s bigger than Amy Lee. It’s bigger than Ben Moody. It can still be something special. So many of you seem to be fighting a war that doesn’t exist. Amy is happy! I am happy! Why is it that so many of you refuse to acknowledge that?
Do I expect gratitude for what I’ve done, or an apology for the resentment I’ve been shown with absolutely no basis?
No.
Do i deserve it?
Absolutely.
So I’ll skip a step…
You’re welcome that I gave it all away, so that the connection I felt with you all through music might not die. Standing on that stage every night playing these songs and seeing so many people sharing the same experience was the greatest joy I’ve ever known. When I left, the biggest part of me died. That those same people couldn’t see that and abandoned me overnight, is the greatest heartache I’ve ever had to endure. I have no way of repairing what has been done. It is done.
Evanescence is in no way threatened or concerned by WATF, and WATF is in no way threatening. Having a band almost a decade later that I can make the music I love with on such a minuscule scale compared to EV just to be happy…is pretty goddam little to ask. Do any of you really think I’m trying to steal thunder from Evanescence or defeat Amy Lee at some stupid pissing contest? It’s asinine to even think it’s possible. You don’t like it? That’s fine. You think listening to WATF or enjoying WATF or simply leaving it be is somehow betraying your loyalty to EV? That’s your opinion and you’re entitled to it. But neither WATF nor EV agree with you. This need to pick a side is only real in your head. I just want to play. This is what the music I make sounds like. And for the first time in a very long time, I’m happy. i just wish you’d spare yourselves so much wasted time and energy tearing everything down. We don’t care. And that’s energy and passion you could put towards something positive.
I love Evanescence. If there were anyway in the universe I could go back and do things differently.. I’d pay any price. But I have never been stronger in my resolve and belief that I made the right decision for everyone. You don’t have to agree with or believe me, but for everyone’s sake hopefully at least some of you will take a hint from Amy and myself….and just move on.
I wish Amy Lee and Evanescence a lifetime of success and happiness. And I hope you all will continue to find a kindred spirit in both Evanescence, and other Evanescence fans.

And hey… if you decide you’re willing and able to drop this imaginary competition between us two…Who knows? You just might be able to enjoy both.
I certainly do.

Sincerely,
Efanar

http://music-mix.ew.com/2011/02/22/skylar-grey-interview-eminem-dr-dre/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+entertainmentweekly%2Flatest+

Whitney Steele is one of those unique artists that gave me the motivation to get into this biz. She has all the heart, determination and courage to survive in an industry that inherently takes it’s toll on all that enters it’s domain. I have watched her grow as an artist and as a good friend over the years. Whitney is someone to watch closely as her talent and determination will take her far on her chosen path.

Doc Morgan Owner/CEO

Frontwoman, lead guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, Maha has been reviewed as a Slash/Linda Perry hybrid and The Kut’s original sound has earned them some growing attention in the UK as well as in the US. This year Maha secured an endorsement deal with Marshall Amplification, making her one of the only females in the UK to have their seal of approval. The bands recent headline show at 800 capacity Proud Camden, is marking the start of good times for The Kut. Previously the band performed as main support at the 25th Anniversary of London’s People Day, a festival that attracts over 30,000 people each year. Other stages included performances from the James Taylor Quartet and other well known acts.

Their self-recorded ‘The Vision’ demo received a great deal of attention, and before The Kut set foot in a studio they gained the support of a massive amount of reviewers and radio stations. However, after spending time in the studio, the band released their debut single ‘Doesn’t Matter Anyway’. Doesn’t Matter Anyway is a choppy indie rock floor filler and was well received all round, picking up support from BBC Radio 1 Introducing, BBC Radio Tees and achieving playlist on over 30 FM stations in the UK and into the hundreds worldwide.

Their sold out Green Vinyl made waves at it sold more copies than the current Lady Gaga 7″ in HMV. The recent UK tour was well received by fans and interviewers alike. The single provides a snippet of what is to come when The Kut finally unveil the eagerly awaited debut album, ‘Lies My Mother Told Me’ in 2011.

End of Press Release by Criminal Records

Coolen joins WT permanantly!

  Within Temptation drummer Stephen van Haestregt quits the band. He will be taking a position at the Swamp Studio in Raamsdonk NL. Mike Coolen whom has played with WT on previous occasions has assumed Stephens place. Coolen had previously replaced drummer Corne Borchers in a group named the Brotherhood Foundation of which Ruud Jolie had played with as well. Coolen had also played WT theatre tour last year

As posted on the band’s website, Within Temptation write:

“We are sorry to announce that Stephen and Within Temptation will go their separate ways after the upcoming theatre tour. It isn’t easy to say goodbye after all we’ve been through together. In this period of time many dreams have become reality for all of us and exceeded our highest expectations. Through the good and bad it has created a bond; we’ve had a wedding, a funeral and have seen each other’s kids being born and growing-up. Everything passed in a flash and we are looking back on it with a smile.

We would like to thank him and Veroniek for all the great moments, passion and devotion. We wish you the best for the future! You can still see Stephen on stage with the upcoming theatre tour and in the future with his band ‘My Favorite Scar’. If you are curious check their site or their MySpace site. Stephen has written a personal message for you which you can find in the link beneath this one.

–Within Temptation”

  From Stephen van Haestregt:

“WT was an unstoppable train. I remember well the time that I got involved with WT as a Studio Technician. Mother Earth marked the beginning of a successful era. I couldn’t have imagined that I would be their drummer in two years time. WT developed from an underground band to Holland’s best selling musical export product. A childhood dream came true: I toured over 40 countries, shared the same stage with heroes like Iron Maiden, Metallica and Rammstein and performed in a sold out Ahoy with the Metropole Orchestra. In short, it’s been an incredible time. The things we experienced will stay with me forever.

But on April 29 in Antwerp, Belgium, I’ll be on stage with WT for the last time.

From the start of our sabbatical year (end of 2008) I started producing, recording and mixing other bands again. I found a great working spot at the Swamp Studio in Raamsdonk (NL). Very close to where I live, so I can spend more time with my family. As a musician, you have not seen the last of me though! On the contrary. As some of you may have read in our fan magazine a while ago, I have been involved with another project for quite a while now, “My Favorite Scar”. In this band I feel right at home, musically as well as personally. I believe this band is at the beginning of a bright future, yet all depends on the support of the fans, as always. Hopefully you’ll love and support My Favorite Scar as much as you do Within Temptation!

I’ve always found it hard to say goodbye and this time it’s no different. I’ve enjoyed a great time with our crew and the band. So thanks to Debbie, Pim, Guus, Bennie, Arwin, Marco, Rob, Guido, Rene, Paul and all other crew members who worked with us in the past, Raymond, Martijn, Iris and everyone at AT, Sharon, Robert, Jeroen, Ruud and my roommate Martijn and last but not least, the fans all over the world. Thank you all for an unforgettable time. Hopefully our paths will cross again soon.

Horns up!

Stephen van Haestregt”

A new begining!

Skylar Grey became one of the most talked about new artists virtually overnight. Her songwriting abilities, stunning vocals and stage performance left everyone wanting more. The question of the day was “Who is Skylar Grey” ?
Skylar Grey has been around a lot longer than you think. Under a previous name, she has been writing and performing for many years as a solo artist and as a duo from a very early age. Like so many others before her, she struggled to survive in a very competitive industry. Luck, fate, call it what you will, meeting Alex Da Kid was a positive turning point in her career. From that point on, all is written in the chronicles of Skylar Greys rise to global recognition and a Grammy in hand.  Her ability to mold lyrics and instrumentation into a liquid, flowing river of auditory art is second to none.  She is without a doubt an artist that has paid her dues along the way and survived in an industry that consumes many early on. Finally, the world gets to see and hear what they have been missing for so long.
The art of Skylar Grey is finally where it belongs and always needed to be.
In the public eye!