This week, the Kevin Burdick Tour Bus, which has been such an icon at shows and events for nearly three years, goes up for auction in Phoenix. It’s a bittersweet financial move, with the bus running in the tens of thousands of dollars each year to keep on the road. In the future, you will soon find me and the crew in a simple white van – much more gas economical and much less glamoress, but a necessity if I’m to keep this “road on the show.”
Should you feel like owning the tour bus and gaining a piece of history, you can always stop by the Manheim Arizona Auction in Phoenix (3420 South 48th St). I can promise that it’s in good condition, gently used, and contains the ghosts of only a few hundred rockstar memories.
Enjoy, one last time, this classic clip involving Senior Tour Bus.
Nearly 7 years to the date after Dempsey’s passing I got an amazing invitation from an old high school friend. Her husband, a seasoned racecar driver with the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association), was touched by her charity and wanted to help create awareness. They decided to help her get her wings by placing her as a sponsor on their racecar.
Now Dempsey will be flying across the race track at hundreds of miles an hour all over the United States as part of the KMB Motorsports Team. I couldn’t be more proud of that national impact my little girl is making and more grateful to KMB Motorsports, Tracey and Kevin Bovay, for their kind donation and unique way that they’ve helped Dempsey and her message truly fly.
To find out more about Dempsey’s Fund and how she is helping provide financially struggling families with a headstone for their lost babies, go to: www.babyheadstones.org
Concerned fans have been asking me recently why my performing schedule has slowed significantly over the last 12 months. One of the main reasons for that is I have been having problems with my voice. After years of struggling with inflamed tonsils, strep throat, and issues with chronic laryngitis I am finally taking the proper steps next Wednesday. I’m letting a man stick his hand down my throat and rip our my poor swollen tonsils.
December 2009 meetings with renowned physician Mark Kerner ENT in Northridge California showed slight damage to the right vocal cord from years of performing and living hard. Plain and simple, I wasn’t taking great care of myself. Additionally, he spotted tonsil inflammation and recommended a course of treatment involving medication and a change in diet. A second opinion in June 2010 with Jerry Josen, ENT in Scottsdale Arizona revealed that the tonsils have become larger and more inflamed in recent months and that the vocal chords are still red and irritated. Surgery seems to be the best course of action at this point, so we scheduled to have them removed on Wednesday, June 23rd 2010.
What will this mean for the music? Plans to release the new album (Working Title: The Ivory Coast) are still on point for early fall. It will be a 12-song full length album featuring and exploring love in all of its splendor. Fans can expect the music to still be based on real and inspired stories. We’ve taken up a new producer on the album in wunderkid Chris Doucet and the tracks are still being recorded in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Voice-wise, it’s hard to know how I might be affected. When I sing the final tracks in August it will be interesting to note if not-having-a-stone-in-the-back-of-my-throat affects my range, timbre, or sound – regardless, I am confident that whatever changes may occur, I have the inner make-up to roll with them and make them work for me and the fans of my music.
Wish me luck and thanks so much for your concern and continued support!
To say that I am be pleased with the effects of new Wonder-Drug, Stelara would be an understatement. Sure, like any drug, there are side-effects and concerns, but thus far (a month in) I am really pleased with the results. Johnson & Johnson, you’re my new hero. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for letting me try this for a year under your “starving rockstar” program, and thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to be a mouthpiece for psoriasis sufferers everywhere.
First, let’s start with the side-effects. For those psoriasis sufferers out there, about an hour after my first injection I came down with a weird migraine-like headache and a feeling of near total exhaustion. Reading the list of potential side-effects from the website, apparently, this is fairly normal. Three extra-strength tylenol and a two-hour nap later, I actually felt pretty good. I’ve had no residual negative side-effects since, that I can pinpoint, and this Friday I’ll be able to see if the drug has similar side-effects after my 2nd scheduled injection.
Now the results: These photos below show before and after the Stelara Injection at 30 days (warning, my legs are those of a psoriasis-covered Greek God). I should point out that posting these images actually takes some ‘extra-courage’ for me – you never see me in shorts. My legs have been really bad for a while and a point of personal frustration and anguish, partially because my skin looks bad and partially because my skin feels bad (i.e. painful). Hopefully by sharing these images it will help create more awareness about the disease and help other psoriasis sufferers who are struggling realize that they don’t need to be ashamed; that they can still live an incredible life and still pursue their wildest dreams… and, well, as you can see, thanks to Stelara I have little to be worried about. Oh, and with this drug (and believe me I’ve tried virtually all of them) so far, no massive cases of strep throat or other weird issues as with other treatments. Yes, thanks Stelara for my one month of amazing!
One of my biggest pet peeves is when I hear people resenting others for choices they made. “Blaming others” is a contageous sickness where one is unable to take responsibility for their own life, because the individual feels helpless, miserable, and trapped. The biggest lie, I think, that the devil would have us believe is that we have no choice.
One of my favorite stories is that of “Spartacus.” Born a Thracean Nomad near ancient Rome, Spartacus was eventually captured and sold into slavery to become a gladiator. Tortured and brutalized, he was forced to fight and kill other men for sport. Spartacus, however, realized that he still had a choice in his life – he could die as a slave or live as a free man. Upon following his free heart, Spartacus organized a successful slave rebellion against his Roman captors. For the next two years, Spartacus would command a growing army of freed slaves and peasants against the Roman Empire winning a number of important battles. When Spartacus finally died, he died a free man.
If Spartacus, the slave, had a choice in his life, then we also have a choice in our lives. Of course, not all choices are easy, but whether we are in a difficult relationship or have some tough decisions to make about our children or employment or friends, those choices fall directly on us as an individual. It might seem like a lot of pressure to assume full responsibility for our destinies, but the way I do it is stress-free and simple: In sorting through difficult decisions, I always find it best to follow my free heart. When I do, it always seems to work out, even when it’s not in the way I expected.
After making a choice with your heart, you have no reason to ever look back and second-guess. Your heart is what will lead you on your life’s adventures, grant you fulfillment, and help you reach your wildest dreams. And when, at times, it seems like a heartfelt choice has led you somewhere dark – look up and realized that “hindsight is 20/20″ and your heart is teaching something you needed to know. Never put chains of fear or ropes of disappointment around your free heart – let it be liberated to guide and lead you to your amazing future. And always realize that when you follow your heart, you have nothing to regret!
Check out these amazing photos from the March 31st concert in Arizona! Big thanks to nationally renowned photographer and lifelong friend, Jared Platt, as these are some pretty impressive photos.
My favorite kind of show is where I can take my life and use it to inspire and entertain someone else as well as make a small difference in a community. Hopefully Gilbert, AZ is a little more inspired and entertained from my performances this week.
This Wednesday I had the pleasure to entertain and inspire several hundred Arizona youth and their families in both a day show and an evening show – the proceeds of which went to the Dempsey Burdick Memorial Foundation (www.babyheadstones.org) and Coronado Elementery School in Gilbert, AZ. The red carpet was rolled out for me at the Higley Center for the Performing Arts as I played on the very piano that Ronnie Milsap played on just a few days prior. I definitely felt to Ronnie Milsap energy flowing through me as I had a couple near mistake-free shows.
Day Show. Following the mid-day show for the youth, I went out to sign autographs. I was nearly eaten alive by young students who viewed me as some kind of Justin Timberlake with sideburns. Many of the kids informed me that they loved my rendition of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” while other’s begged me to sign their foreheads. Hoping the parents would forgive me (I didn’t sign any foreheads), I went ahead and signed hands, shirts, shoes, books, papers, tickets, arms, and shorts at the show. It felt good to be appreciated and the show organizers commented that during the show ”this was the best they’d ever seen those kids behave.” Glad I could have been a catalyst for that.
Night Show. The night show for local families was slightly more serious, with me getting into some of the extremely sad stories of the families we’d helped at the foundation. I did break up the tears, however, with my super-medley rendition of Tiny Dancer, Cheers, Facts of Life, Charles in Charge, Greatest American Hero, and Laverne and Shirley. After the night show I mingled in the foyer with many old friends and new fans, signed autographs, and took photos. Many thanks to all of those that came out, supported, and donated to the foundation – as well as those who bought t-shirts, CDs, and posters – the support was hugely appreciated.
Thank Yous. Big thanks to Jared Platt for his intro and photography (I’ll be posting those next week), Jennifer DeTemple and Shayla Taylor along with Coronado Elementary for being their awesome selfs as the show organizers, Aaron “Chives” Chavez for coming out from Los Angeles to play amazing percussion with me, Senior Cody McCormick for his “Roadiness” and his excellent handling of Merch Sales, and the staff at the Higley Center for the Performing Arts for being so accomodating and easy to work with. It was a great day that I won’t soon forget!!
Today would be Dempsey’s 7th Birthday if she were still here with me physically. Those who know me, know that she is very much still here with me spiritually; From the memorial tattoos that dot my arms and shoulders to the foundation that continues to help grieving families in her name.
This week I took some time and honored Dempsey at a concert for her foundation. We raised over $600 for headstones for low-income families who have also lost babies. It was a great day of performances and activities (I’ll post photos tomorrow). A lot of people at the event expressed a desire to help the additional families on our waiting list who are patiently waiting for headstones for their babies. Here are some ways you can help:
Donations. With very little overhead, we are able to send virtually every penny of your donations directly to local headstone manufacturers to make each family’s heartfelt wish happen. If you wish to donate, please go to: http://www.dempseyburdick.com/donations.html
Awareness. We simply need more people to know and understand the good work that we’re doing at the foundation. You can help people discover and become “fans” of the foundation through your Facebook page. To explore our Facebook presence go to: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Dempsey-Burdick-Memorial-Foundation/98710166216
Simple Things. The Dempsey Burdick Memorial Foundation is now partnering with GoodSearch.com to raise money for the cause. If you start using GoodSearch.com as your search engine of choice, they will donate a penny to the foundation every time you search for something on-line. Try it! For details, go to: http://www.goodsearch.com/
To read the heartbreaking stories of the families we’ve helped, or to find out more about Dempsey, the Charity, and the Headstone Fund, please go to: http://www.babyheadstones.org/
I’m not sure which mattered more to Johnson & Johnson – that I was a musician with a pretty substantial national following or that I was a broke-a** musician without health insurance, but a huge thanks to them. However, let me rewind a bit.
For those of you who may not know, I have been a chronic psoriasis sufferer since I was 15 years old. It has been a huge source of frustration to me as I work through physical pain, social stigmas, and in general just feeling uncomfortable in my own skin. When the new ground-breaking medication ‘Stelara’ was introduced late last year, I was sure it would be a long time until I would ever be able to try it. At $5000 per shot and several shots per year, the annual medication can be well over $20,000 – not to mention it must be administered and monitored by a licensed dermatologist.
So this week I was thrilled to discover that Johnson & Johnson would be providing me with the medication at no charge throughout 2010. I’ll blog about my progress with the medication, on occasion, and post updates and possibly before-n-after photos (if I can find some that I don’t feel are gross).
Stelara works on a brand new principle, utilizing the latest in psoriasis research; each injection blocks a specific set of proteins that (and this is my non-doctor explanation) somehow confuse my immune system and result in psoriasis. Friday, April 2nd, will be my first injection.
Those who know me know that I love women, in fact, some might joke that I love women “a little too much.” So when it comes to the gay community, I can’t say that I understand what it means to have a same-sex attraction or the societal challenges gays and lesbians face, but I definitely know what it meant to be persecuted because I was different (see High School). Needless to say, when my sweet lesbian friend Jessica called me to perform at her Utah Wedding last week, there was no way that I could tell her ”no.” Conveniently, I was already in Salt Lake City recording my new album, so on Saturday I drove to a church near the University of Utah having no idea what to expect.
During the wedding ceremony I played some pretty background piano music that I improvised entirely – mostly variations of church hymns - as Amanda and Jessica and their wedding procession walked to the front of the standing-room only chapel. Jessica’s only instruction to me was “you can play anything but the wedding march.” So I took some liberties, even adding some simple light Jazz to the mix. Later that night, during the evening reception at the Museum of Art, I played a brand new love song off of my new album called “God Made You Just For Me” as well as my rendition of “It’s a Wonderful World.” The brides danced with each other and then danced with their fathers as I sang.
All and all, it was a beautiful snow-covered day and the two girls looked both elegant and ecstatically happy. The biggest thing I got out of the experience was a simple reminder that no matter if we are gay or straight, black or white, or tall or short, we are all God’s children and we all deserve to have love and be loved. Everyone deserves happiness. Thank you Jessica and Amanda for reminding me of that and for allowing me to take part in your important day. Congratulations!!
This week, the Kevin Burdick Tour Bus, which has been such an icon at shows and events for nearly three years, goes up for auction in Phoenix. It’s a bittersweet financial move, with the bus running in the tens of thousands of dollars each year to keep on the road. In the future, you will soon find me and the crew in a simple white van – much more gas economical and much less glamoress, but a necessity if I’m to keep this “road on the show.”
To say that I am be pleased with the effects of new Wonder-Drug, Stelara would be an understatement. Sure, like any drug, there are side-effects and concerns, but thus far (a month in) I am really pleased with the results. Johnson & Johnson, you’re my new hero. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for letting me try this for a year under your “starving rockstar” program, and thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to be a mouthpiece for psoriasis sufferers everywhere.
One of my biggest pet peeves is when I hear people resenting others for choices they made. “Blaming others” is a contageous sickness where one is unable to take responsibility for their own life, because the individual feels helpless, miserable, and trapped. The biggest lie, I think, that the devil would have us believe is that we have no choice.
One of my favorite stories is that of “Spartacus.” Born a Thracean Nomad near ancient Rome, Spartacus was eventually captured and sold into slavery to become a gladiator. Tortured and brutalized, he was forced to fight and kill other men for sport. Spartacus, however, realized that he still had a choice in his life – he could die as a slave or live as a free man. Upon following his free heart, Spartacus organized a successful slave rebellion against his Roman captors. For the next two years, Spartacus would command a growing army of freed slaves and peasants against the Roman Empire winning a number of important battles. When Spartacus finally died, he died a free man.
After making a choice with your heart, you have no reason to ever look back and second-guess. Your heart is what will lead you on your life’s adventures, grant you fulfillment, and help you reach your wildest dreams. And when, at times, it seems like a heartfelt choice has led you somewhere dark – look up and realized that “hindsight is 20/20″ and your heart is teaching something you needed to know. Never put chains of fear or ropes of disappointment around your free heart – let it be liberated to guide and lead you to your amazing future. And always realize that when you follow your heart, you have nothing to regret!
This Wednesday I had the pleasure to entertain and inspire several hundred Arizona youth and their families in both a day show and an evening show – the proceeds of which went to the Dempsey Burdick Memorial Foundation (
Day Show. Following the mid-day show for the youth, I went out to sign autographs. I was nearly eaten alive by young students who viewed me as some kind of Justin Timberlake with sideburns. Many of the kids informed me that they loved my rendition of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” while other’s begged me to sign their foreheads. Hoping the parents would forgive me (I didn’t sign any foreheads), I went ahead and signed hands, shirts, shoes, books, papers, tickets, arms, and shorts at the show. It felt good to be appreciated and the show organizers commented that during the show ”this was the best they’d ever seen those kids behave.” Glad I could have been a catalyst for that.
Night Show. The night show for local families was slightly more serious, with me getting into some of the extremely sad stories of the families we’d helped at the foundation. I did break up the tears, however, with my super-medley rendition of Tiny Dancer, Cheers, Facts of Life, Charles in Charge, Greatest American Hero, and Laverne and Shirley. After the night show I mingled in the foyer with many old friends and new fans, signed autographs, and took photos. Many thanks to all of those that came out, supported, and donated to the foundation – as well as those who bought t-shirts, CDs, and posters – the support was hugely appreciated.
Today would be Dempsey’s 7th Birthday if she were still here with me physically. Those who know me, know that she is very much still here with me spiritually; From the memorial tattoos that dot my arms and shoulders to the foundation that continues to help grieving families in her name.
I’m not sure which mattered more to Johnson & Johnson – that I was a musician with a pretty substantial national following or that I was a broke-a** musician without health insurance, but a huge thanks to them. However, let me rewind a bit.
So this week I was thrilled to discover that Johnson & Johnson would be providing me with the medication at no charge throughout 2010. I’ll blog about my progress with the medication, on occasion, and post updates and possibly before-n-after photos (if I can find some that I don’t feel are gross). 
Those who know me know that I love women, in fact, some might joke that I love women “a little too much.” So when it comes to the gay community, I can’t say that I understand what it means to have a same-sex attraction or the societal challenges gays and lesbians face, but I definitely know what it meant to be persecuted because I was different (see High School). Needless to say, when my sweet lesbian friend Jessica called me to perform at her Utah Wedding last week, there was no way that I could tell her ”no.” Conveniently, I was already in Salt Lake City recording my new album, so on Saturday I drove to a church near the University of Utah having no idea what to expect.
During the wedding ceremony I played some pretty background piano music that I improvised entirely – mostly variations of church hymns - as Amanda and Jessica and their wedding procession walked to the front of the standing-room only chapel. Jessica’s only instruction to me was “you can play anything but the wedding march.” So I took some liberties, even adding some simple light Jazz to the mix. Later that night, during the evening reception at the Museum of Art, I played a brand new love song off of my new album called “God Made You Just For Me” as well as my rendition of “It’s a Wonderful World.” The brides danced with each other and then danced with their fathers as I sang.
All and all, it was a beautiful snow-covered day and the two girls looked both elegant and ecstatically happy. The biggest thing I got out of the experience was a simple reminder that no matter if we are gay or straight, black or white, or tall or short, we are all God’s children and we all deserve to have love and be loved. Everyone deserves happiness. Thank you Jessica and Amanda for reminding me of that and for allowing me to take part in your important day. Congratulations!!
