Stop Hiding, Start Living – World Psoriasis Day, October 29th

admin — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 05:46:21 +0000

Recently I stumbed onto a website where LeAnn Rimes bravely discussed her lifelong battle with psoriasis. It was truly inspiring. As you probably know, psoriasis awareness has been one of my passion projects over the last few years and I hope to inspire others living with the disease to come forward and pursue their dreams – I’m excited about LeAnn coming out and hope they’ll be others. Psoriasis is not a contageous (nor sexy) disease, but is connected to so many other problems – including alcoholism, depression, heart disease, and other system-wide problems. As a sufferer, I am almost always uncomfortable in my own skin; skin which cracks, burns, itches, and bleeds frequently as my immune system stupidly attacks my it as if it was some kind of dermal virus. Sometimes I want to send a memo to my own immune system, which would read something like this:

Dear White Blood Cells,
Yo, it’s your boss Kevin (You know, owner of the body you live in and are hired to protect). Yeah, what’s up? Hey, here’s a naked photo of me - you see that semi-tanned layer of soft flesh with cool tattoos and a bit of hair in all of the right places? Yeah, that’s called “skin” you idiots!! So when you get done playing X-box, or whatever it is you do everyday, maybe you could stop screwing around inside my body and instead focus on the flu that’s going around or making sure I don’t get some kind of STD. I’m definitely keeping your damage deposit and may have to evict you if you guys don’t get your act together. You are officially on f*#$ing notice – my skin is off-limits! Hugs and Kisses.
Love, Kevin

Each October, which includes World Psoriasis Day on October 29th, I try and create some additional awareness for the disease and this year I’ve decided to do something a little radical. For the last 2 weeks I have pulled myself off of all my psoriasis medication, medication which was managing the disease moderately well - yep, right now I’m allowing the psoriasis to ravage my body. Don’t worry, I’ve not gone completely crazy and there is a method to this madness. Later this week I’m participating in a drug trial for an experimental new medication called AIN457 by Novartis, some cutting edge stuff which probably won’t be FDA approved for at least a couple years. Hey, someone’s gotta test it and if it kills me at least I die for a good cause. Regardless of the results, I’ll be tracking my progress including photos, ideas, funny anecdotes, and whatever else comes to mind. Hopefully you won’t mind the break from the usual music posts for a few weeks as I work through this process.

Thanks for sticking with me and supporting me. If want to learn more about psoriasis, it’s research, treatments, or anything else, check out: http://www.psoriasis.org/

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Check out the Memorial Edition of The Bedroom Sessions by clicking on this link: The Bedroom Sessions LIVE

National Author Mike Henle Pens Beautiful Story on Kevin Burdick.

admin — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 01:39:59 +0000

Entertainer Kevin Burdick living riches to rags tale
By Mike Henle
          Entertainer Kevin Burdick may be the storybook example of an entertainer whose trials and tribulations are best illustrated in his music.
        Those who perform on stage tend to be ideal motivators considering their ability to transform victories and setbacks into music with storylines that others can identify with.
        And for the piano playing 36-year-old native of St John’s, Ariz., sitting down behind a keyboard is tantamount to a therapy session without the charge.
        Burdick’s own story entails what might be considered riches to rags series of chapters that tells of a career that has seen him combine a career in medical software with that of a musical career with an endless series of ups and downs.
        A graduate of Brigham Young University, Burdick is thankful for his victories and philosophical about his defeats. He has been playing the piano since he was six learning that music calms him while also offering great joy.
        “My parents forced me to take lessons and I didn’t like the piano much when I was a kid,” Burdick relates now. “It was a struggle to practice.
        “Then I learned Lionel Richie’s “Hello” and that got me hooked. I was in about the seventh grade and I then realized that I could also write music. It was in my genes.”
        By the time he became a senior in high school, Burdick excelled in playing the piano. He was riding a wave and capitalized on the talent while working his way through BYU in Provo, Utah.
        In 2005, Burdick wrote “Robbie’s Song” which told of an uncle who spent seven years in prison for drug trafficking. The song combined with his day job in the medical software business created a good income.
        “I was making six figures and had no debt,” Burdick explained. “It was awesome.”
        But as quickly as the bank account ballooned, the bottom fell out when Burdick invested $100,000 in a hard money loan operation that had been presented as a no-lose proposition. Compounding the financial decline was another $25,000 loan to a friend who also hasn’t paid back the debt.
         “It can all be gone in a heartbeat,” says the personable Burdick. “Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a safe investment nowadays.”
        Burdick’s lifestyle suddenly went from living in an expensive house and driving a Lexus to living with buddies and hanging out in a tour bus. To say the past few years have humbled is an understatement especially considering things were compounded by the fact that his infant daughter died six years ago of a heart ailment.
        However, through it all, Burdick is still playing at establishments throughout the country at a time when Americans are searching for an outlet during troubling times. Live entertainment along with movie theaters have seemed to enjoy good results as people search for an escape from reality.
        “I should be booked up throughout the year especially in Southern California,” said Burdick. “I’m now working in a lot of small venues where people seem to enjoy solo artists.
        “I am a story teller and people seem to appreciate that.”
        While venue owners can also present their share of issues, Club Trip in Santa Monica has remained one of Burdick’s favorite spots to play.
        “The owner there has really treated me well,” Burdick said. “He seems to appreciate the music and the storylines behind each song. Sometimes you’ll find people both crying and laughing during the songs depending on the music.
        “As an entertainer, you know how well you’re doing by the reaction from the audience. But only a handful of entertainers get rich in this business, that’s for sure.”
        Other performances have been in Las Vegas and Nashville.
        In the meantime, Burdick wants to start writing for other entertainers knowing he can continue to perform. He also has a touching charity called The Dempsey Burdick Memorial Foundation which offers to help purchase headstones for infants who have passed away.
        Twice divorced and struggling with psoriasis, Burdick is convinced not to give up.
        “This can definitely be a rat trap,” he says. “There have been such massive changes in the music industry and companies are not going to spend a lot of money marketing an entertainer. The industry has struggled to adapt to the MP3s and digital music, so the ability to make a living is somewhat limited nowadays.
        “There is definitely a lot of talk and very little delivery.”
        Friend and business manager Ken Gray praises Burdick.
        “Kevin is a very close personal friend,” says Gray. “His biggest strength is his ability to bring a real life tragedy into a song and make it into melodious music. He has songs that are very deep and very passionate. You can’t help but feel the passion. He is nothing short of genius.”
        Gray said he will often receive emails from fans lauding Burdick’s performances.
        “I have actually received emails from people saying Kevin’s music has saved their lives,” he said. “We have members of the audience who are suffering and they appreciate Kevin’s work. Very few entertainers can identify with his fans like Kevin. He’s not the least bit phony and there is no doubt in my mind that he will one day be a household name.”
        Burdick has signed with goDigital.com, so his CDs are being distributed throughout the world through the Internet. He is also working with several event planners to be included in large national shows including the 2009 national Independence Day parade in Washington, D.C.
        “Kevin tears the place up every time he’s here,” said John DeCoster, owner of Club TRiP in Santa Monica. “He is an incredibly talented performer. Each and every time he has performed at Trip, he somehow manages to bring light hearted and absolutely hysterical improvisation balanced with music that shows his true artistic depth.”
          Further information regarding Burdick’s career and his foundation can be found at www.kevinburdick.com or www.dempseyburdick.com.

Mike Henle is a Nationally Recognized Las Vegas based freelance writer and the author of “Through the Darkness: One Man’s Fight to Overcome Epilepsy.” He can be contacted at mhenle@aol.com or through his web site www.mikehenle.com.

KevinBurdick.com Blog » Trials

Stop Hiding, Start Living – World Psoriasis Day, October 29th

National Author Mike Henle Pens Beautiful Story on Kevin Burdick.