Page 18 - BiTS_08_AUGUST_2023
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GA:  It was so very difficult early on – to have all your
                                                     gigs cancelled and no financial business aid is really
                                                     hard. Many people don't think music is a business, but
                                                     we  work  ALL  the  time.  I  was  already  having  “Front
                                                     Porch”  sessions  every  Saturday  (2019  –  2022)  on
                                                     Facebook but extended some of those into concerts.
                                                     That income kept me afloat.  Then I started auctioning
                                                     off all kinds of memorabilia – even auctioned off my
                                                     button collection (like “Free Angela Davis” and “Ban
                                                     Apartheid” buttons).  Personally, I am grateful that my
                                                     wife (I like using that word) was also home and we
                                                     enjoyed  each  other  –  singing,  dancing,  watching
                                                     movies.  We also met with neighbours from the block
                                                     – pulling chairs into a big circle in the street and telling
                                                     tall tales!

    LL: What can your fans look forward to coming up for you?

    GA:  I do not tour like I used to.  I am 79 years old and can no longer go out for weeks at a time.
    I basically do one or two gigs a month. If the gig is more than a 5-hour drive, I need to fly with
    my manager.  (BTW, I have never played in the U.K. . . neither did Saffire. . . hint, hint.  A few
    countries are indeed on my bucket list.)  I am blessed that my mind is churning all the time.
    When lyrical and musical ideas hit, usually a song is on the horizon.  Even though my recent
    release is an anthology, several of the songs are new.  As noted, the blues is about that which
    gives you trouble.  Aside from affairs of the heart, there's so much stuff giving me/the world
    trouble these days.

    Personally, I want to dance more.  I love to dance – can't last all night like I used to, but I can still
    bust a move or two!!  I want to connect with friends more. . . perhaps a card game or dinners or
    some travel with a little rest attached.

    ~ © Lawrence Lebo 2023

    Lawrence Lebo is an award winning, critically acclaimed Blues recording artist living in
    Northeast Ohio, USA. She can be found on the web at www.lawrencelebo.com
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