MY JOURNAL

6.17.08
the gig sunday night at madam's was fun! everybody in the house gave us lots of love. it was the perfect ending to a super stressful day. i had been on the phone all afternoon trying to find a guitar player. nobody was available....either already booked or doing the father's day/family thing. at 8:15, i was getting ready to just head on down to the club and make do without/pray for a miracle, when i got a call back from a keyboard player, yvonne johnson. she said she could do the hit and she came down and did the damn thing with fierceness! chuck and ignatius had the bottom locked and yvonne rocked those keys like a baby, uh huh.

i haven't worked without a guitar player for years and it was definitely a whole 'nother vibe. yeah, it was a good night...we couldn't do most of the originals, cause yvonne didn't know them, but we did manage to rock "dance" and "higher road" with don s puttin' it down as usual. and i had to go waaaay back and pull out some old songs i haven't done in a long time, like "proud mary" hahaha...that one was smokin'!  if you didn't come out, shame on you ;-)

i'm blessed and thankful,
d

5.17.08
i’m going to use this space to give a little promo to a brother who is doing spirited work: bruce george. he’s the co-founder of def poetry jam and is currently promoting a new book that he helped put together called “the bandana republic: a literary anthology by gang members and their affiliates.” i recently heard him do an interview on blog talk radio and was inspired by his thoughts, his journey, and the impassioned work that he is doing. he’s a social-political activist, visionary, philosopher, poet, and writer with a message that a lot of folks need to hear.

i just ordered the book and have only read a few excerpts, but to show my support, i'm passing this on to whoever might come through this page. you can find out more here. check it!

UPDATE: i read the book and it was all i expected! a powerful collection of poems, stories, and other writings from gang members, former gang members, former black panthers, and others. i'd recommend it to anyone.  it even inspired me to write a song. it's called "gangsta boy" and it's on my myspace page.

blessings and bliss,
d

4.28.08
happy monday! it's raining here this morning and i am feeling blessed...thankful for the amazing journey that is my life. i'm sending thoughts of love, peace, and abundance to whoever finds their way to this page.

on a real personal note, i put my mother in a nursing home this month. if you know me, you know she has dementia/alzheimer's and has been living with us for a couple of years. it's been hard on everyone as the disease progressed and it was time to put her where she can have 24/7 attention/care. she's only five minutes away and i'm so relieved.

having her here has taken up an incredible amount of energy...mental, emotional, and physical. dealing with someone else's insanity can make you crazy, lol!  i am thankful for the peace that has returned to my home and i am ready to begin the next chapter of my life. that freedom that's been rising up within me for the past few months is now manifesting in my outer world. my kids are just about grown now and i'm coming down the home stretch. yes!

looking forward to my next show...on may 10 i'll be performing at the mamapalooza event at the austin grill in silver spring. mamapalooza celebrates "moms who rock". the main festival is in new york, but they host stages all over the world. i'm excited...can't wait to meet and perform with other mothers who are still doing that dream. i'll be performing solo with "boogie" on percussion. it's gonna be different...it's gonna be fun!

i'm also psyched about participating in the capital hip hop soul fest in july. this event is sponsored by liberated muse productions. it's a day-long festival that will feature several vocalists as well as hip hop artists. i'll have the kick-ass trio with me on that one ;-) 

i guess that's all for now. i'll update soon...got a few things simmering.

much love,
d

3.3.08
so, here i sit with a splint on my right wrist...tendonitis.  too many hours spent on my computer mixing songs -- drag, click, copy, click, paste, click, up, down, drag...

it's healing slowly. a week ago i couldn't use it at all without screaming in pain. my kids would just kind of stand there and stare confused until i said, "can somebody help me, please!!!!" needless to say, my house is a mess. washing dishes is painful...mopping floors is torture. but, like i said, it's getting better. by this time next week i'll be good as new.

in the meantime, i am once again focused on booking gigs. ready to get out there and perform the new material...i've been getting some positive comments, especially on the spoken word.  that's something i've been wanting to do forever, but was always too scared.  you know, i can stand in front of the band and sing (bad notes and all) but to stand up there and speak to the silence, oh no!  but hey, they say do what you fear the most...so, i did "truth" at the last show and people really connected with it.  so, i'm gonna do more, now that i've overcome that fear...next.

i'm also looking forward to doing some more writing with the band. the plan was to do another dee stone band cd until i headed off in a different direction. a very necessary move because, in a strange way, doing my project set me free.  i'm glad i listened to that little voice inside and i'm looking forward to whatever's next!

and, as always, i continue to hope that folks on this planet wake up, see what's going on, and turn this shit around.  change...it's coming.

be well...be blessed...be happy,
d

2.14.08
happy love day to all. it was a beautiful sunny day today. a little bit chilly, but hey, it is february...and we've been blessed with a pretty mild winter so far.

anyway, big thanks to the folks who came out to the blues alley show last week. it was a pretty good night for us and i hope to be back there in the not so distant future.

site news: i've updated the music page. most of the songs from the new album are available for download. there are two left to mix, so you can't buy the whole album yet. i'm hoping to finish up this weekend.

p.s.: the site should be working ok now...if you have any problems, drop me an email.

stay blessed, stay true,
d

1.23.08
happy birthday to me...happy birthday to me (giggles).  yes, today is my b-day and i've gifted myself a new web home and new music to share. i'm still working out kinks on the site, but it's up! and i'm still tweaking the cd, but the recording is done. so, technically, i kept my promise to myself (more giggles).

i'm so thankful that my son, "the don", helped to make the album happen. he did all the music tracks and he's featured on the first cut, "dance". you've got to check it out...i'm a helluva proud mama!

that's all for now ...but check back often. i'll do my best to update this page on the regular.

much love,
d