A Beautiful Song: A Musical Soul Story

by Michael Cantwell

  With Linda adding a new voice to the mix, and with Sasha being more flamboyant than Elise had been, the band suddenly had a more energetic sound than the last recording. I was really pleased with how it was all sounding. We sent a few demos to Mr. Altos and he was very pleased with it as well. His opinion confirmed to me that we were on the right track. We didn’t have to rush this time since we released the live album and it was selling well. We had earned the right to spend real time in the studio to create something that in the end, everyone would be pleased to release. I wanted to tweak our fans a bit with the name of the record so we called it Dylan James and The Overture, “Not Your Average 1950’s Band”. No one seemed to like it but me, but I pushed hard till I got the name. Had Linda not been with us I might not have pushed so hard, but I wanted to play off the last recording and maybe renew some interest in that album. I was scolded a few times by Billy who kept telling me “Dude we are creating a digital recording now and not an analog tape one, stop calling it an album.” To me they were still albums and always would be. Yes, I bet Billy had one of those new fangled apple computers that I was now heavily invested. Billy always had to have all the technology toys.

  The album or compact disk, if you prefer, took about four months to record. By now Elise was ready to give birth to our second child. Our home was ready to move into in North Carolina, but I wanted her to deliver the baby in New York so that I could be there for the birth. That happened in April of 1987. It was another girl, who we named Deborah Lynne. She was over eight pounds at birth and came out screaming with a shrill better than Roger Daltry on “We Won’t Get Fooled Again”. My mom came up and stayed with Elise while I was rehearsing with the band for the upcoming tour.

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  Chapter 15

  The band seemed excited to hit the road again. We put in enough off days that Linda and Junior had time to rest between performances. Junior had kept it all very quiet from us, but he had been diagnosed with early stages of prostate cancer at the end of the last tour. That was why he tired easily on the last tour. He felt that the doctors had caught it early enough. With a year off, he seemed ready to go this time around. However, we still had to consider his health. Debby also delivered the news that she was pregnant a second time. We really needed to have time in between shows. I was starting to wonder why I had started a band with two females.

  I know her husband was in her ear constantly, but Debby made a very nice living from the band. He was getting many of the benefits of that as well. We exchanged unpleasant comments pretty much every time we saw each other. I got along with virtually everyone, except now three people in my life, Billy Potts from my old beach band, my old one year roommate Craig, and now this guy who I refused to even recognize by name. The guy had the nerve to drive around in his new Porsche that Debby bought him for Christmas then criticized the way his wife made a living.

  We started the tour at Trenton State College in New Jersey, not too far from Debby’s house as a surprise to everyone who attended. It was billed as 50’s night in a hall that held about three thousand people. All the tickets were handed out on campus for free. The band name was withheld. We wanted one night to warm up with the new lineup. This was an easy way to do it. I made sure my parents and family had about fifty tickets to keep or hand out, as did Debby. I saw some old friends there like Kevin, who I had not seen much of in the last few years, as well as Gordy. He didn’t have to drive far. I called him in advance and asked if he would come on and play the encore with the band. I asked him to play the lead on “Blue Suede Shoes”. At first he turned me down, but once I told him the next night we were playing Madison Square Garden and all the proceeds were going to the Veterans Group of his choosing, he could not refuse my request. He knew not only me, but the entire band had given a lot to the Veterans. It was all started because I had made a simple promise to him many years ago.

  Gordy tore up the encore. I invited him to do it again the next night. He declined since he rarely strayed too far from his home near Princeton. I think secretly he was happy to be on a stage. I had never seen Gordy smile like that as he walked off stage.

  I know the audience was in shock when we took the stage. Initially the hall was only about half filled when we started, but within three songs, the place was standing room only. It didn’t take long for the word to get out what was really going on in the hall. The crowd was just as stunned to see Linda Sweet playing rhythm guitar and singing vocals for almost the entire show. Since the album had only been released that day, the word had yet to get out that Linda had been on the recording. We kept it all very quiet that she was joining us on tour, since there was no promise from her that she would perform the entire way.

  Word spread like wild fire that Linda had performed with us. The few tickets that had remained for our show at “The Garden” were quickly sold the next morning. The band performed with a lot of energy. It was the beginning of the tour, and Sasha had never played in that venue. She had been looking forward to it for months. Sasha purchased a skin tight red, white and blue latex costume made only for that show. She made sure it fit perfectly. Linda was excited just to be back on stage again. Her nerves were obvious but after the first few songs, she had calmed down.

  Debby sang lead on the first three songs to give Linda time to adjust to the sold out crowd. When Linda started to sing the first single off our album, the place erupted. I knew we had a successful tour coming up, if Linda could hang in there for the long haul. Towards the end of the show Linda came over and said “I had no idea how much I have missed this rush until just now, thank you.” We played for well over two hours with three encores. This time we brought out Skunk Baxter to play the lead on “Blue Suede Shoes”. It seems Gordy called him that morning to tell Skunk he had performed on stage with us. Skunk contacted me and asked if he could do that same. I jumped at the chance of having him perform with us. The New York media gave the concert rave reviews. Sasha was the photo in the paper the next day, but at this point, we had all really gotten used to her being the image of our band.

  The album started to fly off the shelves once it was known Linda had joined the band. We had to release a press statement that Linda was only a temporary member of the tour. It had to be known there was no guarantee on any given night she would be performing with the band. We didn’t want to mislead the public, since we really were not sure how long she would stay with us. After that night she wanted to finish the tour, but no one really knew if she would have the stamina from night to night.

  We had a night off before heading on into Boston, to play outdoors at the Boston Commons. I was a little concerned playing outside in the heat, but it was not the desert. We played to another sold out show, with thousands sitting outside the venue, sitting in the park. Linda and Debby started to work together better, and Sasha wore a green Boston Celtics jump suit for the show. She really understood marketing. She understood how to get her photo plastered in every local town we entered. The rest of us just looked at it that it would mean another thousand caps sold at the event and more pennies in our pockets. The tour took us up into Canada to Montreal for the first time. We had a bit of a hassle when Billy’s arrest report showed from years ago, and with Sasha not being a citizen yet, but Carl made it all happen to enter the country. We played two shows in Canada before taking a week off and starting up again in Philadelphia.

  Linda Sweet had become a walking contradiction in life. She was still young and successful on many levels, yet seemed so lifeless at times. She was young in age, yet the drug addiction and brain surgery had sapped much of her youth. She loved to entertain, yet claimed she no longer had the energy to perform. Her doctors told her there was little reason why she could not perform. She was a very passionate and loving person, but shut most people from her life. The only person she claimed to have loved; ended up helping her get addicted to drugs and used her. So now she was afraid to get close to others. She trusted me, but mostly as her writing partner, not always much mor
e. We were friends, yet didn’t share real personal experiences unless it was in a song. Our relationship with each other and others was out there for the world to see every time we released more music, yet I don’t think the two of us knew it at that time. She told me about five stops into the tour she wanted to finish it with us. I would get frustrated with the many levels of her personality, but Mr. Altos told me that it was possibly effects from the surgery. I did my best to be patient, however much of my patience was lost on being a father and leader of a band.

  I had little time now for people who wanted to bring negativity to my life, or my band. We were successful in my mind because everyone wanted the same thing. We all wanted to make great music free from the trappings of the music business, except for Billy. However, even he had matured over the years. I was however unforgiving when it came to drugs in the band. Even if a roadie was caught with pot, they were fired on the spot. Everyone knew my sentiments when it came to drugs. I found people who used drugs to be weak minded. I would not stand for it, even in a small way. I did not force my religious beliefs on anyone including my own wife. I always felt that your relationship with your God was a personal matter, but if someone asked, I would share my perspective. I was not always the easiest person to work for, but I knew what my goals were in life, and no one was going to stop me.

  One day Linda and I were sitting looking out over a calm ocean in Ft. Lauderdale. We had a brief respite on the tour, before playing in the area the next night. She asked me how I knew there was a God. She wanted to believe, yet suffered so much pain. I asked her to look at the ocean, smell the salt air. Look at the palm trees swaying in the breeze below. Pay close attention to the small children playing in the surf, with their parents not far away. Listen to the sea birds talking with each other as they flew above. I asked her if she created all that was around her. She laughed and said “Well you know I didn’t and neither did you.” I followed with “Then who or what did?” I ended it with “Whoever or whatever did, that’s who I pray to when I talk to my God.” We sat quietly for hours just listening and enjoying our peace and what nature was sharing with us in that moment.

  After that afternoon, it allowed me to reflect on my life. I had a wife and two healthy little girls, a home in two places, and career that seemed to still be on the rise. I had people around me that I could trust and respect. Even my dad was coming around to the fact that I could not only care for myself, but provide for others, and be successful at it. I got along with Elise’s family, and they cared for my wife and kids while I was on the road. I was truly blessed in life. I felt as though I had earned my position. I worked hard, I stayed true to myself. I lived what I thought was a good Christian life and felt like all was a byproduct of living that way. I had inner peace about myself as well as who I was as a person, and where my life was heading.

  The album and tour were becoming huge hits. We were playing in front of sold out arenas every night. The album was number one on the rock chart, as well as the country chart. Linda and Debby had become good friends and enjoyed sharing the singing spotlight. Billy and Sasha too shared certain solo spotlights. Don’t get me wrong, I had my share of solos, but we all seemed to understand our place in the band. It was a joy to play every night, even if it was a grind at times.

  Once it became apparent that Linda was staying on throughout the tour, we added a three song set after the intermission. Linda and I came out and did her biggest songs acoustically, like we did a few years ago. Then she would go backstage and sit for a bit, while Sasha had her time in the spotlight with Debby singing. We really had it timed out well where Debby and Linda could rest during the nearly three hour show with the fifteen minute break. Junior got his rest on breaks and when Billy and Sasha did their solos throughout the night.

  We toured for the better part of seven months. We had a few two week breaks scattered throughout the tour. We traveled to cities we had not been to yet like San Antonio Texas, Portland Oregon and Lincoln Nebraska. I was not sure if this would be the tour where we would hit the most cities, but it sure felt like it at the time. We ended the tour in San Diego, the same way as the last tour. This time our show was in the football stadium. All the tickets were given to the US Government to distribute to the local naval base as well as veterans in the area. The idea had caught on so well, that other bands wanted to be on the bill. It turned out to be an all day event, with The Overture closing out the night. I again ended the last night with a walk along the beach counting all my blessings.

  By the time the tour was complete, we were all ready for a month off before heading to Australia and Japan. I headed back to North Carolina to be reunited with my family. They were with us on parts of the tour closer to home, but they didn’t come with us at all on the west coast swing. I had not seen them in over a month. Kids grow so fast at that age. I felt like I was missing out on their lives, but it was part of life on the road. It was like I had two families, my band as well as my wife and kids. Elise understood to some degree. She had experienced it, but she would only be happy once the upcoming Australian tour would be complete. She preferred I was home playing husband and dad for a while.

  The tour of Australia was not going to be a long tour. We were not sure Linda would come with us until about three weeks into our break. She called to let me know she would participate. She had always wanted to visit that part of the world. Our much larger issue now was that Debby was so far into her pregnancy, that she was warned by her doctors not to go on the tour. We had to make a decision to either cancel the tour, or find a replacement for Debby. Since Linda was on board, and it was only for seven stops between Australia and Japan, we found a replacement singer who looked and sounded enough like Debby. We went in that direction. She was a young lady who was a singer in a band that opened up for us on our tour. I was aware of her. I also wanted to have an ace in the hole, just in case Debby decided not to return after her second child. We changed the set list to include a few more of Linda’s songs. Since she had never toured that part of the world, it seemed to fit in nicely. It did boost her sales, as well as ours, in that part of the world. So despite it being a quick trip, it was a profitable one over the long term. The tour ended in Osaka Japan. I found an ancient site called the Fujii-dera temple. I once again counted my blessings at the base of the temple which had become my custom to end a tour. I wanted to give thanks for all I had.

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  Chapter 16

  When I finally made it back to North Carolina, little did I know it was turkey season. My dad and brother were in town visiting with Elise and the kids. My mom was there too, I think to make sure the other two didn’t upset Elise too much. So when I got home, there was a full house. It was nice to see them all, but I really just wanted to relax and see my wife and kids. They stayed a few days then headed home. I really didn’t get too many chances to see them. I think Elise showed a great deal of patience with a full house since the past few years we spent most holidays with her family. She knew I was very good to her parents. I think she knew enough to put up with dirty boot prints in the front door way for a few days.

  Debby had her second child about a month after I got back in town. We all went to New Jersey. I was named Godfather of her child. It was a boy, named Michael Dylan, after her husband who’s name I never cared to know, and of course yours truly. I guess he put up a fight about the name. I know he despised me being named Godfather, but it was Debby’s child too.

  I was on my best behavior that day; though Kevin was trying to egg me on, to get into an argument with Debby’s husband. I paid for the dinner party. After the baptism, I think that soothed ole Michael just a bit, since he was very tight with his money.

  We headed up to New York for a few days. I had some business with Carl and also with Mr. Altos. I wanted to see them both. While in town, Carl and I had lunch at the same restaurant where I played for about an hour a night, years ago. It was funny how I recognized a few of the faces in the crowd. No one recognized me, whic
h was perfectly fine. They had some poor struggling guy playing piano on stage. After lunch I went up and introduced myself. I told him I started on the same stage. He was a student at Julliard, so it really brought a smile to his face and mine.

  During lunch, Carl told me that the Veterans Group, where our concert money was donated, wanted to give the band “The Freedom Commendation Award”. I would be offered from the Secretary of the Army. It was a nice gesture, but I declined. I told Carl, “We are not in this for awards, only to give something back to our community in a small way.” Carl told me “It would be a great insult if you say no, so show up, smile with your plaque, take the photo and go back to North Carolina.” I told him I would notify the band and get back to him. The band agreed we should accept, but only Sasha and Duke wanted to travel with me to pick up the plaque. Junior was having health issues again. Debby wanted to be a mommy. Billy was getting his band back together. They were heading into the studio to record, so he told me depending on the day he may or may not make it. I called Gordy to get his take and he also said to “Go smile and get the hell out of Dodge.” He knew we were not looking for credit, but it was a nice gesture. The date was set for a month later in Washington D.C.

  We now had at least six months off from recording and touring. I was finally going to do nothing but stay at home in North Carolina and be a dad and husband. I again took a look at my life and realized that even though I was still in my early thirties, I was blessed with so much. I was still very much looking forward to what God had planned for me.