all is not right

sometimes your friends don’t take the path you want them to take. no matter what you want for them, they have to go their own way.

take, for example, my friend rob gonzalez.

by now he should be a huge star in the music business. a couple of years back, he worked his ass off and got financial backing like you wouldn’t believe to record an album of his tunes with musical greats: producer dave way (sheryl crow, fiona apple), guitarist brian ray (paul mccartney), arranger paul buckmaster (strings for elton john) drummer kenny aronoff (john mellencamp). the result -- all is right with the world -- is an incredible album. every friend i’ve played it for wants it burned, and becomes obsessed with it.

i assumed it would be only a few months before some huge record label picked up rob, released the cd, and he was enjoying huge commercial success. grammys would follow, no doubt. and in no time, i’d be visiting my friend rob on some island in the pacific while he records his next multi-platinum selling cd.

well. my plans weren’t what rob had in mind. or…my path to get there was not what he had in mind. he had an idea about a website to distribute new music. something that would benefit the artist, and – get this – poverty. (see: www.melvincares.com.)

on october 13, rob’s album went on sale at macy’s stores in la crosse, wisconsin. it’s available there until dec. 31. in case you don't live near la crosse, you can always get it by joining the melvincares thing too.

it’s a really great collection of pop music. ("southside serenade" is like the elton john song i've been waiting years for.) i just want the whole world to hear it. and maybe someday…rob’s way…they will.