The Stars of RIR All-Star Band Keep Shining
By Carol Harblin;
Carol Harblin -Rockin’ Writer
There are a myriad of musical contributors with Rockers In Recovery (RIR) who have renewed and redefined the RIR All-Star Band – past, present, and future. Hope and undying support are just two components of RIR that also depicts each of the musical contributors and gives them their special vitality and vigor.
For the upcoming concert in Aberdeen, Washington the musical All-Stars selected to play are Lou Esposito (Joe Walsh, The Capris), John Gianoulis (Earl Slick Band), Lee Brovitz (Cyndi Lauper, The Byrds), Tommy Zvoncheck (Formerly of Blue Oyster Cult), and Eliot Jacobs.
On the west coast this June 27th, the traveling RIR All-Stars will be playing at the D & R Theatre in Aberdeen, Washington. September 20th is the next stop on the recovery music trail where the All-Stars will be taking on Philadelphia at the Pro-Act Recovery Walk. Following the walk, in RIR tradition, the 2014 tour will close at the Gratitude Festival in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on November 1, 2014.
Esposito is excited and looking forward to singing his new song, “In Your Eyes,” which he wrote this past April. The message in the song is near to his heart and very special. Addiction is like a lightning bolt, it can strike anywhere and hit anyone – it does not pick favorites, nor does it choose to befall on any specific economic class.
Excerpt from “In Your Eyes”
Rich man, poor man, it doesn’t matter
Good family, bad family too
Let’s get this straight
It don’t discriminate
It can happen to me
It can happen to you
Helping and supporting others is the easiest task people can ever do, yet there are some people who never pick up a finger for others because of a multitude of justifications and excuses. It is in good practice to never look down at anyone unless helping to pick that person up. Helping and supporting people brings a balance to the human spirit and it is also two-fold. When someone offers help to someone or something, it will come back to the person because that said person may need help at some point down the road, too. Nobody should ever be void of help. Just as the song “In Your Eyes” states, ‘It can happen to me, It can happen to you.’
“There is a zero degrees of separation in the music industry,” said Mark Bosch (Ian Hunter), musical All-Star contributor, “Everyone helps someone because that is how people make it in the business.”
Each concert that RIR showcases will be vibrant and fresh as the last, with musical contributors who carry the same vision and message as RIR – hope, dedication, and support. Being a musician is much more than gigs and making money, it is a form of communication and emotion that is released from a soul level.
“Music is a religion in and of itself because it comes from within and it is an expression of the soul,” said Bosch.
As part of spreading the message of hope, it is important to recondition the social stigma of music and concerts from the old adage of “Sex, Drugs, and Rock-n-Roll” to “Hope, Love, and Rock-n-Roll,” because that is what having fun is all about.
