T-minus 1 day and counting....

Hello Gorgeous,

I downloaded ECLIPSE today from iTunes, and I'm listening to it now.  Obviously, their first song, "City of Hope" (which has the lyrics "don't stop believin' that change is always coming...") is the one they really WANT to be a hit.  I can already hear the strain in Arnel's voice too.  That poor schmuck is going to be chewed up and spit out when his pipes rust, mark my words. They will eventually wear him out and ruin him.  I read an article for this Journey-opoly game that had a quote from Arnel about how this "dream" is turning into a "nightmare," because of the grueling tour schedule and vocal challenge...but he's doing it for his family, and he added, "and that's the only consolation I have." Is that a foreshadowing, or what??

There is apparently a new book out, by some guy named Neil Daniels, and it's lauded as the "first real definitive biography" about Journey, entitled "The Untold Story." I read the reviews for it, though, and wow, that guy apparently isn't much better than that Cucu chick, because he can't spell worth a damn, and there are lots of other grammatical typos and problems...what the hell is wrong with people, if they can't hire a damned EDITOR before publishing a book?!  The people who read it only gave a 1 or 2 star rating....so the overall rating is a 3.  Apparently there's nothing in the book that most Journey fans don't already know, but there ARE a lot of Herbie Herbert quotes in it.  The author of the review stated that "he's the only guy who CAN dish the dirt on Journey and NOT be in legal trouble for it...so HE would be able to give us the REAL "untold story..." why doesn't somebody just go to HIM and have HIM write a memoir?!"

Better yet, HIRE ME (I work cheap)!, and I'll write the most awesome book you could ever want.  I have an English and Journalism degree...I'm a published writer...I could really do it.  Hell, I'll help with creating your web site too, if you want.  I'll wash your clothes, cook your bread, and take care of you like Etta James sings...(I LOVE HER).  Whatever you need, I'm the one you should ask, I'm submissive too ya know!!  I aim to please all the men in my life, even friends of mine.  Always have, always will.

The author of the book apparently just read various magazine articles and researched various web sites, etc., and pasted some things together, and used conjecture to guess about the rest.  There is STILL a story UNTOLD, apparently.  So, I think I'll skip reading that one.  The main point of most of the reviews is this, "The author does a good job of describing how Perry blew out his voice from so many years of giving 110% every night, for 360 days of the year, every year...and he compared an instrumentalist like Neal and Jon, who, if THEY get sick, they can hide it and still go on and give a decent performance....but the lead singer CAN'T hide it.  So it is much more pressure and much more challenging than most people realize."

Seems obvious to me, but that's because I am a musician and I could "hide" that stuff, as well as flubs, or (since flute players are often grouped in 5 or more), I could just sit there and play NOTHING if I needed a brief break and the other 4 would hide it.  Ah well.  I really miss playing my flute.  I really should do that soon....

I've been mulling over questions to ask you for this Q&A thing.  I do have one, and it is NOT, I repeat NOT meant to sound "snarky," or mean.....it's something I really am curious to know the answer to....but I also know before I ask it that you won't answer it.  Maybe I shouldn't even bother.  But if you ask Lora...I don't know if she still has it or not....several years ago, I sent her every email exchange and message board conversations on the Journey web site that I had with Allen Craft, there were 125 pages I think...(he harassed me and crashed my computer so I called the cops on him and reported him), and while all this was going on, he told me something very personal about you and Sherri...this was right after you left the band....and ever since then, I have been curious to know if what he said was the truth or not.

I have to go for now, but I'll be back.

Love, Rebecca

Okay, I'm back now.  My mom is a pain in the butt sometimes. I had gone grocery shopping this morning, and called her to ask if she needed anything. She said no.  I get home from running other errands, put the groceries away, and a couple hours later she says, "Oops, I need you go to to the grocery store and get my dog's pills refilled." GRRRR.

Anyway, as I was saying...I sent those emails and everything to Lora, for safekeeping, and to show YOU the kinds of slanderous things he was saying---not just to ME---but I found at least a dozen OTHER "Perryheads" (as he called us), on other web sites too.  So I added their names and stuff to my letter, and said, "You may want to tell Steve he could get Allen fired and/or put in jail for the things he's said."  I don't know if she ever did tell you, or show you those papers, but if she doesn't have them anymore, I still have my copy.  I sent a copy of it all to Melva too....Kevin Chalfant's sister.  She knew the harassment I was going through for 6 months with that jerk, and the end result.

The question I would ask you is in reference to one particular thing he said to me in those papers about you.  I asked where he got his information, and of course, "From Neal and the guys." I said, "And you don't think that's going to get back to bite you---and them---in the ass?"  That's when Allen told me that if I reported any of it to anybody, he would "send his borg hackers after me."  And, shortly after that, he crashed my computer the second I logged in to the Journey web site.  It just went POOF and all black.  So, I had my hard drive traced and it was proven, with a signed document, that I was sent malicious code from the web site, to crash everything.  I could not retrieve anything at all.  My photos, my music, my children's web site that took me several years to create----all dead and gone.

Well, the point is, he told me a LOT of personal things about you that NOBODY should have any access to, EVER, unless YOU tell them yourself.  Whether those things he said are true or not, I have no idea.  And frankly, I don't care about any of it.  I haven't told a single soul any of it at all, and I never will.  I really don't know if I should ask the question though, because it really DOES seem snarky, and somewhat mean---but I really don't want to sound like that.

.............gawd.......should I just ask it and get it overwith?

Oh hell, skip it.  The issue is over and done, long in the past, and it doesn't matter anyway.

Okay, so the second question I wanted to ask is this:  Since you are currently working on a new album, WHEN (not IF) you tour for it, will you rehire the FTLOSM band members? Lincoln and Moyes were my BUDDIES, in a way; they are the ones who gave me backstage passes to meet you twice.  And you KNOW 3's a charm.....so, I would love love love it if you did rehire them....they were really great!

Tomorrow is the concert...I will be there...(I ran around FRANTIC today, trying to find the perfect outfit to wear in this heat), and the damned "body shaper" I bought was just too friggin' HOT to wear under my clothes, so screw it, I'll go without it.  I'm getting my hair styled tomorrow at noon, and then we're off at 3 p.m. to get there by 4:45 for the pre-show party.  I'm printing out photos of the Journey-opoly game that I created, (because photos can be tossed in the garbage, but the game itself I want to keep for now), and I'm putting the photos in a thank-you card that I plan to give to each of them. What they do with it (or not) is up to them, it really doesn't matter either way...I will still enjoy playing it if nobody else does!!  (But my opponents will all LOSE of course...I know all the answers to the card questions)!!

The object of the game is this....to collect as many promo singles from each album as possible, AND to get the right card that allows you to purchase either a gold or a platinum album---if you have the most of all the promo singles AND if you own at least one of the gold or platinum albums, you'll win, and the band will get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! WOO HOO!!!  I just hope it works, I'm not exactly a professional at board game creation.

I also made a sign to carry to the concert....I don't know if they will allow signs or not...but what the heck.  It says, "Hey Journey, I never stopped believin'!"  (Not very original but it's all I could think of).  I'll be in the first 5 rows from the stage, in the "pit," with my husband Pete...he's a big dude...and I am SOOO SOOOO tempted to wear a t-shirt that I bought with YOUR IMAGE all over it....wouldn't that be a friggin' HOOT?!  I wonder if I'd be escorted out for starting a riot between the Arnel fans and the Perryheads?!  The way those idiots fight online about it, you'd THINK they were fighting for their lives.

If Pete and I do get arrested, would you bail us out?! PLEASE?!! hehehehe

I know you really don't give a rat's ass about this, but there's a song on ECLIPSE that really doesn't jive very well at all...."Human Feel." The song "Resonate" starts out rather oddly too...I'm not so sure it's something I like.  If you haven't been paying attention, Neal pretty much has a huge long solo in every damned song now.  It gets rather repetitive and lame after awhile, makes him look like an attention whore.  And there is a song entitled "To Whom It May Concern..." that I'm listening to now for the first time.....I wonder if it's a veiled message to you???  The song titles are:  City of Hope, Edge of the Moment, Chain of Love, Tantra, Anything is Possible, Resonate, She's a Mystery, Human Feel, My Ritual, To Whom It May Concern, Once You Let Someone, Venus.....

Nope. The song isn't about you at all.  It's about various religious beliefs and sending out a prayer that the world finds peace in our lifetime.  Kinda nice, actually...I do like that one.  I've always liked the uplifting songs of hope that you guys wrote and performed..."Be Good To Yourself" was a favorite, but the Trial By Fire "Colors of the Spirit," really got me.  I love that one.  I would put on my "END RACISM" t-shirt and listen to it, with my eyes closed, praying as I listened, that somebody somewhere, maybe God Himself, would take those words literally and end racism forever.

I could ask you if you've ever checked out my web site....www.Tolerance4Kids.com?  I worked on that thing for years, teaching myself how to create it...the one that you'll see is a RE-creation, that was updated this past spring.  My original was rather amateurish and hadn't been touched in a decade.  This one is apparently getting a lot of attention so far, and I am very proud of it.  But if I ask that question officially, it might sound like I'm an attention whore!! I never want to be one of those, ever.

Well, maybe after the concert I will have some questions to ask you that are much better than these.

I'm more intrigued by the questions you DON'T answer on the Q&A session, than the ones you do. You always go for the SAFE, namby-pamby ones, rather than the hardcore intense ones, from what I've heard.  You're a badass, though, no matter what....and God knows I love you for it.

Hey, I guess from what the weather guy is saying, we're apparently going to be pummeled by a hurricane soon....the entire east coast....so, this has been fun, and it's been nice knowin' ya....at least I can die happy after the concert...AND after I send those 2 questions to you....I may never hear the answers if I'm swept away into oblivion, but the cosmos will.

Show up at the concert, Stephen, and we'll have ourselves the most awesome fun time EVER....I want to give YOU something back for all the years of awesome music you've given me.  So, get over here, show up at the concert, find me, and like Bonnie Raiit says, "let's give 'em all something to talk about!!!"

*WINK*  I know you've probably got a lot of other more important things to do this weekend, but at least think of me, enjoy whatever you're doing, and as always, (unless I've drowned), I promise I'll write again soon.

BIG CYBER HUG--and a sloppy wet kiss--TO YOU.

Love, Rebecca