A first class seat, a cd and a dirty diaper…
In many ways, becoming a mother had a lot to do my risk taking skills.
In 2010, I decided to go on tour. I called it the "Triumphant Tour". I had only 3 shows lined up in L.A.
How did I make a tour out of 3 shows you ask? I had a one way ticket to L.A., 3 shows, a guitar, a baby, a diaper bag, a clothes bag, a stroller, a cd bag and $80 t0 my name. By the end of the 3rd show, I had accumulated enough shows and contacts to put together a tour throughout most of California, from Sacramento to San Diego, for the next 9 months. I played night after night with my son (who was only 2 years young at the time) either sitting on one leg and the guitar on the other or roaming around the stage or asleep inside of my guitar case that was placed on the stage next to me. My message at the time for my audience was to be Triumphant in following your dreams and if we are to tell our children that they can be and do anything that they want to in life, we better be that living example. Travelling with my son by my side doing what I love, which was playing music, was definitely being that example. With following your dreams there are risks and challenges that when the moment arises and the opportunity is there, you gotta jump on it. Which leads me to the next part of the story...the risk...
A first class seat, a dirty diaper, and a cd...
While in the airport in L.A. on our way to catch a flight to Baltimore, which turned out to be the last leg of the tour, my eyes became mesmerized on a beautiful red leather guitar bag. I had never seen such a wonderfully crafted bag like that before. My favorite color is red so I was even more in LOVE with this bag. I couldn't keep my eyes off of it. As I'm staring at the bag, a gentle voice in my head says "follow the bag. Keep following the bag." As I'm following the bag, the owner of the bag finally finds a seat to rest before boarding the plane. Where? Right in front of ME! So I say to the owner, "Excuse me sir, but where did you get this bag? It's absolutely beautiful!" He begins to tell me where he got it from but as he's telling me, we were interrupted by the announcer coming on to explain the boarding process. The bag owner politely excuses himself and starts walking towards a woman in a wheelchair with REALLY big hair. I mean REALLY BIG HAIR. He starts to push her towards the gate and they wind up right behind me in line. The attendant politely asks me to move back a little so that the woman in the wheelchair can get on the plane first. So I say "Of course!" and begin to move out of the way, until the lady in the wheelchair turns to me and says, "No baby! You go in front of me. You have your baby and all of your bags to carry. Please go in front of me." When I finally saw the woman's face, I knew exactly who she was...CHAKA KHAN! I think to myself, "WHAT???!!! Is that CHAKA KHAN? WAIT? Did Chaka Khan just let me skip her in line???" My heart started racing as I politely thanked her for letting us get in front of her. All the while I am boarding the plane and getting to our seats, I'm trying to figure out how I can get my music into the hands of CHAKA KHAN.
She boards and comfortably gets into her seat in first class. As everyone else starts to settle and get seated, I began to conjure up my genius plan of how to get my music into Ms. Chaka's hands. I grabbed my latest cd out of my bag and started my motion towards first class. I have flown dozens of times in my life at this point but for some reason going from seat 27A to first class, never seemed so long of a journey. Armed with my cd in one hand and a dirty diaper in the other, I rushed up to the first class curtain. There was a stewardess standing guard in front, blocking me from what I felt was one of the biggest risks I had ever taken. There's no way she is gonna stop me I thought. As she began to say, "Ms. you can not go into..." I quickly made a turn into the bathroom to throw the diaper away and as I can came back out of the bathroom room, I made a smooth 180 degree spin right passed her and into first class. She came running behind me trying to stop me but by the time she could catch me, I was already at the seat of Chaka Khan. My heart was racing but I knew that I had to take this chance. I said, "Ms. Chaka Khan it is an honor and a privilege to meet you! I would love to be able to give you my music." I handed her my cd. She said, "Thank you baby. I will listen to this. I will definitely listen to this." Then I said, "Ms. Chaka, I am a single mother, touring with my son, following my dreams to be a successful musician. Do you have any advice or words of encouragement that you can give me?" And she said, "NEVER. GIVE. UP! Whatever you do, whatever happens, whatever people say, NEVER GIVE UP!" I had heard that statement before 100's of times in my life but there was something about hearing it from her, in that moment, in that setting that has stuck with me throughout my journey as a musician. From that day on, I can still hear her say, "NEVER. GIVE. UP" and it still inspires me to keep on pushin'.
If I hadn't have taken that risk to go on that tour and then to get my music into the hands of Chaka Khan, I would have never heard that message from a LEGEND in the industry and received those beautiful words of encouragement and resilience that have lived in my heart to this day.
I hope that this story gives inspiration and encouragement to many others to live their dreams, take risks and most importantly NEVER. GIVE. UP.
Love is the frequency...
Kelly Love Jones
