In Memory of Janell Wilson

Today is April 15, 2008  about an hour and a half ago I learned that Janell Wilson has passed on.  First of all, I am very sad and upset and nobody expects tragedies like this to happen.  I feel sorry for Janell and her family.    When Janell left this earth she took a piece of me with her.  Hopefully people will read what I know about her.   I spent years with her practicing, performing at parties and she was the first person I brought to Atlantic City to perform at the Sands Hotel & Casino.   Even though it was only maybe 4 or 5 years we learned and performed a lifetime of music together.  She would share or cook something from her vegetable garden everytime we practiced during the summer and fall.  The corn she grew was outstanding.  We used to have to perform while we were sick with the flu and throat infections, there was nothing we could do.  We were not privelaged enough to say "we can't perform".  When Janell got sick she often took months to heal and was a heavy smoker.  Janell did have the courage to eventually quit.  Janell was more concerned with making all these people happy by singing and performing private parties and public venues that did not have benefits, sick days or vacations.  She drove far and worked hard and long hours.  She actually carried a lot of equipment, she was the hardest worker I ever saw.  She never missed a practice or a job.    She used to dress with high heels in an elegant style she called after 9 o'clock.  We traveled to Queens and Manhattan together just to train other vocalists that were never able to match her extreme vocal talent.   We just could not find anyone to match both of our talents, growth was the problem.

Back in around 1994 when I was 24 or was it 1995 ?  I met Janell from a newspaper ad that me and well known blues guitarist Rudi Moni placed an ad for a vocalist.  Rudi thought she was OK but I thought she was God's vocal gift to the world, the best ever.  I did not think there could be a possibility to meet a better vocalist at least in my lifetime.   I was the first to hire Janell and train her to perform with me at the Sands Casino in Atlantic City, NJ.    I provided her with her own private suite at the Sands Hotel.  I hired her for hundreds of parties until the year 2000.   In 1999 an agent used to call me and ask about privliged  information about my business and Janell.  She found Janell's number and convinced her to start working for her more financed company.  Janell called a week before our big event in downtown Red Bank, NJ for the Millineium New Years Eve and said she was not going to show up and joined a bigger new band.    Janell and I still kept in touch from time to time.

As you can tell from the web site I never quit and  get the opportunity to meet the best people in this business.  I called her a few weeks ago to hire her to play a private birthday party with Tanya Tucker  and an invite to Jon Bonjovi & Dorothea  for September 6, 2008.   Janell was from Texas and loved her state.  I would never consider anyone else for a special event like this.  Someone called me to represent her and told me she was booked.   I later found out today that she was not booked but was sick with cancer but did not want anyone to know she was ill.  Janell knew she was going to die and asked this person to relay the message on to me after her death that she was flattered.   I consider this a very special gift from her to think of me while she was suffering on her death bed.    She did not have to think of anyone but herself but she proved instead to think of others, that is the real Janell that I knew. 

The funniest thing about Janell was she would love to adjust the mixer and shut the whole show down by mistake.  She also used to drink in her car while she drove and take the cup of beer in my house or at the gig.  I taught Janell a half Cherakee American Indian and half Irish woman to sing quality songs as well as how and when to sing like a proud black woman.   There are many sound bytes of her raw vocals on digital tape my A-Dat machine is broken and I switched to the newest computer format many years ago.  So if anyone would volunteer to let me use thier A-Dat machine to transfer Janell's vocals to Mp3 it will be appreciated.    I will slowly release lots old practice rehearsals and photos we have recorded together, Janell Wilson's voice will live on for many decades to come.  Janell Wilson rest in peace my friend.    05.12.08  I fixed the Adat machine, I already found some of Janell's songs.  I plan on releasing Sands Casino video footage of us  in the future.

JJanell Wilson is on the right end.