Phew!
Well!...
I made it through week one.
Amazing experience with Smokey and Gladys. They where both so incredibly gracious.
I could not have been more outside my element with that style of music but they
made it such an enlightening experience. Gladys went above and beyond the call...
during rehearsals I got reprimanded for trying to be too "Rock and Roll" on Grapevine.
instead of constantly hitting a falsetto I decided to growl out the notes to give them more heat and not hide behind the safe choice. After all I am not a Broadway/Torch singer like Jai or Alfonso and pretending to be that...I think.. is disrespectful to those who really are strong R&B artists. So after my first runthrough on stage the musical directors who are coaching us took me aside and told me to .. in the immortal words of Will Ferrell's Neil Diamond "COOL OUT!". So out of respect for them and their space I did. And after the next run through I didn't reach, I didn't drop to my knees, none of that.... They where happy, And GLADYS WAS PISSED! God Bless That Lovely woman. She took me aside and Said "You do it your way. Don't let anybody tell you how to be. You Wanna Bring the Rock to this, you do it. No one is telling this story but you." She was so supportive and such a champion for both myself and Jai. She's beyond great.
It was a bit of a challenge starting with a low-key Smokey tune, even without the fact that he was Actually There. I kept thinking that the audience is gonna see me singing this little falsetto song and think "Oh, they gave him this light song because he can't sing and Smokey is so amazing that he'll make sure the performance is good." I think that's what happened to Chris. He has this great powerful voice and they threw him under the bus by giving him "Mendocino County Line". So there was a ton of pressure leading up that first line...those first words....
So... quite frankly I'm glad the first episode is behind us. I'm glad I got to meet Chris. He's a true metalhead and he and a group of us are going to see Iron Maiden in Oct. It's great to run into real Bros. in this business. It's pretty rare.
The reviews came in on the show and this was what EW had to say about yours truly...
"While Hal Sparks couldn't have hit Smokey Robinson's high notes if Smokey himself had given him several kicks to the no-no spot, that doesn't necessarily mean that Hal is a bad singer. ''The Tracks of My Tears'' was a tough first song, and ''Heard It Through the Grapevine'' (sung with Gladys Knight) was a tough second song. Sparks wasn't afraid to take vocal risks and make himself look silly, and it worked to his benefit. The audience loved him even when he was off-key. It seems he's the show's breakout personality, even if he's not the breakout voice. (And even if Sparks didn't get the high praise Little Richard bestowed on Smokey's second partner, Lucy Lawless, who made the judge's big toe shoot up in his boot.)"
Which, if you know Entertainment weekly, is the nicest review they could possibly give me.
This is their version of blowing smoke up my ass. So Thanks EW. As a full time comedian, I'll take "Break-out personality" any day.
OH! And thanks so much to everybody for your support and kind words. If you noticed I didn't take too much stock in how I was judged. I really only care about the audience. The audience is my boss. Not Producers. Not Judges. Not coaches. And my only responsibilty is to them.. and to you... I try to put on the best show I can. To make the time you spend with me worth while. I know your time is valuable so I try to give you more value in return. I mean that with all my heart. And thanks to you.. the show is, was, will be awesome!
Till the next one...
Big Love,
Hal
Well!...
I made it through week one.
Amazing experience with Smokey and Gladys. They where both so incredibly gracious.
I could not have been more outside my element with that style of music but they
made it such an enlightening experience. Gladys went above and beyond the call...
during rehearsals I got reprimanded for trying to be too "Rock and Roll" on Grapevine.
instead of constantly hitting a falsetto I decided to growl out the notes to give them more heat and not hide behind the safe choice. After all I am not a Broadway/Torch singer like Jai or Alfonso and pretending to be that...I think.. is disrespectful to those who really are strong R&B artists. So after my first runthrough on stage the musical directors who are coaching us took me aside and told me to .. in the immortal words of Will Ferrell's Neil Diamond "COOL OUT!". So out of respect for them and their space I did. And after the next run through I didn't reach, I didn't drop to my knees, none of that.... They where happy, And GLADYS WAS PISSED! God Bless That Lovely woman. She took me aside and Said "You do it your way. Don't let anybody tell you how to be. You Wanna Bring the Rock to this, you do it. No one is telling this story but you." She was so supportive and such a champion for both myself and Jai. She's beyond great.
It was a bit of a challenge starting with a low-key Smokey tune, even without the fact that he was Actually There. I kept thinking that the audience is gonna see me singing this little falsetto song and think "Oh, they gave him this light song because he can't sing and Smokey is so amazing that he'll make sure the performance is good." I think that's what happened to Chris. He has this great powerful voice and they threw him under the bus by giving him "Mendocino County Line". So there was a ton of pressure leading up that first line...those first words....
So... quite frankly I'm glad the first episode is behind us. I'm glad I got to meet Chris. He's a true metalhead and he and a group of us are going to see Iron Maiden in Oct. It's great to run into real Bros. in this business. It's pretty rare.
The reviews came in on the show and this was what EW had to say about yours truly...
"While Hal Sparks couldn't have hit Smokey Robinson's high notes if Smokey himself had given him several kicks to the no-no spot, that doesn't necessarily mean that Hal is a bad singer. ''The Tracks of My Tears'' was a tough first song, and ''Heard It Through the Grapevine'' (sung with Gladys Knight) was a tough second song. Sparks wasn't afraid to take vocal risks and make himself look silly, and it worked to his benefit. The audience loved him even when he was off-key. It seems he's the show's breakout personality, even if he's not the breakout voice. (And even if Sparks didn't get the high praise Little Richard bestowed on Smokey's second partner, Lucy Lawless, who made the judge's big toe shoot up in his boot.)"
Which, if you know Entertainment weekly, is the nicest review they could possibly give me.
This is their version of blowing smoke up my ass. So Thanks EW. As a full time comedian, I'll take "Break-out personality" any day.
OH! And thanks so much to everybody for your support and kind words. If you noticed I didn't take too much stock in how I was judged. I really only care about the audience. The audience is my boss. Not Producers. Not Judges. Not coaches. And my only responsibilty is to them.. and to you... I try to put on the best show I can. To make the time you spend with me worth while. I know your time is valuable so I try to give you more value in return. I mean that with all my heart. And thanks to you.. the show is, was, will be awesome!
Till the next one...
Big Love,
Hal
VIEW 25 of 38 COMMENTS
ariel__:
heh. erm, I happened to see you singing Mr.Roboto with Dennis deYoung, and - wow. how fucking cool was that. (also saw a short bit of James in the audience, I think!) you rock! 
lilcali:
Hal, dont worry.. WE just have to hit those digits a little more faster and a little more frequently. I love not only your singing..i just adore how you always include US= YOUR FANS. Be true. Thats what we love about YOU..