Debut CD in second pressing ;-)

Appearing....many Wednesday nights:
Rasputin's Open Stage
696 Bronson Avenue, Ottawa
Sign-up by 7:30; Starts at 8 p.m.

---

October, 2005

Dealing with long-time wishes coming true.
Not show biz "dreams" - heh.
No, I'm heading for Italy. *dance a tarantella*
And working on the final edit of my book.

Sang a-capella last week.

June, 2005

At the annual Chrysalis evening, where Ottawa songwriters perform
other writer's songs, I was honoured that Hazel May LeBrun
chose to sing my Machine Gun Molly (Job 21). Great job!


April 1 & 2, 2005

13th Annual Writer's Bloc Song-Along.
I'll be performing on the Friday - April Fool's Day.
:)

Feb. 28, 2005
Got a mandolin last spring. Started writing songs on/for it.
Got another mandolin this fall.



Writing more new songs.

Sept. 2004
Our fall Ottawa PugNic brought out 100 pugs to play!
A Canadian record.
:)
Fifth anniversary pug gathering is coming this May.

June 1, 2004
Yesterday's Ottawa PugNic, hosted by my Tiberius and run from his site, drew 90 - that's nine-oh - pug dogs together.
When I started this event 4 years ago it was just to meet other pugs and owners.
It has remained a simple, non-commercial and non-media blitzed event. The only "advertising" is announcing it on the Ottawa PugNic website, part of Ty's site. We raise money for Friends of Abandonned Pets. The PugNic runs twice a year - it's always on the last Sunday of May and of September.


April 7, 2004
Hello again.
Tonight I'll be singing again, for the first time in 4 months.
In honour of my sister Shirley, who passed away in January, I have a new song.
"An inch of time cannot be bought by an inch of gold..."
which I will be singing in the Writer's Bloc SongAlong, April 8th at Rasputin's.

Also, the CD of last year's SongAlong - Emeralds and Other Gems - will finally appear this week.
My song For a Little While is included and I'm happy to tell you that I designed the cover graphics.


November 27, 2003
What a year. A great year, a bad year, a good year, a fun year, a dumb year, a weird year.
Almost nothing is the same as it was a year ago.
As nothing will remain the same this time next year.
All of which is to say...I won't have time to do much singing, playing, recording, updating or gigging for the forseeable future.
I am cancelling all extraneous work to concentrate on a family health issue affecting my sister Shirley.
The next few weeks are devoted to household renovations so that she can come home for Christmas.
:-)
Beyond that...I wish you the best and will see you in the future.

September 12, 2003

"In a garden full of weeds -- the oak tree"   Bono, on Johnny Cash

For more, please visit johnnycash.com

The following are lines from "Mr. Johnny Cash", a personal tribute in song written earlier this year by Rick Hayes, who permits its use here :

I heard him on the radio
and I felt that Sunday song,
I couldn't feel more sorrow,
I couldn't feel more wrong.

So I tossed aside my bottle
and I flushed away my stash
and I'd like to thank the Lord above
and Mr. Johnny Cash"

(c) 2003 by Richard J. Hayes
Little Bay Music / SOCAN



August :: Am putting together the CD of Over the Falls, recorded live at Rasputin's in March.

Got news that Photographer was short-short listed for the OCFF Songs From the Heart contest, and has been forwarded into the Colleen Peterson Award contest by virtue of its high placement in SFTH. Judging takes place in late September.

In the midst of a very pressing health crisis for my sister Shirley, I was able to see and hear Emmylou Harris at the Ottawa Folk Festival. Her main stage set was stately and empowering, as always.
I haven't been at Open Stage for a couple of weeks.

Heard confirmation that For A Little While will appear on "Emeralds & Other Gems", the next Writer's Bloc/ Song Along CD. It should be out in the fall.

July 11 and 12th :: Chrysalis, Rasputin's Cafe
Hosting one night; performing the other. This is an event where we will all get a chance to sing songs written by other Ottawa or Ottawa-roots songwriters. Each participant will sing 2 songs, by another songwriter. I'll be hosting one night and performing on the other, when the event organizer Missy Burgess will host. My choices: Wings of Glory by Alex Sinclair and Dimensions Falling (aka Copernicus) by Victor Emerson.


June 19th ::Mercury Lounge, Byward Market, 8:30 pm

benefit for the Ottawa-based coalition nowar-paix
I am honoured to be invited to share the stage with Teresa Healy
at this multi-disciplinary fusion fest of art including
hip-hop rappers, DJs, poets, dancers
and singer/songwriters at such a happenin' place.


in May and June ::designing CD covers
studiozuzu is designing CD covers for the
11th Annual Song Along and for Over the Falls participant
(and my CD producer) Rick Hayes.


May 25 and June 1st :: Ottawa PugNic
Once more into the dog yard. This non-musical event
organized by Tiberius the Pug Dog
drew 52 pugs at the 'postponed' event; then 54 more
on the Rain date.
It's a hit.


April 25 & 26 :: 11th Annual SongAlong
at Rasputin's
Writer's Bloc annual adventure in songwriting,
where Ottawa songwriters reveal
new songs written to assigned topics.
This year's topics are:
1. the voice you never hear
2. which way to Brennan's Hill?
3. ...of one
4. Emerald City
I'll be there, singing something...new!
Don't know which night yet.


April 1st :: House Concert.
My first booking for a private party.
On April Fool's day. No kiddin'
:-)
Happy Birthday, L.

:: March 31st :: Zuzu :: 5 songs CD ::
is now available. Details on
this first "collection" are
[ here ]

March 14th :: Women and Children of Iraq Panel
Auditorium - Ottawa Public Library, Metcalfe Street, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Appearing with poet Noha Beshir, I'll be singing a couple of
riled-up songs for peace.
Also appearing : the Raging Grannies.

March 8th :: For those who've asked
"What's happening with that novel?"
March is National Novel Editing Month

50 hours of actual typing revisions are expected.
Yee-haw.


March 7th ::
Dean Verger suggested both the title and the idea
of a Rasputin's evening of Zuzu songs...by other people.
The night will put my songs into the hands and voices
of some very good musician friends.
This is a chance to hear some fine rising artists and
catch up with some sterling professionals.
Clicking the title link will take you to
the show's own web site.


February 22 :: Artists Against War benefit concert.
Invited by Teresa Healy, I shared the stage at Ottawa U.
with her in a show put on by the Ottawa-based Iraq Peace Team.
It was a moving and enriching experience and I thank Teresa
for the opportunity.

Will be linked soon.

January 22nd - Being filmed for video
as one of the artists to be featured in
a documentary about Rasputin's Open Stage.
I'll be doing 3 songs, plus other stuff.

Jan 5th - Lucky Song-a-Thon
Black Sheep Inn, Wakefield
An 8-hour marathon organized by Christine Graves to
raise money for the Lanark County Children's Haven camp.
You get 4 songwriters-in-the-round per hour.
I'm on between 4:20 and 5:20, alongside Alise Marlane,
Maurice Gave and Keith Glass.

Jan 4th - I'll be doing a short opening set
for Dennis Lakusta
at Rasputin's.

....

:: 2002 ::


December 12th :: Oh My Darling
was selected for the
There's No Place Like Home findraising CD.
This was the October project.

December 1st :: NaNoWriMo Party
Thank God It's Over.
The NaNo's know where

November 20, 4:29 p.m. :: mmmm...


Word Count = 50,012
I guess I'm baaaack now...
but first I must sleep...

November :: National Novel Writing Month



It's NaNoWriMo - Write-a-Novel-in-a-Month.
One month. Nov 1st to 30th.
Length = 50,000 words.
Wish me luck!
Word Count Nov 15 = 34,627

Oct. 30th:: Premiere of Homelessness film
Harry's film is scheduled for a premiere showing at
ottawa's Family Services Centre. It will also
be broadcast on the ITV channel. My song
plays over the closing credits.
:- )

October 18 & 19:: Writer's Bloc Home Songs
2 nights of songs with "home" as the theme.
Writer's Bloc members will perform them live at
Rasputin's over 2 nights. I'll be performing one night,
hosting the other.More to come.
Update: It was a great weekend, with over
$800 collected to benefit
Raise the Roof. I was very glad to be part of it.
A fund raising CD will follow.

Sept. 29th :: * next * Ottawa PugNic
A non-musical event organized by
Tiberius the Pug Dog

Sept. 15th:: launching [ Photo rescue ]
my photo restoration service.
Offering digital TLC for photographs that are...hurtin',
the site is also accessible from studiozuzu

August 12::Now have 6 new words accepted
into the pseudodictionary.
They are:
hivernate
mischief alley
closature
pernt
zing zang zoom
TMMB

August 2nd:: Named a band
Came up with a name for a new band:
Mischief Alley.
It's already taken.
:-)

July 24th:: recording for film
I'll be recording Thank You, Angel for use in the film
mentioned below. The recording is being done at the CKCU studio at
Carleton University.

July 3 and 11 :: shooting video
Harry Price of Family Services Centre in Ottawa is making
an educational documentary on homelessness.
My song Thank You, Angel is going to be included in it.
On these 2 nights, Harry was at Rasputin's
taping video he may use in the project

July 1st:: "zing zang zoom" in new dictionary
I used this phrase from on old children's clapping game in one of my
songs. For a lark, I submitted it to the on-line PseudoDictionary.com and
they've accepted it as a new "word" in their new wave slang dictionary.
Hee-hee! You can check it out [ here ]

June 6th:: Benefit for Serenity Renewal Families
I'll be joining Missy Burgess and Rod Leclair,
Julie Pearrault, Ken Workman and Jamie Clark at
Rasputins. Show starts at 7:00.
For a group helping families cope with addiction.

May 26th :: Ottawa PugNic
A non-musical event organized by
Tiberius the Pug Dog
74 pugs showed up!!

May 9th:: the Next Stage
Rasputin's

From the Open Stage to the Next...
Deans offers 3 acts a 1/2 hour set each.
It's Jeff Belanger, myself and Paul MacDonald.
Show starts at 7:30; I'm on at 8:15.


April 24th ::

Setting Free the Dove included on
the new Song Along compilation CD.

April 6th :: 10th Annual Song Along

Once more into the Song Along.
This is a Writer's Bloc event
wherein new songs are written to
specific topics. In 2000, an a-capella
version of Call the Love Police
was chosen for a compilation disc of the event.

The Song Along took place April 4th, 5th and 6th.

The gig :: Saturday, February 23rd



The show went very well (they say)
and we played to a full house.

Alex is a wonderful singer/songwriter
with a long involvement in the excellent folk
groups Tamarack and Heartwood.
His playing allowed me to hear my songs
the way I do in my head.
Alex was a guiding light in the
foundation of the Ottawa folk scene in the 80's,
co-founding Writer's Bloc, promoting artists through
concerts and his own Snowy River record label.
He currently runs the Song From the Heart competition.
He's been a good friend for ages and I was so
happy to be on this bill with him.