Out Music: Matt Zarley "He Used To Be Mine"

Out singer/songwriter Matt Zarley's new music video takes on Sara Bareilles' masterwork, "She Used To Be Mine."

As we all know, life is not neat, life is not a straight line.

The road may stretch out in front of us, but every now and then, we do glance at the rearview mirror:

He's imperfect, but he tries
He is good, but he lies
He is hard on himself
He is broken and won't ask for help
He is messy, but he's kind
He is lonely most of the time
He is all of this mixed up and baked in a beautiful pie
He is gone, but he used to be mine

Matt Zarley

Coming from this introspective viewpoint, Zarley finds himself weighing some past decisions.

Zarley writes:

Before I started recording, I spent several really wonderful years doing theatre in New York. When I first heard this song, it reminded me of those experiences and how close I hold them to my heart.

I miss them.

I think any of us can relate to this song and it's message. I think most of us have regrets to an extent. I know there are times when I reflect on my life and think to myself that this is not where I envisioned myself. Not to say that I am not grateful for my life... cuz I am.

But, if I could go back and have a do-over, there are definitely some things I would change.

There are days when I really miss the guy I used to be...he used to be mine.

The guitar-driven approach to the track, with a lovely yet pensive viola at just the right time, makes a perfect frame for Zarley's muscular vocals.

The track is available on iTunes here. Hit play below.

Tony Award Winner Leslie Odom Jr. Sings Sara Bareilles' Ode To This Election - "Seriously"

When public radio show This American Life asked singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles to write a song envisioning the subtext of our outgoing President Barack Obama as he views this election cycle, and specifically Donald Trump's 'deplorable' behavior, Miss B delivered in spades.

Titled “Seriously”, Tony Award winner Leslie Odom Jr. for Hamilton provides the depth, acuity and appropriate irony. Watch below.

Text of the song:

Let’s start with hope
I threw it in the middle like a skipping stone
The ripples won, son of a gun
Some would not have thought so
But I stand here Commander in Chief
And I take that seriously

But along the way
A rogue ripple turned tidal wave
In reaction to what I tried to do
A rebirth of a nation’s hatred
Red, white and blue
Is black in there too?
Seriously?

One man
Rewriting the book on bad behavior
Maybe cheats the neighbors
Feels he gets what they pay for
We can’t
Pat him on the back and send him on through
No man’s ignorance will ever be his virtue

Is this the best we can be?
Seriously?

Let’s talk of fear
And why I don’t bring it in here
It’s a dangerous word, it spooks the herd
And we all bleed in the stampede
Fear makes a false friend indeed
And I take it seriously

So hear me now
Before the truth gets drowned out
By a demagogue flexing
A demagogue flexing
He’s history repeating

Angry?
Am I angry?
You ask am I angry?
And I’m at a loss for words
After all we’ve done
Every battle hard won
Every hair gone gray
In the name of this place
In a history plagued
With incredible mistakes
Still I pledge my allegiance to these
United divided States
Seriously

Let’s end with “why?”
It’s a question I
Want to ask of us as a populace
Why not take our time or the weight of this story
Seriously?

Cyndi Lauper & Sara Bareilles mashup "Truly Brave" for American Cancer Society

TODAY’s Hoda Kotb teamed up with Cyndi Lauper and Sara Bareilles, who mashed up their hits 'True Colors' and 'Brave' to create a song to raise money for the fight against pediatric cancer.

At this writing over $285,000 has been raised - keep it going.

Check out Hoda's fundraising page and if you can, please donate. All proceeds will go to grants for pediatric cancer research via the American Cancer Society.

If not able to donate (times can be tough, trust me I know), go visit some kids in the hospital and incite some fun.

The music video for “Truly Brave” features young cancer patients from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

You haven't seen 'brave' until you've seen kids kick cancer's ass. Regular readers know about my personal cancer journey in 2009, which is why this touches my heart so powerfully.

So, since the kids here are doing the bald thing, let's call this a "Throwback Tuesday" thing. Check the last pic, my bald 2009 self with "Bumpy the Chemo Pump." Although, I gotta say the kids in this music video have a whole lot more spirit than I did. They rock.

Sara Bareilles

Cyndi Lauper

Me back in 2009 pretending to be "Truly Brave"

Day off in Las Vegas

Hot hubby gets a day off after hosting fun celebs (Kristen Wiig, Carson Kressley, Sara Bareilles, Kym Johnson) in Vegas this weekend. I know - tough gig...

Sara Bareilles - "Brave"

“You can be amazing. You can turn a phrase in to a weapon or a drug. You can be the outcast or be the backlash of somebody’s lack of love or you can start speaking up.”

Sara Bareilles latest album, The Blessed Unrest, sees it's release this coming Tuesday.

The album's first single was "Brave," an LGBT anthem about coming out. Co-written with fun.'s Jack Antonoff, the song is a declaration to live for yourself. “I think there’s so much honor and integrity and beauty in being able to be who you are,” Bareilles says of the song.“It’s important to be brave because by doing that you also give others permission to do the same.”

Plus, the fun video features people dancing like no one's watching. But of course, people are. People watch and listen to us in life all the time.  For the folks watching, listening, standing by, nspiration sometimes comes when "you say what you want to say and let the words fall out."

"I want to see how big your 'brave' is."

The album comes out on Tuesday.  Check it out on iTunes.

Olivia Newton-John, Richard Marx, Sara Bareilles, Joey Lawrence hang in Chicago

Olivia Newton-John, in Chicago for an appearance at Northalstead Market Days, spent a little down time with fellow recording artists Sara Bareilles, Joey Lawrence and Richard Marx.

Apparently the gathering was an impromptu "Are you in town? Come on over!" kind of affair. Gotta say this, they all are looking pretty fab.

Sara Bareilles and Olivia Newton-John

Sara Bareilles, Olivia Newton-John, Joey Lawrence and Richard Marx