Tony & Jenny, August 2007

This week on September 16th, my sister Jenny would have been 41 years old.  I am her older brother by two-and-a-half years.  Sadly, she passed away after a 5-year battle with ALS.  As many of you may know, I put together a CD in her honor called Songs for Jenny.  So this being the week of Jenny’s birthday, I am not only writing about my Tony Pucci and Friends – Songs for Jenny CD, I am taking a leap of faith and playing it in its’ entirety on my Pollyanna Cowgirl Records Podcast.  To be frank, I hope you will support my Songs for Jenny ALS Charity after hearing how great it turned out.  I know several of you have already purchased the CD, and I thank you for that.  But there are so many of you out there who have yet to do so, and I hope to inspire you this week.

I released Songs for Jenny in the Autumn of 2009 and all proceeds from the sale of the CD (or downloadable mp3s) are donated to the ALS Association of Minnesota in her honor.  Some of this money goes towards caring for ALS patients in Minnesota via hospice and equipment, while some of this money is directed to the ALS Association of America for scientific research.  While much progress is being made in discovering a cure for ALS, there is still no cure, and most patients diagnosed with this disease pass away, generally from respiratory failure and pneumonia, within 2 to 3 years.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease in North America after the famous New York Yankees baseball player who was diagnosed with ALS in 1939, is a motor neuron disease characterized by rapidly progressive weakness, muscle atrophy and respiratory issues.  My sister Jenny was diagnosed with this disease in 2003 after the family noticed little things like her having difficulty holding a fork, and eventually she passed away, paralyzed and unable to breath for herself, in May 2008.  I have a colorful hummingbird tattoo on my right forearm in her honor; Jenny’s nickname was “Bird” because she talked all of the time!  I promised her I would get it, and thankfully she was able to see the tattoo for herself before she passed away.

Songs for Jenny

I often state that love is a form of energy, and once a person is gone, the love for that person remains, thus that energy remains, it’s good to direct that energy in a positive manner, and so putting together the Songs for Jenny CD was therapeutic for me, as well as a way I could honor her memory.  I’ve never been the biggest fan of my singing voice and have always wanted to do some collaborations where I made the music and got guest vocalists to sing on the songs, and this desire dovetailed nicely with wanting to get as many of my friends involved in the creation of the Songs for Jenny CD as was possible.  Thus, the music on the Songs for Jenny CD is performed by me, while the vocals feature a wide variety of guest singers from around the world.

To a person, all of the singers on the Songs for Jenny CD are brilliant, wonderful, talented and kind people.  I could offer praises to their abilities and character all day.  While it was a creative joy for me to hear the songs with their vocal performances for the first time, it was an even a greater joy to create stronger friendships with these lovely people and to witness how readily they donated their time, energy and talent to my cause, that of honoring my sister with the ultimate goal of no one to ever again have to suffer from this terrible disease, and as well, for families not to have to witness a loved one fade away so tragically before their eyes.

As I grow older, I grow more firm in my belief that the main thing we need to do as people–heck, call it the “meaning of life”–is to take care of one another.  We all have our inherent human nature, and most people are generally kind, but we also have the opportunity to make a conscious choice to look beyond the selfishness of the modern world and to decide to do something for others.

In ending, let me suggest that Songs for Jenny would make a great gift.  The holidays are coming up, please consider it.  A single-CD or full-album download is $12, or you can also purchase 3 CDs for $30.  You can’t beat that deal!  I thank you for your time.  And as I have learned, “Love fiercely those you hold dear.”

I wish you Peace, Love and a lifetime of Happiness,
Tony Pucci

Young Jenny

For more info and to purchase SONGS FOR JENNY…

Songs for Jenny

Pollyanna Cowgirl Records Podcast.  Your weekly hour of great music!  Hosted by Tony Pucci

This week, in honor of his sister Jenny’s birthday, Tony plays the entire Songs for Jenny ALS Charity CD.

(07:28) 01 -Your Smile Never Fades (Leah Pinnavaia)
(11:38) 02 – Peregrine (Donnette Thayer)
(16:14) 03 – Can’t Fight It (timEbandit powles)
(20:35) 04 – Song for Jenny (Margot Smith)
(25:29) 05 – Heir Apparent (Harry Flowers)
(30:17) 06 – Spilt Silver (Carla Hanson)
(34:36) 07 – Gathering Birds (Hitchcock’s Regret)
(38:42) 08 – Drowning (Noelle Hannibal)
(43:36) 09 – Taking it All In (Daniel Watkins)
(48:07) 10 – I Am Sleeping (Kaer Trouz)
(51:42) 11 – Regret (Jenn Manganiello)
(57:44) 12 – One Fine Day (Arno Sojo)
(61:30) 13 – Grace (Lnz Kayd)
(67:40) 14 – Crystal Green Sea (Robert Rankin Walker)
(71:37) 15 – Motherly Wisdom (Carla Hanson)
(75:48) 16 – Neon Over Broadway (Daniel Watkins)
(81:56) 17 – Here Comes Silence (Jasmine Yee)

This week’s CD review @ Simply Syndicated: Tony Pucci & Friends – Songs for Jenny 

SONGS FOR JENNY ALS Charity Music Project
HOST: Tony Pucci
CONTACT: pollyannacowgirl@simplysyndicated.com

(02:34) 01 – SEA RAY – Stray Dog’s Got It Made

(08:44) 02 – ALISON WOOD – Goodnight, LA

(11:33) 03 – THE DIRGE CAROLERS – Chastity and Charity

(17:58) 04 – SOJO GLIDER – Heather

(21:41) 05 – COSMETIC ATTITUDE – Who Says

(26:44) 06 – LIGHTNING WALTZ – While You Can

(31:11) 07 – BRIAN HUTTON – Technological Disclosure

(35:37) 08 – HARRY FLOWERS – We Glamorous Few

(42:42) 09 – JULIAN SHAW – A Brother’s Love

(47:30) 10 – THE BY-LAWS OF THE CRIB – 37.5 Degrees and Counting

(51:56) 11 – SHADOWBUNNY – Sludge

(56:06) 12 – NOEL CHRISTIAN RIDDELL – Rainy Day

(60:14) 13 – COSMIC STEPPING STONES – Winter on the Sun

(64:48) 14 – A MELODIC DAYDREAM – Stand Alone

(67:53) 15 – VAPORTRAIL – Eta Carina

(72:19) 16 – MELLOW DRUNK – Where the Time Goes

(76:54) 17 – HITCHCOCK’S REGRET – Your Apathy is Killing Me

(82:18) 18 – TONY PUCCI – Unfolding

PCRP SHOW PAGE

http://www.simplysyndicated.com/shows/pollyannacowgirl/

SONGS FOR JENNY ALS Charity Music Project

http://www.songsforjenny.com

HOST: Tony Pucci

http://www.tonypucci.com

CONTACT:

pollyannacowgirl@simplysyndicated.com

(00:55) 01 – MERCY – Love Can Make You Happy

(04:41) 02 – THE VASELINES – Sex With an X

(08:11) 03 – COSMICRAY – Love Is

(12:15) 04 – THE URBANE DECAY – Love Crush

(16:31) 05 – THE MOOD SWINGS – Want Need Love (Dalida Remix)

(20:14) 06 – THE NEW BLACK – Show Me Love

(24:34) 07 – HALOGEN – Hole Around My Heart

(28:13) 08 – JANEY WINTERBAUER and MARC PERLMAN – Love Me Once Again

(32:09) 09 – BITTERSWEET – The Mating Game

(37:28) 10 – HUNGRY LUCY – My Beloved

(41:37) 11 – JULIAN TAYLOR – Never Spoiled By Love

(46:55) 12 – THE CONQUERORS – Welcome to My Love

(50:32) 13 – THE CONQUERORS – Suite Love

(54:15) 14 – THE LOOSE RAILS – I Think I Could Love You

(58:14) 15 – THE DIRGE CAROLERS – Scars of Love

(61:36) 16 – SHAMUS 73 – Love You Forever

(63:42) 17 – HARRY FLOWERS – Secret Lover

(67:38) 18 – WHIP BUFFLEY – Man Ho

(73:14) 19 – MADNESS – It Must Be Love

(76:32) 20 – JOAN AS POLICE WOMAN – To Be Love

(79:31) 21 – BLACK TAPE FOR A BLUE GIRL – All My Lovers

(83:30) 22 – MANDA MOSHER – One True Love

(86:46) 23 – THE GO-BETWEENS – Quiet Heart

(93:44) 24 – THE LETTERMEN – When I Fall in Love

Links from the Show:

Simply Syndicated Podcast Network

http://www.simplysyndicated.com

MUSICAL MOUSE MAT (The Simply Syndicated Store!)

http://www.musicalmousemat.com

SONGS FOR JENNY ALS Charity Music Project

http://www.songsforjenny.com