Yes, I Have a Son

Several weeks ago, I received a Facebook message with a photo of a 39-year-old young man named Cory. DNA tests confirmed last week that he is my son.

As it turns out, a very brief dalliance with a young lady when I was 17 was the source of this Thanksgiving surprise. I had no idea that she was pregnant. I have not seen or heard from her for 40 years.

Once, when I was in college, I received a call from my mom who said that a lady had called and said I might be the father of her daughter’s child (as I remember it). I think I told her that it was highly unlikely, and that was the end of that. I’ve always wondered about that phone call but never really took it seriously.

But then I saw the photo. He has my cheeks, my nose, and my smile. He is my son. I chatted with him last week for the first time, and it was an eerie experience. It felt like talking to an old friend.

He is currently in Palestine, Texas, working on an oil rig. He’ll be back in a couple of weeks, when I intend to meet him and his wife Madlyne for the first time.

I don’t know what his expectations are, but he seems okay with the situation. I am overjoyed. I hope we get to know each other. I hope it’s not too cold in Palestine.

I hope he is pleased that he is a son of the Republic of Texas, with roots in the Lone Star state that trace back ten years before the Texas Revolution. I hope he develops an interest in Cuba because he is one-fourth Cuban American, a fact he probably did not know until recently. I hope he likes my songs. I hope he is pleased to learn that he has a very warm and large extended family, a grandmother, a grandfather, two aunts, an uncle, cousins, and second cousins, and great aunts and uncles, and on and on. I know they will welcome him and his wife as part of our amazing family if they are interested in being a part of it.

And I hope he knows that I am very sorry that I did not take that phone call more seriously when I was a crazy twenty-something in 1980. 

I am thankful that Madlyne found me. I am thankful for having a wonderful family. I am thankful that I have a son.

Am I delusional

My new CD, Water on Tin, is finished thanks to my friends and former colleagues and total strangers who supported my Kickstarter campaign. They contributed over $6,600, of which I received about $6,000. That went to the studio and almost paid for most of the great musicians on the CD. Since then, I've spent another $2,000, some of it borrowed, some of it earned, and I still have another couple of Gs to go. So I've been working 12 to 15 hours, 7 days a week, trying to make enough to cover the costs for physical CDs, postage, media kits, etc. I'm also hoping to do a radio promotion campaign, which is obscenely expensive and a debatable endeavor.

Meanwhile, I haven't had the time to book a lot of gigs, although I have four house concerts coming up. I've also been accepted on Patronism.com, which is a beta site that promises to provide support for struggling artists like me. My profile should be up as soon as I find time to create some video blogs, which are required.

I have also created a new website, georgepalmermacias.com, and my songs are new available for preview and download purchases. I'd appreciate it if you'd give my tunes a listen and consider making them part of your music library.

All of this leads to the question that all songwriters must face: Am I delusional? The answer is that I clearly am. Why would anyone, especially at my age, try this at this particular point in music history, when it is said that the average cost for getting a song on the radio is $300,000? The answer is simple. I have no choice.

I have occasionally thought that I should have seriously pursued a music career many years ago, but the truth is I wasn't good enough then, and it probably would have ended tragically. The question that will soon be answered is whether I am good enough now, whether my songs are worthy of a place in the musical stratosphere. Time will tell.

You are cordially invited to my CD release party at the legendary Saxon Pub on Saturday, November 2, 2013 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Come see a great show and a great band.

Water on Tin Kickstarter Campaign

Greetings. Today is the tenth day of my Kickstarter campaign, and I must say that things are going well. For those who don't know, Kickstarter is a site for patrons of the arts where people can go to support various projects. In my case, it's for my new CD, Water on Tin.

Water on Tin is a compilation of twelve or thirteen songs, representing the best of my 30 years of songwriting. I am truly excited and cannot wait to get into Stephen Doster's Ear studio to get started.

Anyway, I hope you will visit my Kickstarter page and check out the video and the various contribution options, which start at $1 and $3. It feels good to give, and I am sure you will feel good about the product.

To visit, click the title of this blog or go to:  http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1271430866/water-on-tin.

Later.

George P. Macias