On March 26, 2004, Canadian Football League linebacker Orlando Bowen was out celebrating his new contract with the Toronto Argonauts. Two plainclothes officers approached him, and he apparently ran away from them. There was an altercation, and Bowen was arrested for drug possession and assaulting a police officer.

Bowen, who spoke to schoolchildren about staying away from drugs, claimed that the cops had planted the drugs on him. In his version of the story, he was talking on his cell phone outside a club in Mississauga when two men approached him looking for drugs. Bowen turned them down, the men got more aggressive, and one grabbed his arm. He broke free and ran. One of the men shouted, “Stop, or I’ll shoot.” He then realized they were police officers, so he stopped. He was beaten, getting a concussion and a busted lip, and that’s when they planted the cocaine on him.

He went to trial in 2005, and both officers, Sheldon Cook and Grant Gervais, testified in court that Bowen threw away the cocaine as he ran. However, Bowen was acquitted when one of the arresting officers, Sheldon Cook, was arrested for trafficking cocaine.

The damage had already been done. Bowen, who had been a pillar of the community, had his reputation trashed. He also had to retire from football early because of a concussion he’d received during the arrest.

Bowen sued the police department for $14 million and received an out-of-court settlement. He is now a motivational speaker and has even forgiven the two officers who arrested him. Cook was suspended without pay from the force and then was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison. He’s appealing the conviction.

JUST LIKE DEBBIE SAID

Is not the enemy of my enemy my friend..Mmmm Not sure but he sure is funny. https://www.podcastone.com/episode/Meet-the-QAnon-Goon-Squad-Stalking-AOC–A-Conversation-With-Donny-Deutsch-

I often don’t know why I choose the subject matter of a song. It just comes or does it?

Last week I saw this TYT piece and days after I wrote Virtual Superstar. I guess the seed was planted. Here are the lyrics to the chorus.

I’m a virtual superstar

You can find me on my live stream

People think it’s quite bizarre

If you like it you can follow me

I listen to the entire chart today and, with exception of this and Cardi B Up, I wasn’t terribly impressed. All pretty, …what’s the word I’m looking for, generic ..NAH…..that’s not it…, BORING that’s it ..one big freakin snooze fest!

But I think the future is bright, the potential is there and I’m waiting and looking forward to the day it happens. I get glimpses but from Bosco and other underground artists..but nothing mainstream AT ALL. What’s New!?

I suggested to David , a prolific music vlogger, he do a video about songs without a chorus. He said it was a good idea..and now…! Haha!

As Producers, in todays new world, Independent artist do their own marketing and The Brandman is the Best. This is a YT of him responding to a burning question I had.

Nothing really except they influenced my mindset as a songwriter.

Prince : There are two songs When Doves Cry and The Most Beautiful Girl in The World

These two songs are groundbreaking. When Doves Cry is a very powerful song. The music is almost exclusively drums. There is a light sprinkle of Keyboards but it’s essentially a Vocal and Drum track. It made me realize that all you need to make a good song is feel. Drums and Vocals is all you need and IF you don’t have something with just that you ain’t got shit.

The Most Beautiful Girl in The World is amazing as the Hook and Verse are exactly the same melody, yet the way he orchestrates it, you would not know. He uses all the same instruments but there is a rhythmic cascading guitar line on the chorus, pretty much the only difference. It’s bold and made me realize that there are no rules, if it works leave it.

John Lennon Dig a Pony.

The phrase “Dig a Pony” is meaningless; John said he used it because is sounded good. I mean fine but most would tuck it away but its front and center. He told Paul to keep the line “The Movement You need is on your Shoulder” from Hey Jude as it was the best line. I realized that you don’t have to be clever to get the point across. Use words that make you feel the spirit of the song.

Thank You John and Prince.

Respect and Much Love to you both.

George

I wrote a song yesterday called I Got It Bad. The hook was elusive. I had one line but needed four. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle, you have to fill in the blanks. One by one I got them and minutes later the final piece came and shazam, bingo, I felt I hit the jackpot at Caesar’s. The process can take seconds or weeks. “Crush” took a year before I cracked it; the music was so good I had to get a hook that would do it justice and there was no compromise, I either did it or keep hunting till its done. I actually had three hooks but never felt any of them were right, until one day, just as I gave up, I went for a break and it came as I was sitting there forlorn. Without trying my sub conscience popped it out for trying so hard.

Yesterday I got lucky and it happened in minutes, but I already had the first line. You go through an intense rollercoaster of emotions. Like a word on the tip of your tongue tantalizing close or out of reach waiting to be discovered. It’s a beautiful puzzle waiting to be solved and the explosive eureka feeling when you find it is like no other feeling in the world and I guess that’s why I do it.

The hunt goes on and on folks..

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