Influences
First, in case you hadn't noticed, I happen to be a bit of an Ani DiFranco fan. And if you've been reading the select lyrics I've place on each page, can you blame me? The woman is amazing! She is one of the very few wordsmith's that have left in this world and she in influencing a whole generation of people to become more free-thinking individuals. Her music is both poingnant and beautiful as well as both political and personal. Her ambition of starting her own record company has inspired me to never let anything get in the way of my dreams because I know if only I am as determined as Ani, nothing ever will. Please, check out her poetry at RBR and support her in any way you can. She's had such a profound affect on my way of thinking and my stance as a feminist. She's changing the world for the better, one Righteous Babe at a time.
Next we have Mr. Bass-Baritone himself, William Michals. There is no way to beat around the bush about this... the man has changed my life for the better. His influence on me to be the best performer I can be has inspired a lot of hard work and that hard work has yielded many a satisfying performance. Watching him is an amazing experience and I'd see him 20 more times in a heartbeat. He has never disappointed me. He is the epitome of professional. He is the most nice, funny and most caring person I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. He is the best performer I have ever seen in my life! If you ever get the chance to hear him, you are in for a treat and you will never forget it! His moving and powerful baritone is sure to make you a permanent fan and you can tell by the look on his face at curtain call that he absolutely loves what he is doing. All the information about joining his fan club can be found on his website. Please support one of the most talented people I have had the pleasure of watching perform. (image used with permission from the official William Michals Website)
Then we have Eddie Izzard. I have to admit... he is just dead. sexy. In fact, he's seXXXy (that's the triple X sexy for your information). I first discovered Eddie while flipping through HBO one night. I caught the last ten minutes of his show, "Dress to Kill". I stopped because he was a British transvestite and you just don't see those everyday. I watched his routine on puberty and I was hooked! I taped it, showed it to friends, bought the DVD when it came out, aquired a VHS of "Glorious"... I just haven't seen him live yet. :o/ He has influenced over 50% of my speech patterns and vocabluary and he is intellegent, brilliant, funny, and completely right about everything he discusses in his routines. We love you Eddie Izzard.
"I was floating above myself watching her do just what you wanted. Poor little friendly ghost, wondering why her whole house feels haunted. I told myself I was strong enough, that I had plenty of blood to give and each elbow cradled a needle but listless and faint ain't no way to live." - Ani Difranco, "Swim"