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August, 2005 August 31stYesterday was one of the best days of my life due to the amount of intoxicating moments that kept rolling by. Getting to sing "You Can't Always Get What You Want" with our house band, string section, horns and a choir felt like I was living and went to heaven. My mother and two sisters were at the show and got to experience what I consider history in the making. The group of songs being performed, as a collection, were so powerful. I was humbled by INXS' comments to me after my performance. I was so excited to see the look of pride in my families and friends’ faces.
I must mention Marty's performance. His performance was so honest and raw. At the end he turned away from the audience and dropped his head in his hands and pulled back tears. I was amazed at how much I felt what he was feeling. True friendship. I hope and prey that Marty Casey and Ty Taylor are life long friends. It was a magical night. I am stoked about being a part of it all. I am aware of the fact that I came across angry during last weeks elimination show. I want to apologize for portraying negative energy. What was going on inside was this: I realized when my name was called that no matter what I do here it all comes down to votes. I knew I had to fight. I was singing "What You Need" and at that time I felt like being aggressive about the fact that I know I'm supposed to be the new lead singer for this band. Peace Please August, 2005 August 27thDEANNA - The house is not a home without you.
JESSICA - There's a lot less "f*%k" being said around here.
BRANDON - Hope you're bluesing and boozing enough for all us out there.
TARA - I miss your beauty around the mansion.
HEATHER - Hope the road is leading you to a field of butterflies.
DAPHNA - Still thinking about your red silk panties.
NEAL - I wear your voice whenever I try and learn an INXS tune. All of our inside lyric jokes still make me smile.
WILL - Hope you're still doing our dance. I do it at least once a day.
I am so honored to be singing "You Can't Always Get What You Want" this week. The Stones are gods. I grew up singing in choirs so I hope I can keep it together. I look forward to performing for you again. It's always more than a pleasure. Peace Please August, 2005 August 24thAt this weeks performance show we started out with a discussion with INXS and Dave again. They thought it was very smart of me to do all the things I did in one week because I got to co-write, produce, arrange an original song with Deanna, perform a classic song, “Proud Mary,” and arrange a back-up vocal arrangement for that. I didn't plan to have all those things land in my lap at the same time. I was just lucky that they did. Before I came here I spent every day writing, producing, and performing on stage. Every day! So, last week was the first week I felt I was carrying my regular load and it made me feel like I was on top of a mountain. I love what I do. The more of it, the better. Serendipity!
Peace Please August, 2005 August 20th“Proud Mary” is a song that I really connect with for a couple of reasons.
1- My band, Dakota Moon, opened for Tina Turner and I had the honor of watching her sing it every night from the wings. 2- My whole family is from the South, so it waters my roots. When we were rehearsing it felt like we were having a party and everyone picked up an instrument and started playing. I hope you all enjoy it as much as we enjoyed putting it together. Peace Please. Tell us about your song selectionThe producers of Rock Star:INXS want to hear from you. Click on the comments link below to tell us why you chose the song you did for Ty. Your name and response may even be mentioned on the upcoming encore performance show. August, 2005 August 16thSo I had a fu%*ing party singing “Maggie May.” My friend Jeremy, who is in a wheelchair and was told six years ago that he would never walk again, has been at the last two shows. When I looked out at him before I sang, he was standing tall on his own and smiling at me. I thought I was going to cry. A miracle. If that's not inspiration, I don’t know what is. Right now I'm sitting out by the pool. Deanna is to the left of me; Jessica is to the right; life is good people. I love you all for seeing what you see in me. I'm proud to be here representing all the love in my life. Peace Please. August, 2005 August 13thWhen we got back to the Mansion I had a surprise guest -- Joan Kilcommons. Joan was the person that encouraged me to be a performer. She was my teacher when I was eight and we've remained dear friends since then. Imagine having the person that inspired being here to witness your moment in the sun. Her words of encouragement reminded me of why I love doing what I do. She's my angel.
The other night I got to write a song with Suzie, MiG and Deanna. We had a blast and came up with a kick-ass Stones kind of tune. It was an assignment for the songwriting clinic. We worked together like good wine and smelly cheese. Tasty. They broke us into teams. The other team was Marty, Jordis, Jessica and J.D. They bumped di*^s and had a lot of drama. In the end we won the prize because the concept of the clinic was really how people work together. We each won a stereo and a night out on the town with INXS. Sweet. Cheers! We also went to "Rokbar" -- Dave Navarro & Tommy Lee’s bar. It was out of control. Dave and I had a cool conversation about inspiration. That’s it for now
Peace Please August, 2005 August 11thWhat a f#%*ing week. I was in the bottom three last week and rose to the occasion. I knew I had to represent myself better. Singing the Marley tune lifted me to the sky I'm used to hanging out in. When I was asked to do the encore, I felt not only honored but proud of myself and the way I faced defeat. I thank my mom for that. Whenever she was dealt a bad hand, she always found a way to turn it into a royal flush. Peace Please. August, 2005 August 10thLast week I cried a river, and this week I road that river of tears into a sea of happiness and triumph. It made me feel like a superstar when INXS and Dave jumped to their feet after my version of "No Woman, No Cry." It was so surreal to have them give me a love fest. The comments and praise they gave me let me know that they finally understood my passion and artistry. I'm loving this experience. It is exposing me to myself like I hoped it would. Life is a song worth singing. Peace Please August, 2005 August 7thWhat a difference a day makes. My mind, body and soul are dancing like nobody's business.
I thank everyone for the letters, flowers, gifts and energy they sent my way last week when I was feeling low. I was feeling low. It wasn't only the power within me but also your love that threw me to the top of the mountain and made me "kick" again. Thank You. We went to House of Blues for Jordis's birthday and saw Dave Navarro in the cover band "Camp Freddy". It was an all star line up. Garry and Jon (of INXS) were out with us. It was the first time we got to party with them. Jon put his hand on my heart and said to me "TY you are so much heart and love. It’s so good to see that in someone." I thanked him for telling me. One more reason for me to know I am meant to be here. Garry is a trip, so funny! I laughed with him like an old friend. The kind of laugh where you run from each other while you’re screaming and pointing at each other. Suzie and I shared many yucks too. Ah, laughter. I miss my peeps in LA, Vegas, NYC and Montclair NJ, Maryland and Florida. So much love and respect. Peace Please. August, 2005 August 4thSo my instincts were right. As you know I wound up in the bottom three this week. I went to bed the night before knowing that I would be, and woke up feeling ready to take this on for my friends and fans, who may be concerned about my spirit and energy after such a dramatic moment. Know one thing: I feel stronger then ever, I feel like my performance of “Kick” was the best experience I’ve had since I’ve been here. In the time between my “Everlong” performance and my “Kick” performance I felt like my wings had been clipped. The second my name was called for the bottom three I felt my wings growing again while singing “Kick” I felt like I could fly again. I dove off the stage at the end to remind myself that I am an eagle and also to let my people and fans know that I’m heading to the sun again…. Re-Born.
It was an honor to have INXS say I did a fantastic job. My body was on fire. During the song Dave Navarro jumped on his feet. Tim said that when I dove off the stage I should have flown right back to the rocker pod. I look forward to singing from the bottom of my heart for you all again in a couple of days. We went to the premiere of “Skeleton Key” the other night. It was our first red carpet event. F*%k! Yeah! Life is more than good when you’re not only walking a cloud but that cloud is rolling over a red carpet. Kate Hudson, while being interviewed pulled me into her shot! She put her hands behind my neck, looked straight into my eyes and said with the most sincere voice: This guy has the most amazing voice in the world. She rocked me…. If you know what I mean. (wink) The movie was great. Check it out…. Tara Slone – you are my spiritual angel. I will miss your rays of love everyday. Before I check out I want to remind anyone that is reading this that you are beautiful. Listen to the voice inside you and trust its wisdom. Your soul knows the answers. Don’t silence it. Peace Please. August, 2005 August 3rdThis was the first performance show I left feeling uneasy and deflated. I took on a big challenge this week and did the work I needed to in order to make myself feel at home. I know it wasn't the best performance of my life, but I climbed a mountain with the song and got to the top.
The experience reminded me to stay strong and remember I am doing this whole thing because I want to learn and not only do things inside my comfort zone. If I'm in the bottom three this week, it will be an honor to perform an INXS song for them, My Idols.
I want to thank my friends that were at the show for looking into my eyes and letting me know that it's all good. Today I smile with pride and look forward to the next time I get to rock for you all.
"That which doesn't kill us makes us stronger."
Peace Please August, 2005 July 30thThis week in the song selection the grills were locked and every song I chose someone else wanted, so I decided to be adventurous and pick a song that I not only didn't know but also have never heard of … "Everlong" by David Grohl performed by Foo Fighters. It got me nervous because I know how important every performance is. Once I got the recording of it I immediately fell in love with it. It rocks so f*#!ing hard and coming off of my acoustic mellow performance last week it will be good to throw some balls into peoples faces. The song is so bad ass because of the dirty guitar riffs and some bombastic drum fills. And in the middle of this storm, the calm is the lyrics. It's a love song in the middle of chaos. I can't wait to have it run through me, I hope to make Foo Fighters proud. I'm doing it straight up as far as the arrangement because I want to pay honor to the work.
Looking forward to singing to all you out there again. It's been my pleasure. Thanks for the love and support.
Peace Please. July, 2005 July 28thYesterday’s elimination was devastating. It blew our minds that INXS got rid of two people instead of one. We sat in shock and are still not really done with the blow of it. I would like to spend this entry talking about the butterfly and the dove that flew out of our hands.
Daphna Dove is an amazingly spiritual woman with the heart and mind of a rock and roll gypsy. Her beauty is too much for the daylight. The fact that she came into this competition and did as well as she did on the heels of her father’s death leaves me in awe of her. Life deals us strange cards sometimes. I do believe that if she had not come after a huge emotional trauma she would have soared even higher. She is an amazing woman and I can't wait to see what the world does with her next. We had many heart-felt talks and moments. If you ever have the chance to meet her consider yourself in the presence of a queen.
Heather/Butterfly is one of the most unique and intriguing people I have ever met. She was the first person I met and connected with. During the auditions she and I bonded without words. That's the true sign of a meeting of souls. She's so simple and so complicated. She's like a tall glass of lemonade on the hottest day of summer. Good to the last drop. She was the mom of the house and took such great care of us all. Heart of platinum. She is the blues in the happiest of keys. Top of the crop. I will always have her in my life, if I'm lucky.
Final ten. Here we go. Thanks to all my family, friends and voters for their support. I am only me because of the mirror that you are.
Peace Please July, 2005 July 27thHey, People. I feel like each day gets better and better for me here and I feel stronger and stronger. I am noticing I'm developing relations with Daphna and security which acts as a mirror to let me know that my true colors are rising to the top. I've always flourished in the company of true friends and family because of the comfort level. The fact that I feel this good lets me know that I'm surrounded by love.
I woke up performance morning feeling like a champion -- I could not wait to hit the stage. I was on a mission. There was nothing in my head but positive thought and energy going into my performance. While I was waiting to start I looked out into the audience and saw the faces of friends and strangers looking at me like they trusted their hearts in my hands. When Brooke announced and the intro started I was swept into the moment and the music and a peaceful magic danced over the room. I put no flash on it. I just wanted to let the song illuminate. I wanted to make Michael Stipe proud. When I was done the room went wild and I could barely hold back the tears of joy. Dave Navarro told me to take it all in. His first comment was that I am out to be the next lead singer of INXS! I could have walked away happy then but other members of INXS had things to say. They each praised me and I felt lifted, humbled and honored. It was a life-changing moment and a living dream. The comment that affected me most came from Garry. He said something like it was the perfect example of a great singer executing an amazing song. A perfect marriage. Imagine hearing your mentor say that to you. I think they finally get the depth of me and realize how much I want to be a part of their band and that it could be a good combo. I think I will sleep well tonight. Thanks for voting for me and coming to check us out live. It's such a strange part. Peace please. July, 2005 July 25thI had an amazing week this week. I don’t know what it was about the formula of things that happened to me but they landed me on the ground, standing firmly and with such strength. For the first time since this competition began I feel like a warrior again.
Insecurities are the enemies to soul. Over the last bit of time I have allowed them to hold my hand. They are like termites. They get in and chew away at you until there’s nothing left. I'm fortunate to have found them and their nest before it was too late. I am not a violent person by any means but I feel like I want to punch myself in the face for forgetting who I am. It feels good to be back again. Song selection could not have gone any better this week. INXS told me they wanted me to see me be spontaneous. I will be doing "Everybody Hurts" by REM. I'm going to swing it MTV Unplugged style the idea of sitting on stools with the house band and simply singing from my heart brings love to my soul and a lift in my pants. I want to burry myself in the depth of the song and have the world feel my heart.
We did another clinic – this time it was with Tim and Gary…we got to watch our first two performances for the first time and critique them. Watching people do their thing was electrifying. We see people from the side when we watch the shows. Looking at the shows and seeing people’s eyes really gave me insight into their songs.
The main comment from INXS to me was that because of my theater background I almost looked too polished. I am looking forward to showing them some rawness. It will be my pleasure. I will use every critique as an opportunity to dig deeper and discover something new… July, 2005 July 21stRafael (lead Guitar) throws in tasty morsels whenever he can and recognizes that I love that stuff. He looks right at me after he sings something. Sasha (Bass) gets into the tunes so deeply he escapes into it. Nate (Drummer) is a beast. He hits the drums each time like someone told him it was his last day of playing and he does give the warmest of smiles. We’re all so fortunate to have these guys supporting us.
Music is from the Gods. They say it calms the savage beast but it amps me up. A big thing to know about me is…if you want me to sit, don’t play music. It unleashes me from all constitution. The elimination show was mind blowing.
I miss Neal Carson. He was my main source of inspiration around here. What a great man. Jessica and Tara survived elimination. We asked them what it felt like and they both welled up with tears. I feel for them knowing they were one of the least popular this past week. That can’t feel good, but I guess it would be a great motivator to kick the stage in the face next time. I’m finding all the positive …I’m proud of myself.
Peace Please….. July, 2005 July 20thPeople, I must start this entry with letting you know how humbled I am by the amount of love and support that has come my way over the last couple of weeks. It makes me feel like I am doing something right. The main reason that I am doing what I'm doing is because of how I can reach into people's souls. Thanks for letting me know you've been touched. At last nights performance I got to perform one of my favorite songs. The crowd was jumping. The blood was pumping. It was a party yeah! I am so ready to bring the room down, lower the lights and BARE MY HEART. I can't wait. Mark, I got your pants! Bad-Ass! I love my life. Everyday the universe smiles on me. Live every moment in grace. Life is a gift. Life is an adventure. Live in live and light will shine on you. Do something good today and do something dirty tonight. Peace Please July, 2005 July 16thWe chose songs today. When we went into the room to see what songs were on the wall I was excited to see that I know a lot of them. My first choice was "Somebody Told Me" by the Killers. It was one of my favorite songs from last year. It reminds me of Vegas and partying with my friends through the night. Deanna lifted herself in my book even more this time because she chose a song even though she didn't really want to do it. She's got it all together. Much respect to her. This moment I'm feeling really empty because I know how much is happening with the show out there and it hurts me to not be able to see the ones I love enjoying the magic. To them - I give all my heart and passion. To all my fans and supporters - thank you for leading me here. I will make you proud. For all the new people hopping on the ride - know that I'm a great road tripper. We're gonna have a ball. Buckle up. Peace please. July 15thWe had a rock clinic today with Dave. He talked to us about personal style. I've always been a big fan of the 'out there-ness'. He told us about how one reporter referred to rock stars as peacocks because they're so loud and colorful and cocky. He said that we had to flaunt our rock plumage. I love that phrase. He's the shit. I keep having to remind myself that I'm actually hanging out with Dave, one of my idols. Things are looking up. Everyday I feel more and more blessed. It’s a great feeling to believe the universe is showering you with kisses….French kisses.
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