Coming Soon!

Here comes the latest from out singer Mike Clifford of Close To Cathy fame!

Mike on the WWW -

https://www.facebook.com/MikeCliffordsWonderfulWorld/

 https://www.reverbnation.com/mikeclifford6

Happy Pride Month!

Pride!
Michael Shinafelt

It's on! June is officially Pride Month, being a member of the LGBTQIA community I will be posting Pride related things all month long.

Guess which letter I am in the acronym? Base on the image above I think you've got it!

We kicked here at Entertain Me kicked it off yesterday with a post on 12th place Amrican Idol runner up and out singer David Hernandez.

There's more where that came from.

Get your Pride on! We'll have a gay ole time! 

Follow me here -

https://www.instagram.com/michaelshinafelt/?hl=en

I Am Who I Am

American Idol’s David Hernandez is releasing a re-imagined version of the title track from his first EP, I Am Who I Am.  The new version has been shortened to “I AM,” but still tells the story of David’s earlier years, growing up in a broken home among family members struggling with substance abuse, all while being bullied in school for his differences.  “I was listening to that old record, going down the memory lane of my life and career, remembering that young kid who was scared yet somehow had the audacity to chase his dream on national TV,” David Hernandez reflects today.    “It occurred to me how much I still relate to him.” It got David to thinking: what if he re-recorded the track and revamped it for the modern era, as a nod to all that he has been through since? He reached out to the producer of that first EP, Alex Teamer, and within a few days, they had a new version of the song.  

“So much of what I sang about in my first album still rings true today,” David Hernandez continues from his Los Angeles home.  “I’ve worked so hard to overcome the traumas of my childhood, and by the grace of God, I have managed to heal so much of my past pain, but I would be lying if I said that some days weren’t still a struggle.  I think I will always be discovering who I am until my dying day. There’s a beauty in that.”

The new version of “I AM” is an anthemic pop song, with David’s powerful vocals amplified by the addition of orchestral strings, piano, and drums.  Like the original, it delivers hints of soul and R&B but the new version adds major and minor chords throughout that produce a sense of push and pull, reminiscent of the emotional tugs many people battle on their journey to self-discovery. There is also a huge climatic chorus and an ending choir that takes listeners to church with a spiritual experience meant to drive home the feelings of hope and redemption.

The music video, co-produced and directed by David Hernandez and Johny D. and shot in Burbank at Stage 35, echoes the sentiment of the song.  It opens with David, the music star, about to perform on stage, greeted by applause and adulation from screaming fans while at the same time, facing an onslaught of criticism and homophobia from the media.  The pressure is intense and an emotionally beaten David Hernandez wonders, “Who am I?”.  A polaroid image of David as an adorable child in a Mickey Mouse shirt is depicted on a screen and then we see an all grown up David in that same Mickey Mouse shirt as he looks back at pivotal moments of his life and career.

“I remember the initial excitement of stardom when I thought it was all cheering crowds and fancy clothes,” David says.  “But pretty quickly, the doubts crept it along with the questions:  Is this it? Is this me? Did I hit my goal? Have I realized my dreams? Why do I feel so empty?”

In the video, Hernandez finally loses control, ripping his costume off and trashing his dressing room.  He walks out to an empty set, in complete silence and loneliness, left to his own thoughts.  There is no crowd. There are no distractions. No one is there to lean on.  Only him. 

David Hernandez gained national attention as a Top 12 finalist on American Idol. Since then, his talents have been showcased on notable platforms like The Ellen Show, The Today Show, MTV's TRL, and TV Guides' Sexiest Stars.   He even performed at the Inaugural Kick-Off Celebration ball for Barack Obama alongside renowned artists John Legend and Maroon 5. 

In his music, David draws inspiration from legends like Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Whitney Houston, Donnie Hathaway, Alicia Keys, Luther Vandross, Beyoncé, and Michael Jackson. He writes and produces his own original music.  One of David's notable hits, "Beautiful," made its way to the Top 100 of the Billboard Dance charts, with its music video becoming a viral sensation. In the past year, he has released several self-produced songs and music videos including "Sorry," "Kingdom," and the infectious summer anthem "Boomerang." 

 

David also recently completed a successful 8-month residency in the Off-Broadway musical comedy Naked Boys Singing, for which he won the Broadway World Award for "Best Performer in a Musical."

 

His latest album, Don’t @ Me, is available on all digital platforms.  It includes the hit singles "Vices" and "When it Rains, it Pours”.  The album’s title claps back at critics who publicly outed him for being gay and for being a former stripper.   “They still don’t realize how much their words have scarred me,” David says today.

 

He understands he is not alone in his mental health struggles and often hears from fans who are facing their own hardships.  “It’s why I never want to sugarcoat things in my music,” he explains.  “I hate when people act like their life has been a breeze. That's not how life works. Sometimes it's incredible and other times it is really f-ing hard. But no matter how hard it gets, it’s important to remember that we all have the strength and ability to push through our pain and turn it into triumph.”

 

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Visit:  www.OfficialDavidHernandez.com

 

▼ Follow David Hernandez on

Instagram: DHernandezMusic

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Patti Smith - Golden Age

 

Patti on IG -

https://www.instagram.com/thisispattismith/?hl=en  

Michael's Musings

I'm The Ghost With The Most, Babe!
Michael Shinafelt

"It's Showtime!"  - Beetlejuice 

Ah, those Facebook memories, where would we be without them? This one came up today from an exhibit I went to five years ago in Los Angeles called: I Like Scary Movies. Thus here I am doing my best Beetlejuice impression at it.

My impression is my interpretation of him naturally, and it works! 

With the impending Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice coming September 6th 2024 I caught the original again (hadn't seen it since it first came out) and it surpiringly still holds up and is as entertaining as when I first viewed it.

So "Yes" I am now actually interested in seeing the follow-up. It looks like they took what worked in the original and expanded on it.

Until then go back and watch the original, it's still a whole lotta fun!

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice...

On IMDb -

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2049403/ 

Hump Day & Chill

Today's secret Hump Day & Chill word is "Moist" Ahhhhhhhhh! 

Remeber Pee Wee's Playhouse and his secret word of the day? If you know, you know. If you don't there's always Google.

While this word is obviously photo shopped on to an actual image of Pee Wee holding one of the actual words of the day (imagine if he ever used "Moist" on the air???) it is a word that may as well have been featured on the show.

Those of us who viewed it wseekly knew that while kids watched it for the bright colors, silliness and cast of off the wall characters the content was 100% Adult and was designed to fly above younger viewers heads. That was part of the fun of watching it as an adult, right? Of course it was!!!

So let's Hump Day & Chill and get "Moist" Ahhhhhhh!

Pee Wee's Playhouse on Wikipedia -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pee-wee%27s_Playhouse 

Walking in LA...

In case you haven't read any of my posts that make reference to me living in Los Angeles, well that is where I reside. Hence the byline.

While walking in my hood one day I spotted this nailed to a tree. A cross and garlic mean only one thing to me - there are vampires in my neighborhood, at least someone, somebody or many people believe so.

Now let's bear in mind that I have not encountered any of said creatures of the night to my knowledge. This being stated, if there are some that happen to be neighbors of mine please introduce yourselves I'd be interested in hanging out.

Are there vampires actually residing in LA? Always a possibility.

Vampires on History.com -

https://www.history.com/topics/folklore/vampire-history