Jordan

Jordan

By

Retta Michaels

Disclaimer:

If you are under the age of eighteen, or live in a locale which doesn't allow you to read these sorts of stories legally, then please don't. Come back when it's legal for you to do so and it will be great with us who are here legally. In fact, we'll support you and in the right circumstances help get you laid. Now, skedaddle and shut the door on your way out!

Now, for the rest of you who are supposed to be adults, act like it!

Notes From Retta:

Not many people have given comments on the story, I'm not sure if people have read it, or if it's that I didn't request for comments. What I do know is the people who read it as an advanced sneak peek liked it enough to write, so I'm going to go ahead and post the rest of it. Here's the second chapter.

Chapter 2

We went to the suite and when we got there, everyone was so excited we sat around on the sofas brainstorming.

"One of the things I've thought about was an album entitled "Risque"."

Everyone looked at me and I went on further. Madonna has "Sex" and she got by with a lot, but I'd like to push the envelope and see what we can absolutely get by with.

Everyone looked at me rather shocked and I decided to go for broke. "Sex sells and we've been groomed, dressed, and made to look like everyone's fantasies. Don't get me wrong, I like the clothes, but look at some of us. We look like a middle aged man's fantasy rather than a teenager's fantasy. Me, I got dressed up as a prep, you got dressed up like a twink, Niles, and Chad, you're hot in your get up, but your personality is totally different. Bandy, do you really feel like the way you got dressed. Chad looks like a leather gangsta and you...you're like a working class stiff."

"No, I hate it...but, I understand why they did what they did. Everyone wants to see us different, rather than everyone being the same. It's like we're a modern age Village People."

"Yeah, that's what I'm getting at...So, why don't we take a chance and push the limit. Make an album that just goes over the top with sexual suggestiveness. Have titles like, "Balls", "My cherry popped", "You greased me up" and "I get hard". Then, play it totally differently in the videos. Sing the sexually suggestive song that everyone knows what we mean, but in the video for "I get hard", have a guy working out and show his biceps getting pumped up...have him with a tape measure when the line, "I count the inches" gets sung. Have the old fucks at the corporate headquarters wondering if they should have a PG 13 label on it, and then not because they see the video as being different."

Niles jumped in..."That's awesome! The mental picture I'm getting for "My cherry popped" is showing a guy from the mid stomach up looking like he's masturbating and then the last line of the song, say my cherry popped and then show a table with him behind it with a cherry laying on the table and then he brings down a sledgehammer on it. The final cut would be his grimace. Kids would go apeshit over that one. Can you imagine them singing "My cherry popped" in front of grandma!"

Everyone started giggling hilariously. We were brainstorming together which was neat, then Chad brought over a keyboard and started playing "Flamboyant" by the Pet Shop Boys. I started to sing and then Bandy said, "I wonder if they'd do a song and video with us, or if Elton John would."

We all laughed and then Chad ever so brilliantly started to play "Making Love Out of Nothing At All" by Air Supply. Several of us started to sing and Chad looked up at me and smiled. The message came across to me loud and clear. I got up and went over to the phone and called Jill.

She answered fast and said, "Hey, what can I do for ya!"

"Could you come to our suite, we're all brainstorming and we've got several things we want to run by you."

"Be right there."

I went back and sat down closer to Chad and the room was suddenly silent.

"Listen guys, you can be yourself around her Just treat her like one of the rest of us. She's taken everything we'd done so far and she's helping us to push the limits. It's not like I just invited one of our parents over. She's one that gets things done for us."

"It's not that. We're still getting used to being gay and she's a girl!"

"Yeah, we can't talk about getting greased up in front of her. It's just icky then!"

"O.k., then I'll start the conversation about getting greased up and you'll see she'll run with the idea."

She walked right into our suite without knocking and was sitting in her pajamas. "GUYS! I thought this was a slumber party!"

"Jill, I don't wear anything to bed when I sleep."

"Oh, well didn't we buy you pajamas?"

"Yeah, mine are still in the package. You don't expect me to get them out now, do you!"

"No, but I'm feeling under dressed here!"

"Well, after we start telling you some of our ideas, you might feel over dressed."

She looked at me crazily and then said, "O.k., so what ya talkin' about?"

"We're sitting here brainstorming and we've got several ideas we need to ask you about to see if you can possibly have happen for us."

I started to tell her about what all we had talked about up to this point and the more I talked, the more she smiled.

"Damn guys, we've got to get you laid!"

"If you haven't noticed, we're all teenager's here and we've got boyfriends!"

"Oh, o.k., so anyone did anything yet?"

Niles started laughing and shrilly screamed, "Pull it out! Pull it out! Pull it out!"

Red's face turned crimson. "Gosh Niles, you didn't have to tell everyone!"

"Cool! You all did it!"

Niles looked down. Red looked up, suddenly a bit prouder, "We started to but man, it hurt too bad!"

"Oh, didn't you all guh-reeze up!" I said starting to laugh my ass off.

Red started laughing and then Niles did and the rest of the guys were all howling with laughter.

Jill looked at us like we were nuts and said, "I'm missing something, I guess."

"Well, we were discussing an album tentatively titled "Risque" which would have titles on it called, "Balls", "My cherry got popped", "I got hard", and one called "You greased me up".

She started laughing and said, "That'd be a good idea, but I could see the censors going nuts."

"Well, we thought of doing it with a lot of double entendres and then having videos that would make it look like it was harmless."

"So, how exactly would you grease each other up without it being kinky?"

"Well, we could have greased pig contest and then have the guys all with their shirts off and one of us slapping grease on the other."

"Wow, and you'd expect this to be acceptable!"

"Well, it wouldn't be like we were nude, but it'd be something teenage girls and gay guys would get into. They'd get to see us with our shirts off."

"Man, you're right! I'm beginning to like this. It'd sell you all as being sexy and they'd not think a thing about it. How do you all look without your shirts off? We don't want teen boys thinking, "Man, I'm better built than him!"

"No, Chad's awesome without his shirt on. What do the rest of you guys look like? I know I'm not as built as Chad, so I'd have to start working out."

Niles said, "I've got an 8 pack, but Red would have to work out. Maybe we need to start hitting the work out spots at these hotels more."

"That's a good idea. I wouldn't feel so bad if I had other people to work out with."

"O.k., then we'll all start going and getting each other prepared for the video and that would help us all be better physically too. I'm in!" Chad said while putting his arm around me.

Everyone agreed and Jill was smiling, "Guys, if you'll have a girl with you and will be patient with me, I'd like to join in. I think I could get some of the managers to go too that way we're doing it as a team and we might even be able to get some equipment bought for you guys to go on the road with us."

"That'd be neat. Another thing we need to ask Jill is do you think you could get us someone famous like Elton John, the Pet Shop Boys, or Air Supply to do a song with us? We'd like to be able to have someone help us out publicly."

"I don't know guys. Some stars aren't out publicly and you guys are blasting the doors off your closets. Elton probably would do it, but he'd want you to donate the proceeds to his A.I.D.S. Fund."

"That's no problem. We'd get publicity and he'd get something from it too."

"I'll see what we can do, but I can't even say we can get it to happen. His schedule is probably as booked as yours. I do know if it would happen, it'd have to be in Vegas."

"Cool, then we'd be going to Vegas!", several of us said at once.

"Guys, we have to get units sold before then."

"Oh, don't worry about that. We'll get them sold."

"We'll do what we can. I'm not going to promise anything. I'm doing good to get what we've got so far. I've got them feeling pretty bad about what they've done to you so far, but I'm not going to make them think you're taking advantage of it. The good thing is everything I've proposed to them, they've lapped up. So, we'll have to really work it to get more. You've got recording time and video shoots and I'm really happy about that, but you need to realize this is going to be hard on you because of all the training involved."

We all groaned loudly and she laughed. "It's not that bad. At least this time it will be to your own songs, so that's going to feel awesome and I'm sure what you think about the choreography will be allowed."

Red spoke out, "What if we don't want choreography on a video? Can we have it so some of them don't include us at all?"

"Yes, I'm already swinging some of the things we discussed earlier. The one with the soldier they're pushing full speed ahead. They want to take advantage of the war effort and they're even thinking about you all doing a sort of U.S.O. Effort."

"We're not going to Iraq, are we?"

"They're talking about it."

"Isn't that dangerous?!"

"Not really, they put performers well behind the lines."

"How would Iraq handle allowing gays into the country?"

"I don't think they're really going to object. I think if anyone objects, it will be the Pentagon. They're going to cringe about having gays go over there to perform in a don't ask don't tell environment."

Chad started humming, and I softly sung, "Don't ask me no questions and I won't tell you no lies. So, don't ask me about my business and I won't tell you goodbye."

Jill smiled, "You guys are fast! And...you know you're music!"

"My mom probably has ever Skynard record imaginable."

Jill looked amazed. "Wow!"

"Yeah, she's not a gangster's mom...like you guys spun me off." Chad said with a bit of animosity to his tone.

"Guys, that's another mistake they really made. Chad, you got the short straw on that one and I really apologize."

Red mumbled, "Yeah, like our outfits we have to wear. No one bothered to ask us about that either."

"Awww, you guys don't like the outfits they thought up for you!" Jill said with a lot of sarcasm in her voice.

"No, we're thinking it's like a modern day gay village people version of kink."

"I don't know who thought that one up, but I'm assuring you it wasn't me. What do you guys think would be a good stage presence would be?"

"I don't know. I don't want to look like Abba where they wore everything the same, but I'd like to look like me."

Several of the guys all seconded that statement and Jill said, "Well, let's think of something because we've got to think about what everyone who pays to see the group would want."

Chad spoke up, "How about if we start going out and looking like we're in tuxedos or something. Or, maybe we could get a designer like Cher has who would really know what they're doing with some costumes. If we dressed up in what we wore in the videos, then we'd be able to do several changes and nothing would get really sweaty."

"That'd be a good idea, but what would you do in the songs that you aren't performing in the videos."

Chad was right on that one. "We'd have the video playing above and have just spotlights on us in the tuxes. That'd put the focus on the video."

"That's a good idea. What do the rest of you think?"

Wend said, "I'd like to have a costume like the old country stars when I'm out there singing my songs. The modern country singers not going out in costume and just jeans and tees are a disappointment in my opinion. I don't want to be all polyester like Porter Wagonner or Buck Owens, but you could definitely tell they were country stars back then."

"I agree. There's no way at all we're going to let you go out in jeans and tees. I'll tell you that now!" She said it with a bit of firmness in her voice, I knew that option was out. She paused and said, "Guys, I'd like to see you have a group persona. In the future, we're going to have you at multiple group performances and awards shows. I want you to look like you're from the group and have you all looking alike."

Bandy, the quiet one, spoke up and when he did, he blew everyone away. "Well, what I'm thinking is we need to have something that can be marketed. Let's say everyone likes what the group wears so much, they want to buy it. So, how about if we went out in an outfit like either a Basketball Jersey or a football jersey and shorts, or some real nice sweat pants. It'd have us looking like hip hoppers, and we could have the name of the group on the back."

Jill stood up and said, "Man, you don't speak often, but when you do, you sure get my vote! That's a hell of an idea. We could even have something which would make it personal like your favorite colors or a hat turned backwards that has your name on the back. Then, even during interviews, your name would be present and they'd instantly know which one you were!"

Everyone liked that one and then we started throwing out colors which would be good. Bandy smiled and said, "Guys, you're not thinking big enough. You're worried about one color and I'm thinking about multiple purchases. How about one concert tour, we promote it as the black and blue tour, and then another, we have red jerseys which we'd entitle the throbbin' robin tour. That'd get your sex album notice and it'd tie in perfectly."

I looked at him and thought, "Man, this guy's going for the marketting!"

Jill said, "Guys, how about if we have different colors for different albums. You'd have three right off and I'll tell you now, that Risque album is going to have to be after the first three when I can get you artistic control because they'll stop that real fast. But, rather than getting into numbers, I think we should get into just a number sign and a one on the front and then your group photo on the back or individual faces on the back. That way you'd each get a portion of the marketting."

As soon as she said it, I said the first thing that came to my mind, "It has to be a group shot. I don't want one person not getting as much as the others. That would suck. It'd be easier on the accounting too. Personally, I don't care what you have with my face on it, but I don't want no damned doll. The thought of some little girl having my doll humping Barbie and not Chad's would be gross."

We all laughed and Jill said, "Mental note, no damned dolls. So, you o.k, with lunch boxes?"

Chad spoke up, "Jill, I once saw an interview with someone who I forget that was famous once and he had a room full of crap with his face on it. He stood there and said, "IF it weren't for all this stuff, I'd be a whole site richer because they blew everything I made on the development of this". If you have our face marketed on stuff, then make sure it's not costing us to do it. Make the companies that want to sell the stuff, develop it and we get to keep what we make. I'd rather have a bank full of stuff than a room full of stuff in twenty years."

She winked at him and said, "I think I know who you're referring to and I promise you now, you'll get only percentages and won't pay for anything that isn't group related. While we're talking about money, I want you all to know a few other things that's being done because I don't think you all really know what that side of this involves."

We all leaned forward because I don't think anyone realized how much we were making.

"There've been some unscrupulous managers out there who try to fuck their stars every inch of the way. Nowadays, you see major stars that know about the fucking they took taking over that and making money. Rather than doing that to you, the portion of the money we say is your cut is indeed your cut. You're not paying for these hotel rooms and you're not paying for the buses or the vans you go around in. When you fly, you're not paying for those tickets either. Nothing that's outside of what you charge on the cards we gave you is getting charged to you. My suggestion is that you all eat to your heart's content on the company by using room service or in the hotel's restaurants and charge it to the rooms. Anything else, and you'll be paying taxes on which isn't very smart."

She paused and then began again, "If any of you ever have any questions, I'm going to advise you to fuck the company. They're making money for nothing with you all. Right now, it's costing them, but when you all really start making money, they're going to be the ones that are reaping back what they do at the beginning. My advice for you all is to stake claim to who does what on writing songs and have me do the legal work through the company as far as copyrighting it for you. They'll do that free as they don't want you screwed really. Another thing I'm going to advise you to do is to produce your own records and promote yourselves after the first three records. By then, you'll have a name out there and they'll get the money off the three, but why should you pay for them any more than you should?"

Several of us nodded and I was glad she was having this conversation with us because it was bringing the guys that didn't know her closer to her. She then said, "By the time you get to that fourth album, you're going to have houses and cars. My HUGE suggestion is you DON'T go all Hollywood and buy million dollar houses and half million dollar cars. Yes, you'll see star friends of yours driving them, but ten years from now, that car's going to be old and that friend's going to be hitting you up for cash because he's broke. I'll tell you now, a million dollars goes mighty fast when you've got a lot of people on your payroll you don't need...just ask some of these stars that have went broke. They'll tell you they were high on the list of whom to invite when they were paying for the parties, but when the money was gone, ask them how many got invited to any parties. They'll tell you they got pretty lonesome. That's why you see a lot of stars go off into drugs and alcohol."

"Speaking of which, I'll tell you now. As your manager, if you get caught with alcohol in your rooms as a minor, I'll personally call the police on you. If you get caught with drugs, I'll not only call the police, I'll have your asses shipped back to your parents in a heartbeat. If you think you're that popular, then fuck with me on it and read your contracts, because I won't sign a contract that doesn't have that right in mine. I make money by earning it with you all, but I can also make it earning it for someone that really wants to be a star elsewhere."

She calmed down and then said something which really brought things home. "You guys are gay. And, that's good in my mind. That's meaning you're not going to have a lot of girls pregnant along the way and you're going to have more money that's not going out for insurance to prevent that publicity from ever happening. I'll keep documentation on you like you wouldn't believe. You'll be able to come back to me and say, "What did we do on October the third of two thousand and seven?" and I'll be able to tell you, where we were and what you did that day. It's not to protect you so much as to protect you from others. You'll be amazed at how many people will try to cash checks with your signature on them and it will be from a town you weren't even in on that day. When those things happen, I'll set the lawyers on them to prosecute to the fullest. It protects you from others, as I said.

Another plus is you'll have your boyfriends here to vouch for you. Now, I'll state here...if you ever split up with the guy you're with, I want you to come to me first. It's going to piss me off mighty bad if I find out you went out of a hotel without any protection and to a bar for companionship. First of all, it's endangering you, it's endangering this group, and it's endangering your partner because you might get together with him again and you might have caught something. Come to me and I'll do what I can to listen and help you. If you don't and think you're strong enough to take the ass chewing later, then go right ahead because I'll be sure to give it."

"On that note, I'm your manager first. I'll tell you that now. I'll be your friend and you can always come to me and talk with me about something. I'll buy that car for you, and I'll get you the best deal for it. I'll buy that house for you too and I'll sure as hell not let you take a fucking on it. But, I'll not let you violate the other members of this group over your own selfishness. You guy's got it?"

We all agreed and then she said, "You guys do realize that about a dollar of every unit sold comes to you. That's not much, but that's the way it goes. I'll break it down to you so you know how the rest is divided. Right off the top, the company is charging you a pretty penny for their recording studios. That's why I'm going to advise you to record the records after the third at either your home studio or someplace where you pay for the time and get to keep the masters. That way you pay upfront and don't have to keep paying for that time over and over and over. The next thing I'm telling you is to produce and write your own music. You might not realize it, but those people make just as much as you do. It sucks, but that's the breaks. That's why I'm happy you're coming up with the songs you are. We'll run with them and we'll get them onto the releases. You get that cut and it's good that you'll make more. You decide how you want to split it if you want to claim the entire song was written by you all."

"So, that's three dollars of every unit sold. The rest is overhead. It cost about fifty five cents to get that one unit made. All the other goes back to the company. Yup, that unit goes out wholesale at about seven dollars and they keep everything over that three dollars and fifty five cents. Right now, my management fees are in their cut, but starting on the fourth, it's coming out of your percentage. That's why I'm telling you now to produce your own and keep everything except the fifty five cents."

The more I heard her say, the more I was doing the math in my head. A million made us million dollars and Chad and I got around eighteen percent. So, we make a hundred and eighty thousand dollars. To me, that sounded like a lot of money, but say we sold two million record and I made three hundred and sixty, and then went out and bought a million dollar house. I'd owe over six hundred thousand and say it's my last record. Wow! How would I pay for it! Now, I can see why she didn't want us going out and buying all that stuff."

I had to ask a question though, "Ummm, Jill, can I ask a question?"

"Sure, jump in!"

"What happens in regards to the money we make from the concerts and the marketting?"

"That's a good question. The concerts are where you guys really make money. That's also where you can get hurt real fast. I'll tell you why. A concert stadium can only hold so many people. Usually, it will hold around twenty five thousand people. Yes, that sounds like a lot of people, but it breaks down like this...because you'll have promoters out there that pay you one cost and then sell the tickets. They clean up and you get screwed. Let's say we're charging two hundred thousand for you guys to perform a concert. That promoter pays that upfront. Now, he's got to make that back. So, that's instantly eight dollars each ticket. Then he turns around and charges fifty or a hundred dollars each ticket, the fans think they're lucky to see you and they'll gladly pay. They do and they're thinking you're getting the money which you aren't. They don't realize the promoter is the one running away with the money."

Red said, "That's crap!"

"Yeah, it'd be crap if we let it happen that way, but I'll tell you now, it's not going to ever happen that way unless I'm not managing you, or someone who really cares is managing. The way we do it is we market you out to promoters. Yes, it's marketing. We say to a promoter, "You pay the upfront fees and we'll charge you for fifty percent of what you make. Don't like those apples, then go fuck someone else." Then, what we do is from those fees, we give you guys your percentages and we take our cuts. The upfront fees is what it basicly takes to get you guys and all the equipment to the venue.And, yes, before you ask, it does cost a couple of hundred thousand to get all that stuff there and pay all the people to do stage set up and so on and so forth. In our stage we've got for you guys, which has been around the block a lot so to speak, we've got seven semis to just haul the stage and lights. Each one of those trucks takes a driver and it takes fuel. Just for semis, figure it takes about nine dollars to move that equipment a mile down the highway and then add it up. It costs a lot. Then, it costs for the stadium rental. Usually, the promoter is the one that pays that...I'll tell you that now, but in your case, we'll be doing a lot of self promotion and getting you out there. So, we'll be making the money, and you'll get your share. My suggestion is after the third record, you guys do the same. It's not that hard and I can put a girl on your payroll that can keep you busy, and making a lot of money.

At the concerts, you have the concessions and you have your marketed items. You guys make the money on the jerseys you sell because that's your idea. By the way, it's a damned good idea because it basicly pushes the company out of your business. They'll try to insist you sell t-shirts and who'd want a shirt when the one you're wearing is right next to it? I'll tell you now, the one you're going to be wearing is going to sell and a few of their will too, but yours will sell like hotcakes. My other suggesion is to sell something a girl can carry in her purse or a cell phone conver or something with the group on it. Those sell really well. Surprisingly, ink pens sell well and there's a lot of profit in those."

Wend said, "You said you'd tell us where else we can do good."

She smiled and said, "I like you guys because you really do care about this." She paused and said, "Your image and endorsements." She paused again for affect and then said, "Right now, the company controls your image. If they wanted to, they'd have you opening up Target stores and standing in aisles holding up the cd's and selling them when we have down time. By rights they could do that. I"ve not seen it done, but I've heard horror stories about someone who's pissed off and executive and it's came down for the person like that. I'll tell you now, as your manager, you won't be standing in any fucking aisle of a discount store hawking shit unless you're makng more than a million dollars each and then, we'll ask you first. Quite frankly, I think your off time should be yours. It's terrible it's taken up being a prisoner in a hotel someplace you don't want to be, but that's the business. There are some who fly in and then fly out, but I'll tell you now, you're not that big of a star yet and won't be on my watch. Keeping you guys out here is making you money and it's making you stars because you're learning the business."

She took a sip of her soft drink and then said, "Guys, your drinks are getting warm, come on. This is a slumber party!" She giggled and I realized I had been standing by Chad the whole time. I sat down in front of him and as she began to talk again, I took his shoes off. He took the hint and said, "Jill, hold up a minute. Guys, let's get comfortable and get out the pillows and blankets. He looked at me and said, "Either put on your sweats or those pajamas and we'll snuggle in under a blanket as we talk with everyone. He looked at Jill and said, "While we're changing, why don't you call down and order up pizza's and some nachos with cheese and chili. I know I want a lot of jalepenos. You guys want anything?"

They all gave her their order of what they wanted, but they really wanted the pizza. I took off to our room and got my sweats out of the suitcase. I hurriedly undressed and redressed making myself comfortable. Then, I went back out to the main living area where Jill was still talking on the phone. Chad came back in with a blanket and pillows and said, "Let's sit over here by the fireplace and I can sit behind you and you can use me as your pillow. I've not gotten to hold you like that yet and I want to."

"O.k., that sounds nice."

Jill got off the phone and I said to her, "It's a shame we don't have that face goop so we could all give each other facials."

She laughed and said, "Don't give me any ideas because manicures and pedicures would be on the menu."

Chad said, "Ooh, just the thought of you carressing my feet would be awesome."

I looked at him and said, "You'd like that?"

"Oh yeah, it relaxes me just like a good scalp massage." He then started massaging my scalp and I instantly fell in love with his hands.

She chuckled and said, "Do you guys mind if I bring my boyfriend on the road with us?"

"No, why isn't he here with us now?"

"Well, he's working for another tour which is a huge star, but she's about to retire and then, he'll be out of a job unless he can get someone else to take him on."

"What's he do?"

"Marketing. That's why I know it so well."

"Oh. I didn't know that."

"Well, I don't usually say anything about him, but I think it'd be nice."

Chad spoke up and said "Jill, when we get to be hugely popular, I want to do something that most people don't think of."

"What's that?"

"Well, we'll probably have a lot of groupies hanging out downstairs and I'd like to put up a trailer that has hot cocoa for them and a restroom. We could even market to them if you want, but it'd be nice. Maybe that's when we could do meet and greets, or something like that."

"That's a heckuva idea. I wish I'd thought of it! We'll get a trailer going and we can have it set up so it's either attached to the bus or the van as we drive. It will cost us to have someone on the payroll for that, but when it's not here in front of the hotel, it can be the venue. I bet we have sales going through the roof on those items! It'd give people time to see what we have and get them bought before they get to their seats because once someone gets to their seat, they tend to not want to go back through the crowd. At least I don't."

"Me neither. The thought of getting lost is what keeps me from moving. I'm afraid of going and not being able to get back without having to climb over twenty people. Besides, it'd be real cool to have us go out and see a bunch of people already wearing the stuff they've bought. But, one thing I'd want to do is to have us selling a different color of outfit than the one we're all wearing because I wouldn't want someone wearing the outfit we are and be able to get backstage and hurt us. Maybe while the concert's going on, we can change the items in the trailer and have the one we have on, but not before."

"That's a great idea. Then, we'd be able to double market them. They'd be happy, and they'd be able to get twice as much."

Chad spoke up again and said, "Jill, can I ask that we have a maximum price someone has to pay for something? I remember I went to one concert once and it was like four dollars to get a soda and then the next time, it was like ten. I had to pay, but I sure didn't like it. To me, paying more than four dollars for a drink is pure agony."

"We could try. We'll have to look into that."

"Well, at the venues we promote, we can charge what we want. They can't stop that, can they?"

"Sometimes, the venue has the concessions contracted out. They tend to try to make that money and keep it for themselves."

"Then, let's work around those."

"We probably could when we're doing it ourselves, but until the fourth record is made, we'll be at whomever's mercy."

"O.k., but I'll make apologies to the crowd if I find out they're over paying. We can charge what we want on the jerseys and our things, can't we?"

"Yeah, that's one thing we can control, but remember every dollar we don't make is a dollar you don't make."

"Well, if the fan brings sixty dollars to a show and pays forty on a shirt, then how much do they go home with? And, if we charge thirty for a shirt and thirty for the pants, then we get it all. So, we'll be making more in the long run. I just don't want to see someone paying over thirty dollars for anything unless it's something they're going to wear forever like a coat."

"Wow! That's a good idea! We could have coats too, or warm up jackets like they do on a basketball team!"

By this time, the guys were all trickling back in from their rooms and brought pillows and blankets with them. We filled them in on what we were discussing nad they were very vocal about what they thought of prices charged at the concerts they'd been to.

Wend said, "Guys, I don't want our concert tickets to ever go over seventy five dollars. I'll tell you now, I can't see a kid saving up their allowance for a year to just come see me. That's not right."

"O.k., if we sell out a concert, then we'll book another night. Is everyone in agreement with that?" Jill said, writing it down on her clipboard.0

"Yeah, but what happens if we're not booked for that town the next night?"

"Well, then I've not done my job because concert nights usually should have a free day in that town the following day. The way I book things is say we're in New York on a Friday promoting. Then, Friday night, you're either doing a personal appearance, or you're performing. On Saturday, if you've performed the night before, then you have a day off. By Sunday, we're onto the next stop and we're doing promos at radio stations, or television stations for Wednesday's concert. The advantage of advanced sales is I can know how fast a concert's selling and can get a booking made for the following day if needed. Sometimes, I'll have you performing on the Friday night if we sell out Saturday. While I'm in on my clipboard here, where are some places you specificly want to perform, so I can make that wish list."

Everyone started to talk at once and she siad, "Guys! One at a time please. Let's do it alphabeticly and you figure out who's first."

I looked at Chad and said, "You're first."

"No, Bandy is"

"Oh, sorry Bandy, I forgot."

"I know, you've got Chad on the brain."

I chuckled and he told her he wanted to perform in Houston at the Astrodome and wanted to perform on the mall in Washington D.C ., during pridefest."

"Wow! I never thought about that! That'll be cool!"

Jill looked at Bandy, "Is that all?"

"Well, I'm sure we'll come up with others, but if we can make it a working vacation, then put down all the Disney parks and all the theme parks across the country."

She said out loud as she wrote the words, "Band...wants...more....pa...per....than....I've....got!"

Everyone started laughing, but she turned to him, "Honey, I'll get you your wish. Believe me on that. Whatever we can do, I'll see you get a chance to perform wherever you guys want. You'll be damned tired of those places though because you'll also be working a lot of state fairs and major venues too. Who's next?"

Chad went and he said, "I want to perform at Wembley, Carnege, and in Rio. I want the largest concert we've ever done to be in Rio. I'll also tell you now, I'm going to want my mama there for that one and I want at least a week to travel all over the city before that concert."

"O.k., do you want it in Canival, or does it matter?"

"That would be awesome if you could get it done."

"I could probably get it done for next year, but you guys are going to have to learn Spanish because I want them to see you made an effort."

"Does that mean we're going to perform a Spanish album?"

"Do you want to? Because if you do, I'll tell you now you'll reach a lot of people that way all over the world. We're talking concerts in Mexico, and Spain right off the top of my head. At other places, we'll be able to do English, but wherever we're at in which the language is Spanish, I'd like for them to have opportunity to hear you sing to them in their language. Now, with that said, I'll tell you now, there won't be any Spanish concerts in the United States. It's not in my contract, but I'll make it that way real fast if you push me on it."

Chad spoke up, "No, I understand, My mom insists on us speaking English in our home and although I know Spanish, I don't speak it unless spoken to in it."

"That might be good for us to have an interview in sometime." She said.

I spoke up and said, "Jill, can I make a request our videos are subtitled for the deaf and it's done by someone we oversee?"

"Yes, but why?"

"Have you ever watched MTV and then turned on the subtitles? A lot of them are all jibberish. I want us to think of every fan we have and that even includes them. They might not buy our albums, but hopefully, when we have DVD's, they can those."

"No, that's an excellent idea. We could market the DVD's to them and/or put the videos on the cd's and market it to them subtitled. It'd be something very few people do and it'd reach a lot of people that way. It'd cost more in production, but I'll tell you now, it's not going to cost more than a dollar."

"O.k., then we'll do that."

"Jordon, you're next hon, so where will it be?"

"Jill, you don't have enough paper, but I'll tell you anyways then you can decide."

"O.k., give it a shot. I'm going to write the high lights here and we'll stay in communication about this."

"Well, where I want to perform isn't that big of a deal, but I think if someone has to travel over a hundred miles to see us, we're missing out on a lot of people. In some instances, some people never leave the town they live in, so I'd like to perform in every state in the union and have it at least several spots in that state. Now, for countries I'd like to perform in, the first one I'll tell you is in Russia. The market over there is exploding and we'd be wise to tap into it. So list every city that has a population of at least a hundred thousand there starting off with St. Petersburg....the city of love. Now, a few places I'd like to go do a concert otherwise would be Athens and in Egypt in front of the pyramids for HBO. Other than that, if Woodstock ever happens again, have us there and please please have us at the Monterey pop festival every year we're out there. And, while you're at it, put down the Hollywood bowl."

"Anything else, or do you plan on retiring before ninety!"

"Well, if it means I get to travel with these guys and stay with Chad and have you as a manager, then what does it matter?. I can get away to go home to see family, so that will be fun. We can travel the world and get to be tourists."

"Believe me, it will get to be old real fast. You don't think so now, but it will. Trust me."

"Well, Dolly Parton said she never complains because she remembers what it's like to want to be a star, so I'm not going to complain while we have it."

"If you keep that perspective, then I assure you, you'll be a lot better off. It's those who forget that are real assholes in this industry, but fate has a way of making them remember."

"Is it possible we can work with huge stars like her?"

"Dolly?"She asked.

"Yeah."

"Yeah, she's real great. She's like Elton with the publicity and she helps a lot of people. She's one that will remember how she's treated though and will never give you another opportunity if you don't treat her right every time. I'll tell you that now. "

"It sounds like you've worked with her before."

"A time or two and the people I represented really didn't treat her well. I'm good enough with her I can get you to see her right away, but I'll also tell you now, if you cross her, I won't suffer because of it, but you will."

"I promise I'm not going to do anything."

"Well, just remember to keep your word to her is all I ask. If you say you're going to do something for her, then do it and I don't care who tells you otherwise, you do it. I'll tell you now, she'll ask some things of you that will make you wish you hadn't ever given her your word. But, if you keep your word, you'll be better off."

"What will she ask of us?"

"She's going to ask you to go out and work with the homeless at least once a month. She does it herself and doesn't seek publicity for it. She'll ask you also go to children's hospitals and that's at least once a week. She'll also ask you do a concert once a year for the Veterans and will ask of you to remember to be kind to everyone on the staff from the gofers to the promoters. If you can accomplish all that, then you'll stay on her good side. If you don't, she'll find out. It comes out in little ways with her. She visits these places and looks for photos and asks if you've seen them yet. If not, then she calls me and asks me why I haven't gotten you there. All it takes is for me to tell her you didn't want to do it and then, she's officially done with you."

"Is any other star like that?"

"Well, we've talked about what Elton requires, but he'll ask you do at least one huge concert for his foundation and he'll ask for other big concerts occassionally. All it takes for me to do is put it on the schedule, but the one time you tell me you don't want to do one, then I don't ask you to again."

Everyone quickly agreed to tell her to put us on the schedules for whatever we were needed to do. I think we were amazed more by people not wanting to do the things for others than we were by the opportunities to go out and be seen doing something good. To me, I know it just seemed wrong to say no to helping someone.

Chad spoke up, "Guys, let's make a pact now that whenever we're needed, we step in and we do. No one person has the option of saying no. Everyone's in this together and as a group, we're the one that makes the decision."

I stepped in and said, "I'll tell you now, if you ever come to me and say you don't want to perform to help someone else, I'll tell you to get your head out of your ass and stop being so selfish."

Niles asked a question which was very valid, "What happens if we're at home and we've had a death in the family. You want me to say, "Sorry mom, I can't bury grandma with you because I've got to go help a stranger?"

Jill turned to him and said, "No, because if you dare tell your parent's that, I'll be the one that marches you to the funeral home to show you where your place is. Those people are the ones that are going to still be there for you when this is all over and the others aren't. People in the industry know when someone's had a death in the family as it takes a lot of different people to shut down a concert date. I'll tell you now, if you're too sick to perform a concert, you better have a communicable disease, or you better be in a hospital, because if you're that sick, I'll be there with you. If you're not sick and you're too lazy, then your butt goes back home. I, and this group, can find someone to fill your place...and I'm not singling you out for this. This goes out to you all. By the way Niles, you're up."

Niles said, "I want to perform wherever they will have us. I don't expect to perform at the Republican convention, because they don't support gays, but anywhere that will have us, and I don't care if it's a bar or a concert stadium, I want to perform. The money doesn't matter to me."

I agreed with him for a large part, but if Joe's Diner in Hannibal, Missouri called to say they wanted us to perform, then I didn't expect us to send seven semi's of equipment and several hundred people to go perform in a parking lot. To me, the dollars and cents of that just didn't make sense. However, if we were performing in Chicago on a Wednesday and St. Louis on a Saturday, or vice versa, and Joe's is in between then I'd be all for it.

Red was up next and he said, "I want to perform on stages in New York and at least on a stage in most of the cities in the United States where there's an old theater. It doesn't have to be full production, it can be like the Apollo, or the Fox in St. Louis, or down on Beal Street in Memphis or in the quarter in New Orleans, but I'd like to see the areas where music was made great."

Wend was last and he really blew me away with his. "I want to be the first boy band to peform at Antartica and at the north pole, I'd like to have a Christmas show. I want us to be on floats in the big parades and I want us to give up the front row to all the Make A Wish kids we can. IF not them, then I want us to donate the rest of the front row to underprivledged kids. Let the second row go to the radio stations from now on."

Instantly, I agreed and nodded my head. Chad spoke and said, "We're agreeing to that over here. I'd also like to donate a portion of our proceeds to some sort of group that's in the United States. Too many people jump on the band wagon to help someone overseas and not enough help goes out to those over here. We still have people out of homes in New Orleans, but the stars are all off helping someone in Africa. That's not right. I'll say now that I want the underprivledged kids to have an outfit each of our clothes and a free cd. I want them to be able to know we cared."

As soon as he spoke, the entire group agreed.

Notes From Retta:

This chapter got into quite a bit of the music industries finances. What I'm going off here is some information I've gleaned from some people I've met through the years. Not all of them have worked for the same companies and not all contracts are like this. I do know there are several big names that got taken for a ride financially and ended their contracts owing the record labels money. In doing so, they sold out their rights to their songs to break even. One such "Star", I've seen, will go into detail in front of cameras about him having to give up his rights to his song that made him a household name, however, he doesn't mention he bought almost six million dollars worth or houses, cars, and chains to hang around his neck when he didn't make nearly that much from his time with the label he was working.

The music business is a business. Like any business, they expect to break even. When someone doesn't break even for them, they make sure they get their money one way or another. I can understand them wanting the bottom line. I'll also assure you these guys in this band don't make those mistakes a lot of these young stars make nowadays. Yes, the young stars are all put out on the front of media living the big life, but they're also giving up a lifetime of security to live that life. It doesn't make sense to me. For that, I don't apologize for stepping on toes with what I say.

If you liked the story, then send me an email and tell me which site you read it upon. It's going to help me for you to mention the name of the story in the subject line too. I save and file every email according to what story it's written. It helps me to go ahead and file as soon as I see it.

Most of you who've written know I answer all my emails. So, be prepared for a follow up email from me. If you don't want that email, then mention it in the email and I won't send you a thank you email in return.

Here's a small note for the lyrics used up in the body, in chapter one, I din't mention any because they were made up in my head in the time of writing. The Lynard Skynard song, just fit, so I used it. Here's the footnote for it.

"Don't Ask Me No Questions" Lynard Skynard

Once again, thanks for reading the story this far, I've got more chapters coming and I'll have them out to you all in rapid order. By the way, I'm still in need of an editor. If you can spell good, and you're good with grammar, and would like to see the stories in unedited version, and have a hand in making them look right, send me an email. A word of caution though, when I'm writing, I write a chapter a night at least. I'll send you thr first chapter and if you get ti done in the first night, then great. If it takes you longer, then I'll tell you now, I won't have you editting them. There's no sense in me having a backlog of stories waiting when I can do them myself faster than that.

From My Keyboard To Your Heart,

Retta

RettaMichaels@Gmail.com

Copyright Notice - Copyright © December 2007 by RettaMichaels

The author, RettaMichaels copyrights this story and retain all rights. This work may not be changed or duplicated in any form, media, ( known or unknown) without the author's expressed permission. All applicable copyright laws apply.

Disclaimer: All individuals depicted are fictional, and any resemblance to real persons is purely coincidental

-- From My Keyboard To Your Heart Rhett

Here is a list of stories I've written and where to find them:

With Love - Nifty - Beginnings Section Rural Love - Author Heading - DeweyWriter.com Write Me A Love Story - Author Heading - DeweyWriter.com To Love Him - Author Heading - DeweyWriter.com Military Zone - Nifty - Military Section Evan - Nifty - Beginnings Section Jordan - DeweyWriter.com If I Could Give It All Back - DeweyWriter.com