Vince Vance and the Valiants Diary of Road trips and all VVV breaking news

DIARY ENTRIES AND BREAKING NEWS

Dear Friends, Many fans have asked about this mesmerizing picture. It was shot in 1972 for a spread for the Vieux Carre` Courier at a now defunct, ole-time penny arcade on Royal Street in the French Quarter. The article depicted growing up in Crescent City gambling era of the 30s. I was hired as the model to depict long-time New Orleans Sportscaster, Buddy Deliberto, who grew up in that era. The shoot photographer was New Orleans' most interesting photojournalist, David Richmond. He was considered even as a young man as the Van Gogh of the Quarter and was totally enchanted by the girl model, Debbie Krantz. "Tomato" was my former girlfriend. As musical director, I hired her as one of my first Valiantettes. She played the part of Vickie Valiantette for 3 years. Even the suit I am wearing has history. I found the hand-made garment at a Volunteers of America Thrift Store. The tag told me it was actually from the 40s and formerly the property of New Orleans drug store mogul, Sam Bestoff, of Katz & Bestoff Drugstores. These stores later became K & B, a New Orleans cultural icon. The silver money clip on my lapel was an heirloom passed down to David Richmond. The tie belonged to an electrician, Fabian Masich. He was a deaf mute who lived his entire adult life, on the third floor of our family home. Trying to help my mom and Baba (grandmother in slavonian), the poor fellow put up a lot from my brother and I. Vinnie ********************************************* Vince Vance by: Lisa L. Rollins Vince Vance & the Valiants rock ‘n’ roll Casino Aztar once more Forty pairs of sunglasses, 15 bow ties, 20 gold chains, a dozen cummerbunds, eight feather boas, 10 scarves, 17 pairs of footwear, three hairdryers and a case of hairspray will make its way to Hoosiers Lounge in Casino Aztar on June 13-14, thanks to the showmanship of piano-playin’ bandleader Vince Vance. For nearly four decades, Vance—along with his backing players, the Valiants, and his trio of female singers, The Valiantettes—has managed to beguile audiences throughout the U.S. and beyond, with his 18-inch-tall coif, colorful costumes, nonstop music-meets-comedic mayhem and hip-swayin’, toe-tappin’ sound that’s both a homage to the rock ‘n’ roll of yore and full of Valiant originality. Born in California and reared in New Orleans, Vince Vance and his Valiants found their official musical inception Sept. 18, 1971, and since that time, the act has performed more than 6,000 shows in 13 countries, from Bourbon Street to the White House, and recorded 11 albums and 22 singles, including two No. 1 cuts, “Bomb Iran” and “All I Want for Christmas is You,” a perennially most-requested yuletide hit. Throughout its tenure, band founder Vance has been the group’s glue and creative inspiration. But it’s the timelessness of rock ‘n’ roll, confirmed Vance, that keeps the self-described “ultimate party band” selling out shows, time after time. “Vince Vance & the Valiants is, at its best, a community of multi-talented artists who have so much talent,” Vance explained. “We're a bunch of singers, dancers, writers, musicians. We have banned together for the sole purpose of performing. It's like there is no other alternative for people like us. … We are just a certain kind of people. We like to jump on a tour bus and meet people and wow 'em. Our plan is to give those people a show they will never forget.” And how does Vance – a one-man Mardi Gras unto himself and 2005 inductee into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame – know his VVV show is a sure-fire recipe for unforgettable entertainment. “I’ve dedicated my life to it, and that’s how I know it’s a winner,” he deadpanned. “You may laugh, you may cry, but you'll never forget the night you saw Vince Vance & the Valiants in concert. I've staked my life on it.” In addition to its star, the VVV lineup includes backing players the Valiants – Ed Loftus (musical director/keys/vocals), Shane McCauley (drums), Tommy Tucker (bass/vocals) and Mike Boyd (lead guitar/vocals) – along with its female vocalists, the Valiantettes, who are best known as simply Vera, Vette and Violet. No strangers to the local circuit, “Vince Vance & the Valiants have been performing at Casino Aztar in Evansville for a number of years and are brought back by popular demand,” said Vance, who confirmed a good time is in store yet again. “We've usually rocked the audiences with high-energy, nonstop rock ‘n’ roll favorites and off-the-wall comedy,” he noted. “And for some reason, Southern Indiana really loves us. I think they enjoy the members of the band who are rather personable. We really give our all in every performance … and we’re excited to be back onstage in Evansville. Our fans here are the best!” Over the years, the group’s audiences have changed, and in turn, so have the Valiants. These days, the act’s more G-rated than before. However, Vance has managed to maintain the original fan base while expanding its all-ages following—the latter of which the Valiantettes have helped do. “Our all-male show was performed for a different type of crowd. It was 80s; the drinking age was 18,” Vance explained. “Then came disco, (which) hurt live music a great deal. You had to be smart to get a gig. We had our own radio show and a house gig (in Texas) … and the show was a phenomenon. But Vince Vance is a road band. We were road dogs and it killed us (not to travel).” As a result, the players began to argue, some departed, and then Vance opted to return to his roots. “I re-tooled my show to like you see it today,” he said. “The time was right. By that time, our audience was older. They had kids. And we made it more family oriented. The times changed, and we needed to evolve, too. …” These days, when Vance isn’t on the road, he’s plotting his now-annual Vince Vance's Crazy Caribbean Birthday Cruise, which will make its way from Galveston, Texas, to Cozumel, Jamaica and the Grand Caymans in 2009, or working on VVV’s latest release. Currently, in fact, the former high-school teacher and author (yep, he’s written a critically acclaimed children’s book and his poetry’s been published) is putting the finishing touches on “It’s Me, Vinne,” a comedy album that Vance describes as “mostly bunch of jokes with accompanying sound effects and three or four funny songs with titles like ‘Wienies, Wienies!’ and ‘Put a Helmet on that Soldier.’” As for those who remain unconvinced that VVV’s glittery/music/antic-filled show is the ticket for them, Vance insists there’s entertainment value to be had for all, bar none. “The way I figure it is,” he wryly reasoned, “even if you hate oldies, my funny bits, a crazy front man with 18-inch hair and hearing some of the greatest musicians, you’ve got to love three lovely girls dressed up like cheerleaders who can sing their little pom-poms off, huh?” Vince Vance & the Valiants will perform at 8 p.m., 10 p.m. and midnight on June 13-14 in Hoosiers Lounge in Casino Aztar, 421 NW Riverside Drive. There is no charge inside Hoosier's Lounge, but seating is on a first-come, first-served basis and for ages 21 and older with a valid ID. The standing-room-only area outside Hoosier's Lounge does not require an ID and those under 21 may view shows from this area. For more information, please the casino directly at 1-800-342-5386 or access www.casinoaztar.com. For more information about VVV, please access www.vincevance.biz. **************************************************** The following is a letter from a dear friend of mine. I appreciate his friendship and his kind words. From: Kelly Lewis To: Vince Vance Subject: Thanks From Kelly Date: Sun, 8 Jun 2008 16:42:32 +0000 Dear Vinnie, What Can I Say ? That was the Best Party I Have Ever Been To. Your band did a great great job and Duncan will never forget it. You truly are The Best Entertainer I have ever seen. I really appreciate everything you did for me, and cannot wait until the next time we get a chance to work together. I hope you had a very good time as well. I Know The Stephens County Humane Society has never had an event this Sucessesful, that I know of and I really do not feel it will ever be topped.... What else could I've done to make it any better than it was? NOTHING!! You Truly Are Also A Very Good Friend Of Mine and there is NOTHING I would not do for you. Just Ask. I hope to see you again soon! I will call you from time to time to say Howdy and will be making plans for next years event... Cya Best wishes and as you say, "I'm Diggin' You!" Kelly Lewis, chairman 1St Annual Paws and Claws Benefit: "Hawaiian Shirts & Hula Skirts" Duncan, Oklahoma **************************************************** Vince Vance on Tour It was the wee morning hours of June 7, 2008. We had finished performing the First Annual Paws & Claws Benefit: "Hawaiian Shirts and Hula Skirts. The crowd of the finest of Oklahoma society had all gone home and I was just chilling... spending some quality time with the Benefit Chairman, my good buddy, Kelly Lewis, and ace photographer, Joe Moreland. He's the shutterbug who shot the cool "Uncle Sam" shot that graces the cover of my patriotic album, WE DON'T RUN II. He'd come in all the way from Topeka, Kansas, to shoot a show that we knew would be all that it had been cracked up to be. With luscious Hula Dancers, bird of paradise & pineapple centerpieces, flown-in fresh orchid leis, a silent auction, tiki statues and Decorations by Diedria (the famous Oklahoma event planner). As part of a pre-show V.I.P. welcoming committee and going straight from 5:00 PM to 1:00 AM... well, after all that I could hardly concentrate. I'd left it all and more up on the stage. To make it worse there was this gorgeous chef, Chef Tiesha, hanging around trying to get an autograph for her kid... Christian. She was a goddess. I wanted so bad to show her my etchings, but I don't have any. They were all washed away in Katrina. Well, next thing I know, I wake up in bunk in cold sweat, sweating like the only cub scout at Neverland Ranch. I rush up to the front of the bus and asked Tony to pull over so I could wash the tires. A flash of light! Next thing I know I was aboard a flying saucer. It must have been 'cause all I could smell was liverwurst. Well, the first thing those alien monsters made me do was drink this stuff... I think it was Anti-Radiation Serum... that or Jaggermeister. Everything looked so weird and alien -except this New Kids on the Block calendar and a can of hair spray that was TALKING to me! It was a real creepy kinda voice, like Paris Hilton's underwater with Gummy Bear's in her mouth. However, the goofy mouth on the hair spray wasn't moving. Later on, Drena, my Fan Club President, told me it didn't need to move because they were communicating with me telepathically, but I didn't see a telegraph anywhere. They told me that they had traveled 6 gazillion blukies just to get a copy of new comedy CD, PUT A HELMET ON THAT SOLDIER and to run tests on rednecks to find out more about our civilization. When I heard that I had to interrupt them. "Why are you telling me this?" I asked. "You should be talking to some with real brains, like Reverend Al Sharpton or Britney Spears." They told me they tried calling the President, but he wouldn't accept their calls. So, they asked me to write a blog and share their message of Real Hope and Loose Change with the world. They said that as far as they could figure out golf was the dumbest game they that they had heard of anywhere in the universe. Then they told me that the greatest invention EVER was socks and they made me give 'em mine. Then they started telling me a joke about about Osama bin Laden. When I told 'em I had already heard it, they got really disappointed. One of 'em, who looked like a cross between a giant crawfish and O.J. Simpson touched my hair and said, "Wookie wookie wookie wookie wacky woo!" Which in Alien means, "Cool hair, dude, but you should really bathe more often!" That's all he said. Then he smiled and slapped me on the back. I got the impression that he musta smeared something on my back, because all the other space monsters started snickering and pointing at me. When I came to I was lying face down next to the bus. Doc and Tall McCall were standing over me pointing and laughing. What's so funny, Doc?" I asked. "Looks like a big booger on your back," he answered. "Really, how can you be sure?" I asked. "Well, it tastes like one, anyway," he said. That's when I knew I couldn't have been dreaming. We scraped it off and put it in a Mason Jar. I've gotten hidden real good... in a secret place, where they'll never find it, under my bed. I'm willing to sell it for a million dollars. Yeah, I'm thinking of putting it up on eBay. NASA says I'm crazy. But I know that space booger holds the key to the Universe. Strange, but true-ly yours! Vince Vance **************************************************** I wanted to let everyone know that recently www.vincevance.com & www.vincevance.biz Merged and are both now pointing to the same website. For those of you that were comfortable ordering their VVV merchandise from the old store at www.vincevance.com site you can still do so by going directly to www.vincevance.com/shop. If you want to shop in my new and improved store you can do so by visiting the page titled VVV Merchandise. Thanks for your fan loyalty and support over the years. I am truly blessed to have come to know so many wonderful people. Diggin U' Vinnie *********************************************************** POLITICS WITH A PUNCH: Come join us Thursday night January 17 for Politics with a Punch. We are enjoying our 6th year of the monthly stage show at our new location, the Cricket Club, 2040 St. Charles Avenue. This will be a very special show with a great panel. We’ll discuss all sorts of topics such as our new Governor, Blanco’s legacy, the unpredictable presidential race, the upcoming campaign for Congress, LSU, Mardi Gras, protests over the projects, homelessness, another judge in trouble and plenty more. In between, we’ll address the controversies and the crazy antics of our local leaders, typical political nonsense, the recovery, and colorful Louisiana politics and have plenty of fun in the process. As usual, the show features an outstanding panel, composed of stars in many different fields: · Becky Allen, Legendary Actress and Entertainer · Ian Hoch, Comedian, N.O. Underground Improv Theater · Pres Kabacoff, CEO of HRI Properties, Real Estate Developer · Reggie Reginelli, Tulane Sports Hall of Fame, Entrepreneur · Dave Treen, Former Governor of LA, Candidate for Congress · Vince Vance, Rock Star, Band Leader, and Ultimate Showman · Lee Zurik, WWL-TV News Anchor and Reporter The doors open at 6:00 p.m. for a special happy hour, but the event does not begin until 8:00 p.m. Before and after Punch, you are invited to mingle with the patrons and enjoy a cocktail at the club’s bar. Tickets are only $15.00 per person/$25.00 per couple. Reservations can be made at jeff@ringsidepolitics.com. It has been sold out every month since we came back from Katrina and we want to keep the momentum going. Hope to see you there! Vince Vance ************************************************** Recipe that I created for 12 for the Road with WWL Bill Capo. It is a great tasting non-alcoholic beverage. "Blueberry Pompadour" Vince Vance 1 cup ice 1/2 cup blueberry juice 1 cup crushed fruit of choice 1 tbsp. (5 packets) artificial sweetener 1 tsp. strawberry extract 1 cup French Vanilla Coffee-mate Combine ingredients in blender. Mix until smooth. ******************************************************* Article about my son Chris aka Ratty Ratty’s Reading Ratty Scurvics is the most talented and original artist/musician in New Orleans. For true. In his one-man-band, Singularity, Ratty pounds two keyboards perched atop a bass drum positioned beside a snare on the floor – both drums equipped with foot pedals, allowing Ratty to simultaneously play drum-kit and keyboards while singing. Regardless of this spectacle of dexterity, however, Ratty’s songs hold the main focus. Comparisons to more famous one-man-band Quintron are inevitable, but while Q’s musical point is mostly ‘Party! Party! Party!’ Ratty’s music stirs up dance frenzies while remaining pathos-driven and deeply personal. Don’t worry though, New Orleans, you’d hardly notice unless you paid close attention, which you won’t, cause you just wanna drink and dance and party, party, party. Doesn’t that get old for you? Nevermind, I won’t criticize… On rhythm guitar, Ratty also leads his band The Invisible Gambling Jews, which features trombonist Rickshaw from Morning 40 Federation, old-timey accordionist Merry-Go-Round, and Miss May on cello, rounded out by a revolving rhythm section. In The Jews, Ratty’s voice is given center stage – a raspy-yet-powerful voice generally buried beneath all Singularity’s other loud elements is, in The Jews, shown to be Ratty’s ace in the hole. His attention-grabbing voice belongs on the radio, though as of this writing, not many people outside of Bywater even get him. Maybe fans of more traditional and already-famous New Orleans music would be more impressed if I told you Ratty is also the son of local legend Vince Vance? Tis also for true. Lately though, the colorful Mr. Scurvics has been writing a book, an “adult fairy tale” entitled, What the Fat Little Man Told Me — from which he will read, one last time, this coming Wednesday night at Dominic’s, 219 Corondolet. Turns out Ratty’s an amazing writer as well (he also attended the prestigious Chicago Art Institute, for painting. I’m telling ya!). Fat Little Man is Ratty’s, “true tale of growing up in New Orleans across from Armstrong Park,” where at four years old, in the course of running away from an impending punishment, Ratty supposedly met a tiny man, “a croquet ball in a tailored suit,” per Ratty’s description. This fat little man let Ratty in on some rather adult secrets. The story goes on to involve a City of Forgotten Dolls, a butcher selling mysterious meat on the blackmarket, plus other twisted characters and dark events. “Like the fairy tails we’re told when we’re children,” Ratty explains, “all the imagination and wonder, except with murder, sex, strife. In a similar vein to the real Brothers Grimm.” Ratty’s read publicly from his book – which is in the process of being illustrated by local painter Myrtle Red — every Wednesday this month. But don’t fret: this last installment will include a re-cap of previous installments. Somewhere in this heady mix, Ratty will accompany the aforementioned Merry-Go-Round on some of her original accordion songs, plus some old standards. This last installment also happens to fall on the birthday of singer Edith Piaf, and thus will feature young-but-old-timey band Loose Marbles doing Edith Piaf’s covers. Again, that’s this Wednesday night, 9:30p.m., in the lobby of the Holiday Inn Express, a.k.a. Dominic’s, 219 Corondolet. The event is free of charge. For links to chapters from What the Fat Little Man Told Me, and samples of Ratty’s great music, visit myspace.com/rattyscurvicssingularity ********************************************************* ********************************************************* NEWS There is a slide show on our web site that features Vince with his friends. If you would like to have a picture of you and Vince added to the slide show you can email it to vvance@vincevance.com DIARY ENTRY 9/24 Hi, Everybody! Vinnie here. Hope all is well in your life. Mine is like so fantastic. Had a concert in Atlanta last Thursday. We played in Centennial Park... downtown... where the 1996 Olympics were held. It was a great night. We were very well received. After my show I went up to my suite at the Omni at CNN Center. It overlooked the park and that's where I watched the after-concert fireworks display. It was so awesome! The Famous Zambelli's put it on. They are the best pyrotechnics experts in the world. Anyway, I pulled a chair up to my picture window and it was like the sky was my movie. Tonight I was in New Orleans at the Super Dome for Monday Night Football. My best friend, Bobby Guidry, has a suite there. It was a riot. Everyone was screaming... the only bad thing for the people of New Orleans was that their Saints lost. Wish you could have seen me. My hair was up and I had on a tux. The only thing missing was you, my friend. I hope you are doing well. Come see me and the show real soon. Your friend, Vinnie DIARY ENTRY 10/2 Hey, Everybody! Vinnie, here from the road... traveling the blacktop interstates of America... in the Hotel California.... That's our tour bus... We call it that 'cuz it's got marble floors and mirrors on the ceiling. We're out there... trying to bring you boys and girls a Little Joy to the World. Anyway, we just completed a wonderful gig in Denver, CO. I'm talkin' Rocky Mountain High Colorado. It was at the Denver Center for Performing Arts and, Baby, we nailed it... it was a huge success. I'm glad! I'd like to go back there. There was such a clean feeling in the air. And, man, did they ever treat us right. They sure do love their Broncos up there. Believe me. I stayed at the coolest hotel by the name of The Curtis. It was like a themed hotel. Each floor had a different theme. Like the Valiantettes were staying on the famous girls floor. I stayed in a major suite on the 15th floor. When I walked in they had a bag of all kindsa candies... Sugar Babies and Candy Bars and stuff like that. The 15th floor was the Rock 'n Roll floor. You saw Johnny Cash when you got out the elevator. And I had a picture of the Boss on my desk. In my suite I could see the entire city including the Rocky Mountains. We were guests of the Young Presidents Organization and they had lunch for us at a cool place called The Corner Office. It was great. I had a salad and a burger patty. For dinner we had a private caterer... The EPICUREAN. I'm talkin' D-licious! We had this Beef Ribs with the meat pulled off the bone and sitting on a bed of mashed potatoes with a Bernaise Sauce. (In French that means "made with Bear Nasals). At about 9:00 PM, we took to the stage or, actually, the stage was rolled out with yours truly and the Vivacious Valiantettes singing "It's my Party." I was great, if I do say so myself. Let's just say it was a good hair night. They really loved us and we didn't stop 'til almost Midnight. We spent the night and we had breakfast at The Corner Office again. Afterwards Doc, Tall McCall, Mike Boyd and your hero went to a sports bar and watched the Cowboy game. They were great! On the other TV was my buddy Brettt Favre and the Packers. They were rockin' and Brett Broke the Most Touchdowns in a Career Record... again! I was so proud of him. Then 'bout 4:00 PM we headed out East. We had to be in Lee's Summit, Missouri, for a night club gig at Jerry's Bait Shop. It was the coolest place. They fed us great and I had same ole/same ole... a salad and a hamburger patty. Hey, no food tastes as good as slim feels. Trust me. For someone who has eaten a Waldorf Salad at the Waldorf-Astoria and had breakfast in the China Room at the White House. I oughta know, huh? That gig was amazing! Everyone loved us. Due to this being a pick up date and scheduled late, we only had one Valiantette with us... Vandy, but she rocked there world. I was on roll. I must changed costumes like a gazillion times. The owner, John Kelly, was really impressed with us. Boy, did they ever have beautiful girls there... especially the waitresses! None of the guys wanted to leave, but we had to. I'm sure we will be back some day. If you wanna check out the place online, go to www.jerrysbaitshop.net . Now we are headed to Fryeburg, Maine, for one of the biggest fairs in the East, The Fryeburg Fair. It's right on the New Hampshire border. It's at a time of the year called "Foliage." It is so beautiful up there with all of the leaves painted the colors of Fall. Tommy had our driver stop in Columbus, Ohio, so he could say "Hello" to his brother. Doc's looking forward to passing through Albany, New York. That's where he's from. He hopes to stop in and see his Mom and his sisters, too. We are going to have a large time. I really wish you could be here with us. But don't fret. We'll be coming 'round where you are real soon. You'd better be there waitin' or I'm comin' lookin' for ya! Hey, I'm diggin' you. Your friend, Vinnie