Pheaturing Charity Chapman

Hello, welcome to a Monday entry of the Phile, I am your host, Oliver Queen. LOL. Only a handful of you readers will get that.  This is the last entry for January already. Man, this year is flying by.  Mitt Romney released his tax records and they showed that he earned$42 million over the last two years. So now the other candidates aren't running for president. They're running to be Mitt Romney.  Google Plus has introduced a new policy that allows nicknames. Unfortunately, it's a nickname they give you based on your search history.  House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi says she has dirt on Newt Gingrich, but so far she's keeping her lips sealed... because that's how the last surgeon left them.  Olive Garden announced they're undergoing a makeover to try to increase business. They're so desperate they're even considering serving Italian food.  A new website just came out that’s designed to calculate how long it takes Mitt Romney to earn your salary. So from now on, whenever Mitt Romney is running late, he can call there and say, “I'll be there in five teachers.” What's interesting is in the time it took you to think about that joke, Mitt Romney made $65 million.  President Obama spent the other night in Las Vegas. The next morning he woke up on his hotel room floor trying to figure out what to do about a tiger, baby and 9 percent unemployment.  Here's news from America's wang... a Florida man was recently arrested for taking up-skirt shots at Wal-Mart. It will come to trial as soon as they can find 12 jurors willing to look at up-skirt shots of Wal-Mart shoppers.  So, I was in the super market the other day and Inoticed somethig that seemed odd. Quaker, the cereal company, is a little bit racist. Don't believe me? Take a look.

So, earlier I introduced myself as Oliver Queen. For those that don't know, he is The Green Arrow. Anyway, there's a PSA poster about super heroes that were put out that I thought was interesting. Take a look. 

Alright, now for some sad news.

Robert Hegyes
May 7, 1951 - Jan 26, 2012
Dear Mr. Kotter, Please excuse Epstein from school. He's dead. Signed, Epstein's Mother.

Okay, so, there's a thousand or so blogs out there, right. Not all are updated more frequently than Zsa Zsa goes to the hospital. But there's a lot. So, I thought once again I would pheature someone's elses blog, in a pheature I call...

Today's award goes to persephone-lee.blogspot.com. Here's a piece of it.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012#18
In the Spring of 2010, I was very lost. The boy I had gone backwards and forwards in loving had broken up with me to be with his ex, and I was embarrassed to have dropped out of sixth form and so actively avoided keeping in contact with my high school friends. My relationship with my parents was far from mended; in fact it took moving out and another year before it would feel right again. To top it off, I had just started a different college in the middle of the school year. I was very withdrawn and didn't much feel like studying or making friends.

It was as if all of a sudden everything had gone wrong.

During that time there was only one group of people I could rely on. It comprised of mostly female family friends, including my ex girlfriend and a few other girls I would occasionally (and unintentionally) have sex with. I had had a couple of disastrous encounters with boys who cared little about me, and I ended feeling even more worthless and ashamed than my depression had left me. It was also around the time I started seriously considering becoming an escort. (Still not, FYI).

I could never seem to find a boy who understood me, someone I was compatible and comfortable with. At the time I thought it was because of them rather than my (for want of a better word) fragile mindset. 'Fuck it, I'm obviously a lesbian,' I thought. This lead to a lot of hand-wringing 'am I or am I not?' soul-searching. It took many nights of lost sleep and many lost days filled with ever-more daring sexual experimentation, many a drunken night hanging out in dyke bars acting like I had a dick (even though I almost always refused to pack), fucking girls in bathroom stalls, and waiting. Waiting to feel like I belonged, for something to finally make sense and seem right again... before I finally had this epiphany:

HOLD ON I STILL LIKE PENIS UH-HUH I DO I LIKE IT LOTS

Not a lesbian after all. Bisexuality is real, people.


The 11th artist to be pheatured in the P.P.A.G. is a guy named Bleach Methane and this is one of his sketches.

Bleach will be a guest on the Phile a week from today. 

Today's guest is a singer-songwriter who has placed a number of things in film & TV, including CBS, MTV, Lifetime and Showtime, and "X-Factor" in both the States and in the U.K. Her new single "I Feel Fine" is now available on iTunes. Please welcome to the Phile... Charity Chapman.

Me: Hello, Charity, how are you? Welcome to the Phile.

Charity: Thanks!

Me: Okay, I have to mention "X-Factor" first of... your song "If I Could Fly" was featured in two episodes, right?

Charity: They used it in 6 episodes.

Me: I'm sorry... six epidoes. Did you know that show was gonna use that song? Did you watch the episodes the song was in only, or the whole series?

Charity: They did tell me they were likely to use the song but they did not tell me when they were going to use "If I Could Fly" so it was always a surprise when it played... it felt like I was on the show, too!

Me: I watched the whole series but I have to admit I like "American Idol" more. What do you prefer?

Charity: I really enjoyed X Factor... it was fascinating to see the interplay between the judges as well.

Me: I bet your song sales peaked after they played that song, Charity. Did you like the way they used it?

Charity: I loved the way they used it, especially after Drew's 1st audition. www.youtube.com/watch?v=TanlK2J4eoA. My song plays at 3:50 to the end of the link. I love how they showed her looking at her Dad after she finds out she's gone through to the next round... it was so sweet.

Me: Your music was also in "Felicity". That show is like, what, 10 years old or more. How long have you been making music?

Charity: I actually was on "Felicity" DVD series, not the TV show, so that was 4 years ago and the whole show is being re-broadcast and my music will be in this re-broadcast. I have been writing and getting placements on film and TV for about 10 years... I call myself the "20 year overnight success" since I started so young. :)

Me: How old were you when you first started to perform? Did you know all your life you wanted to be a singer?

Charity: I think I was 4 when I decided to become a singer and there was no looking back. I never wanted to be anything else. I used to perform for my Mom and Dad's dinner parties, I would dress up and do an impromptu "performances" if you could call it that. It was a show people laughed at, you know? And that was great because people loved it. It wasn't mean laughter, it was fun. I was exhilarated performing, even at that level. It's so much fun to get the privilege to sing for people.

Me: I didn't realize you are originally from Florida, Charity. What part are you from?

Charity: I grew up for the first part of my life in Pensacola, Florida... the deep, deep south and ate a lot of grits (yum) and seafood. I lived right next door to a swamp with crocodiles- seriously- and lots of creepy, gross bugs.

Me: Did you spend anytime here in Orlando?

Charity: No.

Me: Where do you live now?

Charity: I live in Los Angeles now.

Me: I read you originally went to California to become a Broadway star. Didn't anybody stop you and mention Broadway was in New York City?

Charity: That was the funny thing... I thought theatre was everywhere but in my small town of Fort Collins, Colorado! So, I figured if I got out to California, it was sure to be there. :) And there is theatre in LA, but it isn't to the level of NY. Also, if you do theatre in LA, you have to drive and be away from your family. Also, once I discovered I loved to write as well as perform, I wanted to sing my own songs. It just gave much more meaning to me when I could connect with the subject matter.

Me: Do you still wanna be a Broadway star?

Charity: I don't think I would turn down being Repunzel from Tangled or anything. :) But, I that's a whole 'nother career direction and I'm pretty committed to my life here.

Me: You grew up in Colorado, not Florida or California I believe. I like the way how you slowly moved from the East Coast to the West Coach. What do you prefer, Charity?

Charity: I love LA. I love that my kid's class looks like the UN... that there are so many different cultures, foods, people and music here. I love how casual LA is... there's just a vibe to the city that grows on you. My current favorite thing about LA is that I can go outside just about every day of the year and enjoy being outside without my lungs hurting (like they did in Colorado.) Don't get me wrong, Colorado is AMAZING and sooo beautiful, but I hate being cold now, so it seems even more intense when I go home.

Me: Did Colorado take some getting used after moving from Florida? They are so completely different. Did you go from water skiing to snow skiing?

Charity: I was a cross-country skier and I hated it! My parents used to drag my sister and I up the mountain to "ski" because it was good exercise. Now, I'm grateful they did, though I'm still terrible at basically any sport. They did give me an appreciation for nature but the only sport I enjoy is donut eating.

Me: When you were in high school it was a real high school musical, right? You concentrated on music a lot through those years. Did you study music in colelge as well? Where did you go to college?

Charity: High school was just a blur of performances and travel and choir and musicals. So. Much. Fun. I really never remember opening a book. Surprisingly, I was accepted and went to Pepperdine University and I'm still not sure how I got in, but I put in many singing hours there, as well.

Me: I mentioned a few TV shows your music has been in, but there's a few movies as well... Slap Her, She's French is one. What a great movie title. I never heard of that movie, though. What is it about?

Charity: It starts out very funny and then kind of loses itself about halfway through, but I still enjoyed it and the best thing about it is it's played world-wide. :)

Me: Okey dokey, let's talk about your music, Charity. Your first album "Butterflies with Chainsaws" is really good. I love the album title, it sounds like a great name for a band. Where did that album title come from?

Charity: I envisioned myself as the Butterfly and the guitars as the Chainsaws.

Me: Your second album is a Christian live album called "Worship Live". Worship is my favorite part of going to church. Did you sing in church?

Charity: Yes, tons! I feel like I got most of my musical education, so to speak from reading music in hymns, hearing singing all the time in my house and at church. There was rarely silence growing up.

Me: How did you come up with the decision for that to be your second album?

Charity: I went to this very cool church called the Malibu Vineyard. It had a lot of celebrities and amazing musicians in it. It also had a state of the art studio in the church and the guitar player and I decided to do a live album because we could! It was such a unique opportunity.

Me: Would you consider yourself to be a Christian singer?

Charity: Hmmm... I consider myself to be a singer-songwriter that's a Jesus follower.

Me: How did you pick what songs you wanted to put on this album?

Charity: I wrote all the songs out of the Psalms, everything in there except for one part of "Give Thanks" is from that book. I also loved "The Message" translation... it sort of came alive to me.

Me: Your new single is called "I Feel Fine". Which is good, I am glad you do. After your last CD came out which was "Gordon the Northern" you got really sick. You had something called Hyperemeis Gravidarum. I have no idea what that is, can you explain it, Charity?

Charity: Yes, it is Morning Sickness gone to hell. It's uncontrollable and unstoppable vomiting and nausea to the point of death, hence the "gravidarum" in the title. I had a feeding tube for quite awhile. I also lost a lot of hair, just from sheer malnutrition. I did ultimately find a drug that stopped this, it was quite a process. 

Me: How are your children now if you don't mind me asking?

Charity: They are perfect! It's a total miracle.

Me: Charity, speaking of charity... is there a H.G. charity Phile readers and myself can donate money to. Is there a cure?

Charity: Thank you for asking that. There is a website called HelpHer.org and you can donate directly on that site. Also, you can sign up for GoodSearch here: goodsearch.com and they will donate to whatever charity you select (I know. I know... it's crazy that is my name in this situation). That's completely free, you just use their site to shop online. There is no cure. :( A lot of women have to terminate their pregnancies, some end up dying trying to have the baby and some end up with long term medical problems, like pancreatitis and other organ trouble. It's great to be alive!

Me: Did you have to have surgery?

Charity: No.

Me: So, I am totally guesing you wrote "I Feel Fine" about your feelings getting better. I have to ask you about the song I previously mentioned at the start of this interview... "If I Could Fly"... do you wish you could fly to save money on air fare? You did do a lot of traveling.

Charity: Ha ha. I wrote "I Feel Fine" because I wanted to challenge myself to write a happy song... I was sooo miserable and it was sad song after sad song... so, I wanted to see if I COULD write a happy song. I nearly died trying to finish it... ha ha.

Me: I have to congratulate you for being in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. I interviewed a few musicians in the past who have been in that same competetion. How did you do, and which song did you enter?

Charity: I entered a song called "Not Gonna Cry". I was a finalist, so I think I won some guitar strings, but it was nice to recognized as writing a decent song. I was starting out at the time, as well, so it was a confidence booster, which is always nice.

Me: Are you currently working on a new album, Charity?

Charity: I'm actually just doing single song releases right now. It doesn't seem to make much financial sense to do record anymore. I have a new song out called, "Where the Road Goes" so, it's downloadable.

Me: I know you are working with a singer named Cleo Elliott... she has a famous dad, am I right? Sam Elliott. How is this going, working with her?

Charity: We finished that project and she did a great job! She is a talented girl. I hope she will go on to do more singing and writing.

Me: Charity, thanks so much for being here, you have a great voice, and you are a really good songwriter. Go ahead and mention your websites and eveything, and please come back when your next single comes out.

Charity: Thanks Jason, I appreciate the complement. You can download my newest song "Wait and See" on my website for free. And of course, my songs are on iTunes and at my website charitychapman.com. Drop by and say hi!

Me: Take care, and continued success.

Charity: You too!

Well, that about does it fr another entry of the Phile. Thanks to Charity Chapman for a great interview. The Phile will be back on Wednesday with Brian Sumner from the duo The Sumner Brothers. Then next Sunday it's The Super Bowl Special with Smilin' Tom Fridley, who has a song about Tim Tebow on iTunes and a week from today it's artist Bleach Methane. So, spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye.