Pheaturing Chris Leigh

Hey there, welcome to another entry of the Phile on a Monday. How are you?  So, Fox News host Megyn Kelly took time out of her show on Friday night to address all of the people who have been giving her a hard time for that very funny humor joke she made earlier in the week, when she devoted an entire segment to defending the whiteness of Santa Claus... and by extention, for some reason, Jesus, calling the response a "knee-jerk instinct by so many to race-bait and to assume the worst of people, especially the people employed by the very powerful Fox News Channel." No mention was made of how funny it has been to hear Jesus and Santa spoken of in the same breath all week long. You know, I think Black Santa woulda been down with Rudolph from the start.  For the first time in recent memory, frozen precipitation fell from the sky in Egypt, covering the grounds around Cairo in a surreal-looking blanket of snow. By all accounts, it was a welcome reprieve from the storms of frogs and Biblical wrath to which the locals are presumably more accustomed. I have to show you this picture of a camel in case you didn't see it.

He's not woot wooting now, is he?  Pope Francis has responded to allegations that he is a Marxist who does not sufficiently despise poor people, telling Italian newspaper La Stampa that “Marxist ideology is wrong. But I have met many Marxists in my life who are good people, so I don’t feel offended," leading many to believe that he is a Leninist.  Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston was awarded the Heisman winner for 2013 and did not sexually assault a single person in the course of accepting the award. Overall, it was a rather noteworthy day for the very talented up-and-comer.  When Flare magazine opted to feature Jennifer Lawrence, the Hunger Games: Catching Fire star who is probably best known for her disgusting appearance that makes both men and women violently ill when looking at her... they really had their work cut out for them. However, what we can only assume were teams of photo editors working round the clock in a room littered with spent vomit bags somehow managed to manipulate her repugnant body and repulsive face well enough so that readers can now purchase a copy of the periodical without disgorging the contents of their stomachs all over the floor of their local drug store. Their work really speaks for itself.

Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave is dominating this year's Golden Globe nominations, along with David O. Russel's American Hustle, with seven nominations each. The two true-life tales of brutal soul-crushing slavery in the antebellum south and terrible fashion decisions in late 1970s and early 1980s show that audiences are excited to feel uncomfortable and depressed this year. One of those movies I wanna see, the other I don't. Can you guess which is which?  So, I mentioned this yesterday and I'll mention it again today... do you guys remember "The Snowman"? It was a book first and then it was a short cartoon? Well, I happened to look at it the other day and there was a part in it that I vaguely remember.

Are they at a strip club? That's just wrong. Frosty never took Karen to a strip joint. Wait, maybe that's her on stage.  What?! Stop everything. It finally happened.

A Chinese person with a random English word as a tattoo. Whew! I never thought I'd see that.  So, all through December up to Christmas I am showing you some creative Christmas ads. Here's another one.

Okay, now let's see who bit the big one.

Joan Fontaine
Oct 22, 1917 - Dec 15, 2013
Started acting in 1935 and stopped in 1994. What a slacker.

Peter O'Toole
Aug 2, 1932 - Dec 14, 2013
Goodbye, Mr. Chips.

Tom Laughlin
Aug 10, 1931 - Dec 12, 2013
Jacked.

If you spot the Mindphuck email me at thepeverettphile@gmail.com. Alright, Christmas is just over a week away and you might be having a hard time trying to figure out what to buy for your loved one. Well, don't fret, people. I am here to help with a pheature called...

This whimsical neck tie is sure to be a hit this holiday season.

Let your Christmas spirit glow with this sexy Light up Leg Lamp Neck Tie with Christmas Tree! You can buy it at amazon.com/Christmas-Story-Light-Lamp-Neck/dp/B001L01ISG. Alright, now from the home office in Port Jefferson, New York, here is another...

Top Phive Things If The Story Of Christmas Took Place On Facebook Part 2
5. Mary started the group Pregnant Virgins.
4. Joseph added Married His Girlfriend Who Is Pregnant With Another Spirit's Kid as a Lifetime Event on his timeline.
3. Mary used the app Baby Names.
2. Mary started reading "What To Expect When You're Expecting The Messiah" on Goodreads.
And the number one thing if the story of Christmas took place on Facebook is...
1. Joseph and Mary checked in to Bethlehem Inn and Stables.

Alright, the 29th book to be pheatured in the Phile's Book Club is...

Phile Alum, author, friend and one of my favorite guests on the Phile will be a guest on the Phile in a few weeks. Buy this book for someone for Christmas, will ya?

Today's guest is a singer and musician whose new album "Broken Hearted Friends" is now available on iTunes and Amazon. He will be appearing next at Jim Porter's Good Time Emporium in Louisville, Kentucky on January 3rd. Please welcome to the Phile... Chris Leigh.

Me: Hey, Chris, welcome to the Phile. How are you?

Chris: Thanks! I'm doing great!

Me: I love your music, it has a bit of rockabilly, especially with your look. Are you a rockabilly fan?

Chris: Yes! I am a really big fan of Rock A Billy!

Me: I don't know if there's anybody doing rockabilly nowadays in the music industry. I haven't come across any, have you?

Chris: Not to many anymore! The roots of Rock A Billy are still pretty strong though in my area of the country. It also seems to be going strong in places like Japan, Russia and Europe. That's fun to see!

Me: You look like you're an Elvis fan as well? You should be Elvis for Halloween next year.

Chris: Yeah! LOL. I hear that a lot! I guess I am an Elvis fan. He was a great showman and a cool guy. I like to think I can be as cool as him to I guess. LOL!

Me: I love Elvis as well... Elvis Costello. Which Elvis do you prefer?

Chris: I like both! Although, I am probably a little more into Elvis though! I have his music on my iPhone and iPod and still listen to it from time to time. His songs were so well written. They still sound great!

Me: Where are you from, Chris?

Chris: I was born in Kentucky. I still live here although I lived in California for a while.

Me: Have you been a musician all your life?

Chris: Well, I first jumped up on stage when I was about 12 years old and I have been singing every since. I just can't stop, I guess! LOL!

Me: Your new CD "Broken Hearted Friends" is your first release am I right?

Chris: Yes! That's correct! I've recorded other things in the past but nothing had the success that this has had.

Me: On it you play with a band called the Broken Hearts. Did the name of the album come before the bands name or the song with that name?

Chris: I actually named the band after the first song we recorded on the album. I realized that like the song, just about everyone of my band mates had broken hearts of one kind or another as well, so it just seemed to fit!

Me: So, who are the Broken Hearts? Give them a shout out.

Chris: Well, I have two bands really! Sadly, my original band mates, Frank Partipilo and Tim Marrow left me after our first recording but the guys in my Nashville studio band really helped to craft the sound of the Broken Hearts that you hear on the album. They are Jim "Moose" Brown: acoustic guitar/piano and B3 organ, Troy Lancaster: electric guitar, Scotty Sanders: pedal steel/dobro, Kevin "Swine" Grantt: upright/electric bass and Tommy Hardin: drums, plus we had Curtis Wright and Courtney Cole on backing vocals. All of these folks did an amazing job! My live band mates change from time to time but they are all from Kentucky right now.

Me: So, do you have a lot of friends with broken hearts?

Chris: Sadly, yes! Sure seems like it! Plenty of songs from all these guys and gals!

Me: When did you start to write the album, Chris?

Chris: Well, about four years ago, after my divorce I suppose. I had put down my guitar for some time during my marriage but writing and playing really helped me get through a lot of the pain. I formed a little band. Then a friend of mine thought I should try and do something bigger with my tunes so he introduced me to Moose in Nashville and that's what started me recording again.

Me: Was there an inspiration behind it?

Chris: Oh yeah! Most of my songs were reflecting what I was going through with my divorce and how I felt about my kids and those people who still loved me. Some of them are about past girlfriends and some were about things that happened to me while on the road.

Me: I mentioned Elvis, but you have been compared to Waylon, Johnny Cash and Dwight Yoakum. Are you fans of those guys?

Chris: Fo sure! Love all those guys! Great songwriters and singers. They have all been a big influence on my music as well!

Me: Dwight is the only one alive in that list, so did you ever see him live or meet him? He's fucking great live!

Chris: I think he's great too! He's from Kentucky too like me! Hehe!! I have yet to meet him though. I plan to one day!

Me: How many songs did you write for the album, Chris?

Chris: Well, I wrote twelve but ten ended up on the album.

Me: I love the song "Ramblin' Man". What is that song about?

Chris: I wrote that after a long night drinkin in New Orleans. I was actually down there for a sales meeting though but I wished I had been playing. Adding the humor made the whole dangerous experience a lot more fun though!

Me: I have to ask you about the single "If I Make It to Heaven". What was the inspiration behind that song?

Chris: Well, I was suprised that anyone would like that song really. It is a pretty dark tale. It's mainly about the feelings I had during and after my divorce. I was drinking pretty heavy and was in a really dark place. I started questioning everything, especially the life I had been living and I sort of gave up on life. There is a lot of pain for me behind that particular song I guess.

Me: Do you think you will go to heaven? Are you a religious man, Chris?

Chris: Well, I hope so... I hope we are more then this in the end. I was brought up a Catholic by very devout parents. I sure love them and I love my kids. I hope this isn't the end for all of us, it's hard for me to accept that, so I choose life forever!

Me: I think I'll end up in pertagory myself. Haha.

Chris: Oh, yeah? Well, the main character in my video (me) was stuck in pergatory. He was paying for his crimes. I sure hope you don't! Staying in one spot for too long will make you crazy! And forever is a long time to be crazy!

Me: I watched the video and it looked like it was fun to make. Did you know the people in it?

Chris: Yes! The video was a lot of fun to make! I hand picked all the characters based on my short story that I wrote for the video. My friends and family really helped. Even my kids are in the video playing the roles of me and my sister as children. Also, my friend, David Williamson directed the film and another of our friends, Wayne Shepherd edited it. It was lots of fun!!

Me: Where was it filmed and is that a real church you sang in? I have a picture here, Chris.

Chris: Yes! Most of it was filmed on my uncles farm where I spent a lot of time growing up! The church is on the farm. It's one of the oldest churches in Kentucky. We think it was the first time a country music video was filmed in an actual Catholic church. The place is haunted and really added to the creepiness of the whole film. It's also very beautiful inside!

Me: I have to ask you about guitar playing, Chris. How old were you when you started playing guitar?

Chris: I was about twelve when I took my first guitar lesson. I have never really aspired to be a really good guitar player. I mainly saw it as a way to translate my songs. Even today, I can't keep up with the guys in my band. LOL! The guitar I am playing in the video belonged to a 1920's street singing reverend at one time. It's a vintage Martin. Beautiful old guitar and still sounds great! Rob Johnson, my live guitarist let me borrow it for the video. I love it but we won't sell it to me! LOL!

Me: Do you remember the first song you learnt to play?

Chris: Yes! In fact I do, it was "Helpless" by Neil Young.

Me: Do you prefer playing acoustic or electric? And what make do you play?

Chris: I prefer acoustic really. I sometimes play my old Martin. Martin makes incredible acoustic guitars, some of the old ones are the best if you can get your hands on them, but I also own a couple Godins which are Canadian built guitars. They are really very nicely made! One of my Godins memic the look of a old style Gibson electric hallow body.

Me: Alright, so, on the Phile I ask random questions thanks to Tabletopics. Ready? Would you be likely to survive alone in the wilderness? What a dumb question. I would say no for me, what about you?

Chris: Yes! I could certainly survive in the wilderness. When I was young I did a lot of hunting and camping, sometimes by myself. I learned a lot about surviving the wilderness. I do like the comfort of my home though and I am glad I don't have too. It is peaceful though and I love to stroll through the woods.

Me: Thanks so much for being on the Phile, Chris. Please come back again soon. I really enjoyed your album. Go ahead and mention your website and I wish you continued success, and keep writing.

Chris: Thanks so much for giving me the chance to tell my story! I really appreciate your interest in me and thank you for liking my album!!! I hope we can talk again one day soon! My website address is chrisleighmusic.com. Please visit us and "like us" on Facebook so we can all keep in touch. I am working on my next album and video. I hope you like them as well! Thanks again!

Me: Thanks, Chris.

Well, that does it for this entry of the Phile. Thanks to Chris for a great interview. Okay, the Phile will be back next Sunday for the 700th entry with Phile Alum Brian Sumner from The Sumner Brothers and then on Monday it's A Peverett Phile Christmas 5 Pheaturing Zach Davidson and Burt Thomas Overdrive from Vendetta Red. So, spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye. Strawberry Blondes Forever!