"On numerous occasions, so numerous that it has become the norm; I watch, read, and listen to news reports of senseless, violent crimes that ravage my hometown of Macon, Ga..
Never in a crime is there only one victim. The families and loved ones are victims.... children.... husbands and wives.... parents. Over time, the city itself becomes a victim as well. Residents are moving elsewhere and businesses are relocating while the unemployment , homelessness, and crime rates skyrocket.
Feelings of anger, sadness, empathy, sorrow, disgust, and utter confusion arise. After processing these thoughts, I am often left saying, "I wish y'all WOULD STOP the violence." Along with that comes the thought , "What can I do to help the cause?" With me being a recording artist, of course I want to implement the arts in whatever my contribution may be......but with no solution in mind, I resorted back to the cry of "I wish y'all WOULD STOP the violence!"....and again, "I wish y'all WOULD STOP the violence!" As I recited the phrase, the words "WOULD STOP" stood out for some unforeseen reason. I continuously repeated the incomplete phrase of "WOULD STOP", and soon began to mistakenly utter "WOODSTOCK". ...not realizing what I thought was a mistake was actually the answer I had been searching for all along. Woodstock was a multi-cultural music festival held in 1969, that drew half a million onlookers to unite in peace, love, and musical expression. In it's essence, I could host WOULDSTOP!!! The "I Wish Y'all WOULDSTOP The Violence" Music Festival. The festival would showcase artists from all genres of music and talent would range from local to internatoinally known artists.
Always an advocate of harmony amongst the people, I understand that music is one of the strongest and most unifying forces among us. What better way to bring the us all together for a cause of great worth, than good music. "