Saturday, June 7, 2014

A Parting bit of Gratitude


I would be remiss if I did not at least say some parting words to DDTTRH as an effort (and thank all the people who made it great).  As you may already know, we have decided to make DDTTRH a project under Duran Duran Worldwide (along with other projects we will be working on). 

So, to be clear...DDTTRH is not going away...its just being done in a different way.  Its definitely going a bit more under the radar...with more focused and targeted efforts.  Making it a project means it has a beginning and an end...the end being when Duran Duran makes it to the Rock Hall.  And don’t forget…if you want to help us with any of our projects (including DDTTRH), please friend Kirk DDWW or Christian DDWW on Facebook.

This thing started as an effort because I wanted to do something special for the band who means so much to me.  I had seen a list of Rock Hall inductees and noticed Duran Duran was not on the list.  How could this be? 

Jason Henry was the first that signed on to help.  Jason became a great friend and helped us out in many ways when we first started.  One of the highlights of working with Jason was him helping get us published about in an article in a Canadian newspaper.  Jason, when you read this…thank you for all you did for us.

Then Anitra came on.  Anitra was the force behind our artist and band interviews and helped us navigate the media waters as our publicist.  One of my fondest memories of Anitra was when she passed out fliers to people in Florida.  This, and some of the amazing interviews she did for us, including the likes of Erik Alexandrakis and Your Vegas.  Anitra was (and continues to be) a livewire.  We are grateful for the energy she brought to us at DDTTRH.

And along came Kandace, who we charmingly referred to as our ‘Petition Duchess’.  Kandace worked well with those that interviewed with us and thanks to her, we were able to get many quality signatures on our Petition (which is still ongoing—link here).  Kandace radiated positive, calm energy…creating many times the perfect balance we needed on our team in our ongoing efforts.  Plus, she helped us improve our communication lines, which sometimes were lacking.  When Kandace left, I received a binder from her which detailed all the contacts and work she did for us.  It was a LOT!  To me it represented the dedication and commitment she had to DDTTRH (as an effort) and its something I will be eternally grateful for.  Love you Kandace!

Christian…the man behind our websites.  At first impression, Christian may seem a little rough around the edges.  I remember my first experience with Christian…when I asked him not to be so hard on Madonna on our sites (btw…today I could care less about this…I suppose I was a bit nieve back then…LOL).  You may also know that Christian can be a bit opinionated when it comes to politics.  Behind all of this though is a fan passionate about Duran Duran, an online media wizard, a trusted adviser, and a committed friend.   Its these last two things I mention about Christian (being a trusted adviser and committed friend) that have meant the most to me.  I have had many a phone call with Christian…sometimes in my  ‘not’ finest hours.  He has always been patient and supportive of me and the DDTTRH cause.  I look forward to continuing to serve with Christian in Duran Duran Worldwide.

Josie I cannot forget to mention either.  Josie from Montana...the land of mountains.  In a way, Josie has been like a mountain…firm, steadfast and always there for us as our editor.  I have always appreciated Josie correcting our press releases and articles, making sure we come across the right way in our Facebook posts…and…just being there.  Josie has always told me that she signed on to help us because she wanted to do ‘something for the guys’.  Well Josie…you have…and its much appreciated.  And when Duran Duran makes it to the Rock Hall (which I am positive they will someday), you can add your name to the list of names that helped get them there.  Thank you Josie.  Feel free to correct the grammar in this article and get it back to me J.

Now for the special mentions.  The list for this one could be very long, but I will cover the most special ones.  Here goes…

Tracey Elena:  She will continue with us at Duran Duran Worldwide.  I am grateful to Tracey for the excitement, passion, and interesting wrestling stories she has brought to our team.  I look forward to continue to serve with you Tracey!

Andrew Golub:  I could say so much about Andrew and the support he was and continues to be to me through the years of DDTTRH and now DDWW (with DDTTRH as a project).  I have many fond memories of working with Andy and am happy to call him a friend.  He truly radiates an energy (definitely off-the-charts Duranium) that is more than catchy…to say the least.  He was an instant voice of support for DDTTRH when I first introduced it to him…he was there for me when it was hardest to deal with ‘crazy fans’…we explored the planet together and discovered Duranium...we have laughed and had fun, never at the expense of others but in the joy that comes from Duran Duran.  Love you Andy!

Kitty Paige:  Kitty is brilliant when it comes to working with the media and marketing efforts.  I have bounced many ideas of off her, and she has always been a willing participant in our many machinations.  I had the pleasure to meet Kitty when I visited Seattle…she is even cooler in person.  I am happy to call Kitty a friend and look forward to continuing that with ‘this music between us’ for years to come.

Stefan LeClair:  From his interview with us to his words of support and friendship..Stefan has been there for us throughout DDTTRH’s time as an effort.  I am personally thankful that I can always count on Stefan to listen and provide words of wisdom to me.

Jake Crawford:  Jake has always been willing to help us with our Youtube needs and is continuing on with us at Duran Duran Worldwide.  He has been extremely helpful in creating promotional videos for us and most recently worked with me to create the Duranium videos you see on our Youtube site.  Jake's passion for Duran Duran has been evident in the videos he's worked on and I always appreciate his laid back Aussie demeanor...truly fun to work with.

M. Douglas Silverstein:  M, the producer of ‘Something You Should Know:  A Duran Duran fan documentary’ interviewed with us and was helpful in judging our first Youtube contest.  Further, M has been super supportive of our efforts and has just been a cool guy to hang around with on Facebook.  Thanks M for your support!

Hanna Cruz:  Hanna did some work for us with Spanish translations.  She was very excited to be helping us and it was nice to work with her for the short time we did.
Pranav of Radio Crème Brulee:  Pranav helped promote us on his radio station and helped generate ideas for some of our promotions.  I had the pleasure of meeting Pranav in Chicago...great times.  Thank you Pranav for being there to help us.
Nile Rogers:  For signing our petition!

Lynn Capirsello:  Although Lynn was with us a short time, it was fun to work with her.  She currently is doing the Art for Duran Duran Facebook site (please visit it!).  Lynn made us a cool promotion video that you can see on our Youtube channel.

Julie Ann Rhodes:  For her positive inspiration and words of support.

Iain Johnson:  When we released our Snow Leopards (in conjunction with the Snow Leopard Trust - www.snowleopard.org), Iain was helpful in promoting them on his 'The Man Who Stole a Leopard Must get to No 1' Facebook site.  Iain also became a member of DDWW when we had members (now Friends).  Thanks Iain for all your help...and for helping to save the snow leopards.

Jeff Piorkowski:  For the fun interview he did with me for the local Sun Times paper.

Debbie and Emily Vernon:  This mother and daughter live in the Cleveland/Akron area and have been extremely supportive of me and our efforts (both with DDTTRH and DDWW).  They were instrumental in 'pulling the wool' over several of our fans' eyes with the Simon's Moustache infamous interview (Emily revealed herself as the Stache).  Debbie is always fun to talk with and makes a special point to make witty comments on our posts (which I always appreciate).

Maria Sbrocco:  I met Maria in person for the first time at the latest Duran Duran concert in Cleveland.  She stood out in the rain with me and passed out fliers for people to sign our petition.  A really fun lady and a huge fan of Duran Duran...I am grateful to know and associate with her.

Nabeel Shahid:  For making our first logo.

NUNO:  For creating our second logo and being a friend and supporter of the cause.

Vader Vader:  For rocking out in our T-shirt.

All the Bands, Artists, and Duran fans that interviewed with us!  Including some notables...Andrew Golub, Erik Alexandrakis, Nathan Stack, Salvo of Duranasty, Your Vegas, Sharmila Tredger, Marc Massive (Massive Ego), Jen Chaney (Washington Post), Scarlet Soho, Owen Paul Mcgee, Nuno, Gretchen Morganstern (maker of Lebon perfume, Adirondack Aromatherapy)

Please follow DDTTRH on Twitter @DDTTRH!