Just two hours from New York City lies Long Island’s North Fork and Wine Country, also known as – the perfect summer getaway. The area is home to more than 35 vineyards and 40 licensed wineries. Long Island viticulturists prioritize quality over quantity, as there are just around 3,000 acres of cultivation in the East End.
Founders of the East End Bike Tours decided to leave the corporate lifestyle and pursue the crossroads of their love for cycling and Long Island’s North Fork. They started their company to “accentuate the beauty of the North Fork, not just with vineyard, but with the beach and farms, also which the area is noted for!” East End Bike Tours aims to elevate the tour experience with unique experiences tailored to every guests needs.
East End Bike Tours offers a range of excursions for visitors to tour the wine region during the summer. All group tours are guided, but visitors also have the option of a semi-private or a self-guided tour. The tours don’t just stop at the vineyards, they include visits to one of the North Fork’s first farms, oil tastings, and the scenic Peconic Bay. “My husband or myself are typically on every tour in addition to the tour guides. It has been our goal to elevate the tour experience for our guests” said founder Nicole.
Their signature tour is “The North Fork Experience“. It includes a 13.5 mile guided tour, wine sampling, access to vineyard fields, lunch, and plenty of photo opportunities. Depending on the season, the tour may include a berry or apple picking experience. Their newest addition is called the “Bike Paint n Sip Tour“. Visitors take a 15 mile guided tour, wine sampling, and instruction from an art teacher on how to create their own masterpiece.
Five years after Super Storm Sandy, are we better today?
The coastal resiliency storm surge barrier boat tour carried elected officials, scientists and engineers to learn how agencies have responded to the real threat of future storms. The destructive regional impact from Super Storm Sandy on New York and the New Jersey Metropolitan area and Long Island is still felt today.
Professor MalcolmBowman chairman and founder of the New York New Jersey Metropolitan Storm Surge said, we live and work in a city built on an ocean. All these buildings and skyscrapers are built on an ocean. We are surrounded by water. There is a difference in sea level and storm surge, we need a storm surge barrier. When Sandy happened, it was a combination of the storm’s wind, full moon high tide and the lack of defenses. Which caused hundreds of homes to be destroyed. Sandy damaged entire neighborhoods and left many without power. There have been projects and plans put forth to insure that our region is storm resilient, plans with flood gates, and other types of barriers. None have been constructed to date.
Mr. Bowman predicted, “The question is not “if” a catastrophic hurricane or nor’easter will hit New York, but when.” We have to be better prepared said Bowman. There have been steps taken to infrastructure including subways and tunnel entrances, but patchwork and little response is not what is needed, we need bigger solutions.Bill Golden president of the National Institute for Coastal and Harbor Infrastructure stated with great urgency, we are dealing with a regional issue. This is how important a regional system is to the city; take a look at the amount of influential people who attended our conference in 2017 May . Yesterday’s boat tour, we couldn’t accommodate the amount of RSVP’s. We had to cap the invites as we just did not have the room.
We must work regionally to get this system in place, or we move the Statue of Liberty to Bayonne. Millions of tourists visit NYC each year, they come to see New York. The Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the many historical landmarks of this great city. What impact would it have on our state, if there were no tourist attractions?
Mr. Golden’s mission for this two hour boat tour aboard Classic Harbor Lines, was to continue to gather support for a much needed proposal to build a set of barriers, including below the Verrazano Narrows to block the ocean from coming into our harbor. A second barrier designed to prevent what happened during Sandy 2012, which caused the Long Island Sound to rush into our east river severely effecting Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan and Queens. “if barriers were in place we would have experienced just another windy day”. We are planning for protection into the next century with a regional barrier to hold back the water.
Speaking withGale Brewer Manhattan Borough President-all communities are connected, we do not know when another storm will come. We have to make a change we have to prepare now. I urge you to get out and call your congress person and elected officials, let your voice be heard.
Catherine McVay Hughes former chairwoman for community board 1- “We are here five years after Sandy and there’s no plan in place for Lower Manhattan. There’s still so much more to do!”
The conference focused on the urgent need to investigate the role that a regional system of movable surge barriers could play in creating layered defense, to protect the metropolitan area from storm surges and sea level rise. This system would be designed to work in tandem with planned local barriers and other strategies.This system will protect and maintain Metropolitan NJ-NY-LI as a safe, secure and thriving world center of finance, urban innovation, transportation, science, medicine, history, culture and recreation well into the next century.
For more information go to-https://www.nichiusa.org/
READERS- we urge you to contact your congress people and elected officials. New York, NJ and the metropolitan area will be effected. This is your home!
In earning his living as a comedy writer, Matt Kirsch has what many would consider to be a dream job. As a staff writer for Triumph’s Election Special 2016, Matt was recently nominated for a Primetime Emmy. Prior to his work with Triumph The Insult Comic Dog, Matt contributed to nearly 300 episodes of the Late Show With David Letterman, writing for Letterman from 2013 through the groundbreaking talk show’s 2015 finale.
Prior to his work on late night television, Matt created Duder. A web series long before Hulu, Netflix and Amazon Prime were creating web-only content, three seasons of Duder were produced. The show was a Webby honoree in 2009 for Best Long Form Comedy and went on to win Best Comedy at the 2011 New York Television Festival. Now based in Los Angeles, the Yale graduate is currently writing for Disjointed, the forthcoming Netflix series starring Kathy Bates and produced by Chuck Lorre.
Downtown caught up with Matt for some Q&A, attempting to learn about the everyday life of an acclaimed comedy writer. Matt can be followed on Twitter via @HeyMattKirsch, while Duder remains posted online at www.duder.com.
I know that you wrote plays and produced an online series before that was a common gig, but what was your first paid writing gig?
Matt Kirsch: I worked for The Onion for about four years and contributed headlines for the paper and story ideas for the IFC show. When The Onion moved to Chicago, the bulk of the editorial staff left, and we started this web project with Adult Swim called Thing X. That was my first official writing gig.
What was the first writing gig you had in which it was clear that this was a career instead of another one-off gig?
MK: Getting the Letterman job was exciting just because it feels like you won the lottery — there’s so much chance and circumstance that goes into hiring for these gigs. But I think getting signed by an agent, which happened about a year before Letterman, strangely made things feel more real for me. Once you have someone working for you and it’s in her best interest for you to get jobs and keep working, it starts to feel more like a career, for better or for worse.
Was there a mentor or someone early on that helped you move forward in your career?
MK: Definitely my playwriting professors in college — Deb Margolin and Toni Dorfman — were hugely influential just in my helping me find my voice and gaining confidence. And there were so many ridiculously talented writers at The Onion that I learned from and helped me out: Joe Randazzo, John Harris, Joe Garden, Chris Karwowski, Carol Kolb, Dan Guterman, and tons others.
Did you always want to be a writer rather than a stand-up or on-screen performer?
MK: Yeah, for the most part. I had a lot of fun acting in my web series, Duder, mostly because I was playing a version of myself, and when you write it, it’s pretty easy to memorize.
What is the hardest part of your job? Is it coming up with material?
MK: One challenging thing is just fighting the urge for your brain to turn off and relax at any point during the work day, because you mostly have to stay in it. One minute you’re pitching story arc ideas, then you have to switch gears and figure out the best line for some guy to say when he’s being chased out of a bathroom, etc.
On the other hand, what is your favorite part of what you do?
MK: I love just being in the room with funny, talented people, riffing and figuring out minutia about story stuff.
Do you feel that there are any misconceptions about life as a writer?
MK: Hmm, not sure what the stereotypes are exactly, but it’s more collaborative and you’re a little more invisible than some people might think, which is what I like about it. You’re all kind of working as a hive mind, but that’s just my experience, lots of shows are different.
Is there an accomplishment that you’re most proud of as a writer?
MK: I’d say my web series Duder, just because I somehow had the drive to make this thing happen for zero money and convince my friends to work with me for zero money. And it became this messy, unfiltered download of my brain at that particular time in my life.
Having written in both New York and Los Angeles writer rooms, is the experience of writing different between those two cities?
MK: Not a ton of difference — we just complain about different things.
It’s sort of a hack question to ask where writers get their ideas from, but in your case, what is your routine like when it comes to getting creative? Do you treat it as a 9-to-5 where you write every day? Are you more based in writing only when inspiration hits?
MK: Yeah, that is a hack question. Jesus, Darren. (laughs) No seriously, you have to be as disciplined as you can and just write all the time, rather than waiting for inspiration to hit. It’s just a muscle that needs to be exercised regularly — and you never know what will come out at any given time and whether it will be useful or not. With that said, my level of discipline definitely differs whether I have a full-time gig or not and how tired I am at the end of the day.
When not busy with writing, how do you like to spend your free time?
MK: I like to hike — which is so much easier to do in L.A. than New York — hang out with our dogs, play video games and cards and board games, and that’s it.
Is there anything you miss about living in New York?
MK: Yeah, lots. Bagels mostly. Walking to a bar in less than 25 minutes. Public transit. And lots of people that still out there.
Do you often run into folks from Long Island while out in Los Angeles?
MK: All the time! There are two writers from Long Island just on my staff, and one is actually from Merrick, though he went to Calhoun [High School]. I know, gross. (laughs)
Finally, Matt, any last words for the kids?
MK: My advice would be: Just write a lot of stuff and don’t just write it, produce it. There’s nothing more important than developing your voice and having something you can show people that showcases your voice. And it doesn’t matter if it’s raw and super low-budget.
Formed in Garfield, New Jersey in 1965, The Rascals charted nine singles before the end of the 1960s. Hits like “Good Lovin’,” “Groovin;” and “A Beautiful Morning” remain radio staples almost 50 years after their release. Notable Rascals fans include Billy Joel, Paul Shaffer, and E-Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt. Meanwhile, Rascals songs have been recorded by Dionne Warwick, Dusty Springfield, Gloria Estefan, The Grateful Dead, Shania Twain, John Travolta and Hanson, beyond being sampled by A Tribe Called Quest, Tricky and Girl Talk.
Founding Rascals keyboardist/vocalist Felix Cavaliere didn’t slow down after the group broke up in the early 1970s; he recorded four major label solo albums in the 1970s alone. He has also thrived as a musician and producer for other artists, having collaborated with Laura Nyro, Jimmie Spheeris, Steve Cropper, and Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band. An induction into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame would follow in 2009. One year later in 2010, Felix reunited with his Rascals bandmates for a benefit show at the Tribeca Grill, which led to a 15-show Broadway run at the Richard Rogers Theatre in 2013.
Downtown spoke with Felix in advance of his Mar. 4 show at the Theatre at Westbury. Felix Cavaliere’s Rascals will be sharing the stage in Westbury with Tommy James & The Shondells, ensuring an evening full of pop and rock classics. More on Felix and crew can be found at www.felixcavalieremusic.com.
What do you wish more people knew about Felix Cavaliere?
Felix Cavaliere: That I’m a happy and contented family man.
You were a member of Joey Dee & The Starliters, who I know Peter Criss from KISS played with at least once. Did you two ever talk shop about that?
FC: Oh, yes. Definitely. Many fine musicians have been in the Joey Dee band, including Jimi Hendrix and Joe Pesci. We are all honored to be a part of this group as alumni and musicians.
You’re thought of as a New York and New Jersey guy, but you live in Nashville. What brought you out there?
FC: New York has a special place in my heart, absolutely. Nashville has been the musician’s hub for writing and producing for quite awhile now. It’s been a wonderful place to raise my family and see my grandkids grow.
Where was the first gig you ever played in New York City?
What about on Long Island? What do you remember about that?
FC: Long Island was the place where we were discovered, and we worked in many places for many years. That’s what you did. People have adopted us as their own.
FC: I’m writing a book about my life, working on symphonic appearances, as well as a new album. And I’m touring! I’m so blessed to have the greatest fans in the world. They have shared the music with their offspring, and we’re seeing younger fans. Just this summer we were in Japan and it was such a thrill to have the audiences singing along with us. It makes me so happy.
Is there a professional accomplishment you’re most proud of?
FC: Be good to each other. And thank you for everyone that has enjoyed and been a part of my extended family for over 50 years. It’s wonderful to keep performing and singing these songs that are a part of peoples’ lives. I’m truly grateful and humbled by this.
Beyond being a renowned Integrative Wellness & Life Coach, Didi Wong is a writer, yogi, and entrepreneur. In spite of her busy professional schedule, she is known to still make time to eat healthily, exercise, and live life to the fullest. All of this while being a married mother of four. In turn, when conducting Q&A with Didi for Downtown, I could not help but feel motivated to not just do some planning for 2017 but to start getting those plans in action ASAP.
Didi can be visited online at www.didiwong.com, where she has been known to answer reader questions. She can be followed directly on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Meanwhile, her yoga-inspired lifestyle brand Chakras by didi maintains a home at www.chakrasbydidi.com.
You are known to have roots in New York. Where did you grow up?
Didi Wong: From the age of nine to 18, I grew up in both Hong Kong, a very metropolitan city, and the south of England, the countryside. I was sent to an all-girls boarding school called Sibton Park, and then at 12, I was accepted to a “royal” secondary school called Benenden, where alumni such as HRH Princess Anne and Hollywood star Rachel Weisz both went. Every Easter, Summer and Christmas, I would fly back to Hong Kong to spend a month or two with my parents and sisters. So if you were to add up the months of the year, it means that I spent four months out of each year in Hong Kong and eight months of the year in Kent, the countryside of the U.K. with the goats, sheep, horses, and cows!
Do you still have family based out in New York?
DW: Yes, my husband’s family is based in New York. Some live in the city, some live on Long Island. I am blessed to have a great relationship with all my in-laws.
What led you to leave New York and move out west?
DW: My husband Michael Duvert is an actor and had just finished his gig on Broadway — Tony Award-winning Best Play Of The Year, Take Me Out, in 2003 — and was blessed enough to book a pilot in Los Angeles. At that time, I was also in the acting business and had just booked a co-starring role opposite James Gandolfini in The Sopranos. So when his agent requested for him to move out west, I decided it was a good opportunity for us to take that leap of faith and move here. Fast forward 10+ years, and here we are!
Is there anything you miss about living in New York?
DW: Oh, how I miss New York City. There are so many things I miss about living in New York. First off, New Yorkers are one of a kind, in a good way! The city is full of energy, filled with languages from all over the world. I miss the theater, the live music, and the restaurants. I miss the daily walking, the subway — seeing the mixture of different types of people — the hustle, the convenience, the warm Nuts 4 Nuts stands with my favorite honey-roasted almonds, and my favorite part of the city: SoHo. I spent my most memorable years on the streets of Spring, Prince and West Broadway. The smallest apartment I ever lived in was on West Broadway with rats and roaches as my guests, yet it was such a great time of my life.
Do you have a favorite restaurant downtown?
DW: New York City changes by the minute, so I am sure there are many amazing restaurants that have opened since I left in 2006. But I am a classic girl, also a Francophile at heart, so Balthazar is still one of my favorites.
When was the last time you visited Lower Manhattan, and what do you think about the new World Trade and that Lower Manhattan has become the place to live, now being called a dining and shopping destination?
DW: I visited Lower Manhattan this past June and took a whole day to walk around the new World Trade shopping mall area and scanned through all the names engraved by the waterfalls. The mall was only opened for use to walk to the subway station and the shops weren’t even opened yet.
I had visited the 9/11 Museum back in August 2014 and was so fascinated by the artifacts and stories that I learned but didn’t get to finish reading, so I went back with my husband this past June and really spent time re-reading and re-watching all the displays and videos. I was living on West Broadway on 9/11, and I witnessed the terrorist attacks with my own eyes. It means a lot to me to see every item treasured for the museum, and I am so glad to have visited it again. The most intense part of the whole museum to me was the voicemails left by those whose lives were lost on that tragic day. I stood there listening to every message, and it brought tears to my eyes and gave me chills, as I imagine those moments when it was really happening.
It is incredible that they have managed to gather all these for the museum. The area is now so peaceful, and I think it is wonderful that it is now being called a dining and shopping destination.
Your bio notes that you are a mother of four and a business owner, yet still find time to eat healthily, exercise and live life to the fullest. To you, what exactly is living life to the fullest?
DW: Living life to the fullest means you feel completely satisfied with all aspects of your life. It also means finding balance in your life as well as achieving goals that you have had since you were a child.
For me, if I have to break it down, it means fulfilling my duty as a mother — dropping and picking up my children from school most of the time, volunteering at their schools, being present when spending time with them, socializing with the parents of their friends, talking to my children about life or being silly, playing with them and doing the general household responsibilities…
It means continuing to realize my own dreams — keeping my own identity as a woman and an entrepreneur, satisfying my own standards with my beauty and fitness regimen, continuing to be a student of life and letting life take its course…Keeping up with my relationships, making time for my husband and being present during those times, as well as keeping in touch with my friends and family inside and outside the country.
Did you have an awakening with regards to being productive and fulfilled?
DW: It’s not a myth when people say as you grow older, you gain wisdom. I think towards my mid-30s, I became more and more ambitious and confident in what I have to offer the world. My “awakening” was when I woke up one very early morning in July 2008, after having completed a five-day intensive yoga conference in Hong Kong, I had a calling in my dream and woke up with my first downward facing dog tank top in my mind. From that moment, I was on a journey to change my life. And now, eight years later, I have and continue to do so.
To stay productive, do you rely on any tools or apps? Are you big on scheduling and calendar management?
DW: This question made me smile…I smile because it is the one thing that I MUST do in order to keep my life in order. I am, by no means, one who writes every single little action down to the tee on my phone calendar. That would take too much time. But I do choose to prioritize and put down the important actions that I need to take including work meetings, coaching sessions with my clients if my children have anything special going on at school, my workout sessions as well as social gatherings. I am traditional in the sense that I still love to put pen to paper though I have evolved and started to use my “Reminders” icon as well as a color to coordinate on my calendar.
You specialize in helping pregnant women and new moms. What inspired to you to pursue that path? Was there a particular person or event?
DW: I naturally have a soft spot for women who are about to have babies or have just become a new mom. This is because, during that time of my life, I felt that I really needed support and that I was about to embark on a brand new chapter of my life and it was scary and exciting at the same time. It requires a lot of efforts in the physical and emotional preparation. This period of time generally brings about a positive outcome and I like to stay in the positive. I always think about how the Maternity Ward is the happiest section in the hospital. No matter what the situation is, bringing a newborn into the world is a miracle. What inspired me was simply my own journey having carried a boy, a girl, and twins. With my educational achievements in the Integrative Wellness and Life Coaching, I feel confident and knowledgeable in specializing in this demographic.
As a mother of four, did it get easier for you to become a mother with each child? Or is having four children that much more work?
DW: This is such a great question. The answer is definitely not black and white. I never found being a mother difficult because I did my work in preparing for motherhood, meaning that I was prepared to do whatever it takes to be a mother. Even with the waking up every three hours to feed or dealing with a baby who is sick, I found beauty in all the challenges that I had to face. I was pretty confident in knowing that I can follow my gut and when I feel something wasn’t right, I would act upon it. It was my maternal instincts.
With the three-year gap between my first and my second, having Joliette as a second child was easy. I knew exactly what I needed to do, I knew what it took to be a mother through every baby is different. There were still new things I had to learn like when she would only breastfeed for a few minutes at a time compared to Jean-Pierre, who was a great eater. These were simple aspects to overcome. I remember thinking that I was already ready for a third baby when Joliette was only three months because she was such a good baby. But the true big challenge came when two suddenly became four. Most people who know me, know that I almost never complain but having four children is no joke and not for the weary!
In the past year, life has been tremendously-overwhelming. With my career really taking shape and the need to be the best mother and wife I can possibly be and to spend the quality time that I used to have with my first born with my three other children, I had to rapidly change my expectations of myself. I am constantly grateful for the fact that I had identical twins and bask in the knowledge that this is so rare and I am so blessed. But it doesn’t take away the fact that my workload almost quadrupled in a matter of months. I still try to balance all aspects of my life and think I have done a good job but there are definitely days when my husband and I just look at each other and laugh and that look communicates everything that we know we have and have to do. We ask ourselves “Did we get punk’d?” often. With all the things I have to do, I concentrate on the positives and on the goodness and really try my best not to be in the victim’s seat. It is not easy but easy would be boring!
Didi Wong
What specifically inspired you to get into yoga?
DW: To be honest, I didn’t think about it much when I stepped into my first class. It was a mere curiosity and spontaneous move! The first style that I tried was Bikram Yoga and it suited me because I loved the heat. I had a two-week trial pass and within the first week, I went four times and saw the results in my body, my mind and my intake of water! I liked who I was when I walked out of class and saw the subtleties of patience and kindness I started to develop.
What do you think is the best way for someone who doesn’t practice yoga to start doing it?
DW: Not to think about it too much and just go attend a class without expectations. Understand that you will not see results with taking only one class. Yoga teaches you patience. As with anything that has longevity, it takes time and practice. You are working from the inside out, so it is not something you can see right away. But trust in the process.
What is your favorite benefit of doing yoga?
DW: The Mental. I like the person I am when I do more yoga. I am more patient. I am more tolerant of the daily happenings that could be perceived as negative but I perceive them as positive, I am generally a kinder person and a person who appreciates and am more grateful for life.
Didi Wong in action
Work-wise, what’s coming up for you in the near future? I understand you’ll be back in New York this Spring?
DW: 2017 is going to be a powerful and fruitful work year for me as I started an extremely promising new business with my business partner Stephanie in the world of Special Events. Social Spotlight Events aims to bring social media influencers and brands together to create profitable partnerships while shining light on a cause.
Our first event is in February. We are so pumped. As a life coach, I have also acquired quite a few new clients and working towards helping them to achieve their best life. Yes, I will be flying to New York City in the spring — I am so excited to meet my amazing publicist as well as do some new meet and greets with editors of magazines. Chakras by didi will continue its daily functions and launch some new collections. Jan. 28 begins the year of the Monkey. For the Dragons, like myself, it is supposed to be a big prosperous year! Let’s hope that is true!
When you have a free moment, how do you like to spend your free time?
DW: It is very rare now to have a free moment! So the things that I like to do during those times may sound mundane and boring. But I love to just read my magazines (Psychology Today, Travel and Leisure, US Weekly, Vogue), watch episodes of my favorite TV shows (Homeland, Bloodline, The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills), record my singing on my singing app, browse through Facebook to scan through what my friends are up to, spontaneously call to book a massage, go for a foot massage, go eat whatever I am craving that moment, light a candle, put on some Deva Premal and do some journaling, plan a date night with my husband, go to a kickboxing class, research my next vacation with or without kids, play the piano or do some online shopping. Perhaps this answer is for the question, “What would you do, if you had as much free time as you’d like?”
Rickey Medlock is best known for his work with Blackfoot and Lynyrd Skynyrd, first getting together with the Skynyrd crew in the early 1970s. But music was a part of Rickey’s life well before the “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Freebird” hitmakers were around. He began playing guitar and drums long prior to his teenage years. Even earlier, as a three-year old, he was performing on-stage with his grandfather, noted Delta bluesman Shorty Medlock.
Nowadays, between tours with Skynyrd — he rejoined in 1996 — Rickey stays involved with Blackfoot, which he had formed after high school. Now touring in support of the Southern Native album, released via Loud & Proud Records, Blackfoot returns to the area with a Nov. 15 show at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill. This show in Times Square will feature Rickey on-stage alongside lead guitarist/vocalist Tim Rossi, guitarist/vocalist Rick Krasowski, bassist Brian Carpenter, and drummer Matt Anastasi.
Rickey caught up with Downtown about Blackfoot’s early days in the East Village and what he has coming up for him. More info on Blackfoot can be found at www.blackfootband.com, beyond the group’s official Twitter and Facebook accounts.
Where was the first gig you ever played in New York? What do you remember about it?
Rickey Medlock: I remember we moved from Gainesville, Florida to try and cut product for a record label that was in with CBS. We had a flat in the East Village between 2nd and 3rd Avenue and was finding it was going to be a tougher road that we had thought. After being there, within a week, all of our gear was stolen out of our trailer and we had no equipment or money to even think about buying more. Fortunately, a guy that worked at the label took it upon himself to hook us up with more gear and we were off and running again. Very tough back then for a bunch of Southern boys to come up north and find work at all. But first show was out on Long Island opening for an already-established band called Rhinoceros, who had a hit out on radio at the time. I couldn’t begin to tell you the name of the place, but I remember when we hit the stage I knew that we were a long way from home!
For someone who hasn’t seen you live before, what should they expect from the B.B. King’s show? Entirely new Blackfoot material?
RM: It’s a really cool thing, the band comes out and plays some of the classics and new stuff from the Southern Native CD. They do about 45 minutes or so, and then out of nowhere I come out and join them and play more classics and even some of the new stuff with them. We always plan for a 90-minute show, but once we get going, it usually turns into two hours or more. It is a load of fun!
What’s coming up for you after this tour wraps? Any possibility of Skynyrd returning to New York?
RM: After this show, I will be back south to pursue another project I have in the works, as I am always trying to keep myself busy. As for Skynyrd, we are planning next year and even looking at recording new material and get some new product out, and of course, can’t keep us off the road…
When not busy with your career, how do you like to spend your free time?
RM: I love to fish, always have since I was very young. My grandfather Shorty, who raised me along with my grandmother, always took me fishing and it has followed me my whole life. Other than that, I love staying busy, writing, recording, producing and even dabbling in television.
Finally, Rickey, any last words for the kids?
RM: I get asked quite often, what is the secret to “making it?” My answer is the same as always: “write great songs and follow your heart!” But along with that, you have to have the perseverance to push through hard times, because there WILL BE those no matter even if you have success, so be careful for what you wish for. But, bottom line, it’s great songs that will last forever.
