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by Jean Violet (Author), Aaron Joy (Author)
Once upon a time I wanted to be this rock star. That guy on MTV and on the radio. Well, I did, sorta. I'm not on MTV, nor on the radio, but I did figure out a way to make music, do what I love, pay the bills and have a fulfilling life. I may not quite be the rock star I dreamed of, but I'm in the shadow of rock star gods, in more ways than one. I get to play one and play on the same stages with them, hang out with them, and sometimes be treated as one of them, and I had my time signed to a label and touring with them on two continents. This is my rock'n'roll journey of how I've spent over 20 years playing Robert Plant on stage with the tribute band Kashmir, alongside Andy Urban, Paul Cooper and Zebra's Felix Hanemann. Tribute bands are an unsung part of the music world whose backstage story rarely gets told. This is my experience growing the band from New York City clubs to Madison Square Garden to theaters across America, while growing as a person and a singer. Its the highs and lows of the music business, the tragedies and successes, the unexpected adventures and missed opportunities, the huge egos and humbling learning experiences. Its working with famous people like manager Don Hills and Kix's Jimi K. Bones, touring with Ratt's Stephen Pearcy and Carmine Appice, to getting a reality check from Little Steven. It is also the path that led me to Kashmir, including the bands, making music in Japan, day jobs and family issues, to burning out and being burned by folks I thought were friends. And, here's the irony of it all ... I didn't even like Led Zeppelin when I was growing up. Yet, somehow I made it from A to Zeppelin.
