Maurice Benard, Neil Peart, Micky Dolenz, Max and me!

June 11/11

Woke up this morning with the Intensity Entity within, just raging. Swear I can't figure out where all this energy is flowing from. It feels the way I would IMAGINE the high highs feel for those who suffer from manic depression/bipolar disorder.

Several times through the years, I've interviewed Maurice Benard (one of my favourite actors on General Hospital. - He plays sizzling, smouldering mob man "Sonny Corinthos'). In 1996, Maurice became one of the first Hollywood stars to speak publically about his personal experience with manic depression/bipolar disorder. He's helped many people by going public with his story and becoming a spokesperson for the cause.

Maurice Benard
He spoke to me about it during a visit to Toronto when he came to be part of a soap opera festival at Canada's Wonderland.

Interviewing GH stars at Canada's Wonderland - Left to right: Brad Maule ("Dr. Tony Jones") Billy Warlock ("A.J. Quartermaine") me, Maurice Benard ("Sonny Corinthos"), Wally Kurth ("Ned Ashton")
Maurice talked about the time before going on medication (Lithium), when he said his mind was racing 100 miles an hour and he felt almost as though he was going to explode due to so much emotion and energy. He admitted the high he got from it was like a drug. But the manic highs were always followed by deep depression.

Several times, he decided to take a risk and go off the medication because he felt fine, but also because he often missed the highs, the frenzied rapture. But each time he went drug-free, he would spiral out of control. He now says he's on the medication for life.


Click here to see Maurice in conversation about his battle with bipolar disorder
I don't believe I share a situation with Maurice, but I sure can relate to feeling excess energy and a kind of motor revving inside, ever since starting recovery from the breast cancer surgery. I can also relate to the notion of missing the highs. Strange as it is to feel this rush coursing through my body, it is an incredible energy level to live with and I'm sure I WILL "miss it", (if it ever dissipates).

At any rate, while sitting at the computer, checking a few things out, I ran across something that temporarily fed the cravings of Intensity Entity, courtesy of Neil Peart of RUSH.

I've been a fan of drumming all my life. (not DOING it, just listening). Even moreso, since my son, Max, (16) became a drummer six years ago.

Max, drumming at Rock & Roll Heaven - (during his fire engine red hair phase!)
Our house ia always buzzing with the sound of rock drumming from the basement. He is an amazing musician and extremely dedicated and devoted to practicing daily. He loves to play and I wonder, if drumming will be his life's passion and work in the future.


Basement Scene - Bandmates - Emmett Webb, Max Bornstein, Charles Wilson perform original song, Oh No at The Velvet Underground

My own love for drums began with Micky Dolenz of The Monkees! I wanted to become a drummer after seeing him in action, but never had the talent, so it makes me very happy to watch my son carrying out that early dream of mine.

Micky sure was cute!
On Thursday night, Neil Peart, considered by many to be the world's best rock drummer, was Dave Letterman's final guest on "Drum solo week" and gave a fantastic, (and yes, very intense), performance. Astounding to watch! If you're a drum fan, you have to check it out!



Yesterday, I wrote about "dead air." Here is CBC's George Stroumboulopoulos (in my opinion, the best showbiz interviewer in Canada) in conversation with Neil Peart about the current RUSH tour in which the band performs all the songs from their iconic album, Moving Pictures. This is a perfect example of a "NO DEAD AIR", in-depth conversation. Engrossing from beginning to end. George asks Neil to break down the Moving Pictures album, track by track.

Click here to see Neil Peart in conversation with George Stroumboulopoulos!

Neil not only has a beautiful speaking voice, but to hear how his mind works and races, the flow of his stories about the 30th anniversary of this album, the passion he feels for his work after 40 years - just phenomenal.

I've never heard a musician articulate feelings and emotions quite so clearly in a stream of consciousness way. During the course of the interview, he covers the state of mind the band members were in when they wrote the songs for Moving Pictures at Ronnie Hawkins' farm in Peterborough, the band's many influences, the organic, improvisational way the record was put together, his lyricism imagery, emotional crescendos in their music, how he uses personal experiences to put thoughts into images, the discipline it takes to be a truly great drummer, the way he works every day to maintain the strength, power, accuracy and speed of his drumming and the inner workings of the band. Every word fascinating.

Now I want to go listen to the album in a new context. (Maybe that will placate the revving of Intensity Entity for a while!)