I had just found out about JPFOLKS, through Karen Angela Moore. As I was reading thru the boards, I came upon an article from a Publisher in L.A., saying his company was looking to acquire song catologs.

I had been "shopping" several songs for some two years at the time, with some limited success, so I packed up about 25 songs and sent them to L.A.. After a couple weeks of hearing nothing back, I really just forgot about it.

I was watching "The Soup Nazi" episode of "Seinfeld" when the phone rang. Cookie, my wife, answered the phone, and said, "Some guy wants you. Something about a song...or somethin'." I was pissed! My favorite episode...interupted!

I said, "Yes???". The voice came back, saying,"Two questions: Who is singing "If My Heart Had My Memory", and who wrote the song?" I said, "Its my wife, and I wrote it. Who is this?"
The man on the other end of the line introduced himself as David Mahon, a partner with a Publishing Co. in L.A. called SoundSensation Music. He'd had an article in JPF looking for songs, and finally came upon the batch I'd sent him. They were interested.
"Yeah...right! Now tell me...who the f... is this!?" I was sure someone, a friend, was pulling my chain with this, and the two "toughs" were just about to carry off Elain's armoir on "Seinfeld".
"I can assure you",he said, "I couldn't be any more serious!" He then read me back the special code number I put on the package I'd sent, so, reluctantly, I turned off the T.V.
"So...you like it, huh?" I said. "We LOVE it!", he said.

For some inexplicable reason...unknown to me then, and now, I said, "Did you listen to cut 9 on the Compilation I sent?". And this is the "bittersweet" of the entire saga, for, with that question, fate turned her back on a possible deal for Cookie. This man was in love with her voice and her material...quite interested in talking contracts/recording/and managing deals...untill I mentioned "cut 9" on The Compilation.

As fate stepped in, and had her way, he played cut 9. It was Michael Mason, singing "Cape Lonely". I heard, over the phone, the song play all the way through. It played again...and again...and again. And, at that point, my heart sank for Cookie, cause I knew what had happened.
The same question, spoken about two octaves higher, came back: Who's singing...who wrote it? I gave David the skinny. Michael had "demo'd" the song for me, and I put it on a compilation of other songs I'd written.

In two weeks, Michael Mason had a deal, I had a damn nice check for the Publishing rights to the song, AND a STAFFWRITER'S GIG. There have been a mess of bumps and grinds along the way, these past two years...it ain't all been roses, I can assure you. But, from an article in JPFOLKS, the following has occured:

Michael got signed to Eidetic Records/Nashville.

Jim Heffernan, who produced "Cape Lonely" is now Producer, and/or co-Producer of Michael's ENTIRE CD, "For All Its Worth", and President of A&R for Eidetic Records.

"Cape Lonely"(finished 6th in the JPF Song Contest, COUNTRY CATAGORY) has charted, Nationally, and Internationally, and reached #31 on MUSIC ROW's COUNTRY BREAKOUT CHART. It has been #1 in several markets across the country.

It has recently been released on 3 KARAOKE CD's.

Michael is currently on a U.S. Tour, and doing GREAT!!!

My son, Jason Pedersen, has been hired to design and program Michael's and Eidetic Records entire web pages, and is now in Nashville, and on the tour, doing his job.

Cookie is recording an album of JAZZ-VOCALS entitled, "You And I", and its due to be released in Jan. Sometimes, I look at her, and my eyes fill up, and I get a lump in my throat. What if....what if...? I'll never know. But, she's a tough gal, from the mean streets of Philly, originally, and has picked up and moved on with her career.
I just wish I had that night back again.

SO MANY, MANY, MANY LIVES HAVE BEEN CHANGED...from a single article...in JPFOLKS!


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Paul evans Pedersen, Jr.

Paul Evans Pedersen, Jr.
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=527503