When we arrived at the Harmony, there were a few people already there. By the end of the night, the room was PACKED. I don't know that I've ever worked with such a well-loved band. I don't know how long they spent after the party signing CDs, though I do know they sold well over 100 copies that night alone (after selling 70+ at the festival). It was a great night for the guys, and I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to be there for and with them. We had 105.5 WMMM MD Gabby Parsons there to announce the band, and it was just a special night all the way around. It was an experience I won't soon forget.
As if all that hoopla wasn't enough to hold me for a while, in October Georgia and I drove up to Evansville, IN and Paducah, KY to meet with the band. Typically, when I travel to Madison, there's little time for formal meetings, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to do that, as well as to see the guys perform. About halfway through the show at Lamasco in Evansville when the guys took a break, we received word that the band had been placed on the ballot for two 2012 Grammy nominations: Best Blues Album and Best New Artist. We didn't think a whole lot about that because we knew our chances were slim (and none) of making it onto the final ballot. Be that as it may, however, I decided to do a bit of campaigning, and the guys made the second round. That was pretty cool. Though they didn't make the final ballot, just thinking that an unknown band with two albums under their belts made the second round was pretty damned huge.
We had been pretty happy with the way things had transpired this year, and then, out of the blue, we found out that the CD was up for Best Self-Produced CD with the Blues Foundation. Yes, THE Blues Foundation. Of course, it was up with 73 other CDs, so we didn't think much more about it. As a member of the Blues Foundation, I receive emails from the Foundation that keep all of us up to date with happenings. That email contained a link to the 30 CDs that had made the first cut in the Best Self-Produced CD category, so I figured I'd check it out, right? Well, lo' and behold, "10:49" was among the remaining 30 CDs vying for the title. Well, we were just tickled pink! Sorry--I know that was bad, but I'm trying to get across how excited we were. Through it all, however, Aaron has remained grounded and very grateful for all the attention the CD is getting. He and I often reminisce about the fact that neither of us thought this CD would be "the one" but hoped it would be "a step in the right direction." I would say at this point that our initial assessment was very true. :)
As we move to the close of 2011, I'm reflecting on the year. It has been a great year for Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo. My job is to keep it moving in the right direction. The guys are all ready to do that, and I'm already working on things that I hope to bring to fruition in 2012. I think that with a little luck, some huge blessings from above, and our continued hard work, we might just see that happen. So, here's to 2011 and looking forward to 2012. As I reflect, I can't think of a thing I would change. I love my boys, especially Aaron, who has become one of my best friends. It's great to have people in your life that you can rely on, but it's even better to have those people rely on you. I hope I don't disappoint them.
