Vegas & Stuff

I just returned from Las Vegas where I performed two of my first hosting gigs. I must say that even though I was in Sin City for an entire week, I wasn't altogether ready to leave for home at the end of the event.  I had such a great time, and staying at the Venetian made it all the more sweet especially given all the sophisticated shopping and dining available there.  Oh yeah!!...LOL.  It was a little bittersweet however because the last time I stayed at the Venetian Resort and Casino it was Sept. 11, 2001......yeah, that dreaded day, that's where I was, and I hadn't been back until now.  Where were you that day, on Sept.11th?
The Nightclub & Bar show was a blast of course!  I ran into Toby Keith's booth for his new Mezcal, called Wild Shot, and yes, I did a shot but did not, I repeat, did not eat the worm, haha!  The shot did make my throat a little numb but I guess that's to be expected when you're such a light weight type right?  I also ran into Teresa Giudice of Bravo TV's The Real Housewives Of New Jersey, who has a sparkling wine called Fabellini.  It was great to see her and sample her product.  I liked it!  Sometimes for me, it's all about the bubbles.  They often go straight to my head.....Mmmm yummm.  It's pure fun!  There were so many great shows with music to see and hear.  DJ's were scratching, and the music was loud. Strobe lights were flashing and everyone appeared to be having a great time.  It was all audio visual candy.  I fell in love with this band that played 'til late into the night, but all I wanted to do was jump on stage with them and sing along. Yeah right....I'm sure they would have gone for that.  LOL!!  The Wine & Spirits Wholesalers Of America (WSWA) show followed, and that's where I interviewed about 50 different products on video and of course they all wanted me to sample their specialties.  I had terrific fun with that.  Mixologists were mixing all kinds of concoctions for me to try.  My feet were in pain and I think I owe my pedi gal a huge tip for all those extra foot massages she gives me.  My Jimmy Choos were on fire!! Oh my poor feet.  They ached until no end.  I forgot all about the pain once I decided to go shopping at the Christian Louboutin store for my "job well done!" reward.  Yes, I'm very much a girly girl.  A new pair of shoes ALWAYS makes me smile.  I do enjoy my hosting gigs.  It's incredible to be in front of the camera.  I so do love it there.  I'm actually starting  a new magazine and TV show that will focus on eating, drinking, traveling, and socializing.  This is all supplemental to my singing career.  I am in fact going in the studio for the next three days to record what will be my 5th CD.  It will be released as an EP because it was released before but only in Europe.  Now I'm recording and releasing the USA version along with the addition of five brand new tracks that haven't been heard before.  The band is rehearsing regularly and sounding beautiful!!  I'm still looking to fill the spot for a dobro player and pedal steel guitar.  We're getting there!  So far, everybody sounds great!
Yeah, this is me, working hard and feeling so Blessed to be able to do just that.

~ta ta....until next time,

V V

Excited About The Band!!!

Wow!  It's a brand new year and all the celebrations have been had and the decorations have been put away....but my music, my work, my passion, my gift, continues.  What I mean by that is there is no stopping, relaxing and celebrating there!  I've had some vocal rest which is always a good thing for a busy vocalist, but there is really no rest for the weary!  I'm still practicing and rehearsing while the recording studio waits!!  I have 3 full CDs and 2 EPs to record!!  Yikes!!  Did somebody mention vocal rest?  LOL.  The gym hasn't been fun either.  Ugh!  To say the least, I've been a little bit lazy and enjoying myself eating, cooking, and baking EVERYTHING!  However, nothing a few kickboxing and spin classes can't fix.  I must, I must, I must increase my ---- *workouts* Haha!  The great news I have to share with you is, about my band!  I've been compiling my band for a while now and they've been rehearsing, playing, and learning all the songs from my record "Reckless Heart", along with some of the songs from my debut CD, "Vicki Vann", and some material I haven't recorded yet but that I want to put on the next record and include in my live shows.  Hopefully I'll have some dates for all of you soon!  I can't wait, but all in good time.  The players I plan to work with in my band are extremely talented and dedicated to good quality music, excellence, and professionalism.  It's all a very big deal and I'm so thankful to my manager for helping me pull all these guys together!  Whew!  I think you'll be very happy with them and I do hope you can manage to come on out and see a show in the future.   I'll keep you updated.  We have everybody in place except a mandolin/fiddle player and Mr. manager already has someone in mind that we're meeting with next week!  My songs have a lot of mandolin and fiddle...You probably already guessed I really like it that way.  All the players sing background vocals too.  How cool is that!  Oh, and I almost forgot, a pedal steel player. Yeah!  I gotta have one in my band!  My manager plays the banjo and we'll be lucky to get someone who plays the Dobro because I just love the way it sounds immensely, with its tremulous, moaning sound and many of my songs have it.  I'll continue to have fun with my tambourine on stage, a la Stevie Nicks, and I'd say we're just about ready to take this show on the road!I  So, like my daddy used to say, "Whoooaaaaa Nelly!"

I think, it's all gonna be sweet Loves!
Happy New Year!  Muah!

~ta ta....until next time,

V V

Vicki Vann In The Spotlight: Wow! I'm screaming here......!

Vicki Vann In The Spotlight: Wow! I'm screaming here......!: I wrote a brand new song last night, and I can't wait to share it with you!!!! I just needed to go there....songwriting.....right here, rig...

Wow! I'm screaming here......!

I wrote a brand new song last night, and I can't wait to share it with you!!!!  I just needed to go there....songwriting.....right here, right now.  I'm in between albums, currently promoting my most recent release "Reckless Heart".  But I am also in the process of releasing my first two albums officially, "Vicki Vann", which was my self-titled debut album recorded in 2002 independently and has no official release date yet, and "Dream Catcher", my sophomore album from 2005 also having no official release date, until now....hahaha!  I'm soooooooooo excited!  I added 7 brand new, never heard before, tracks to my "Dream Catcher" album, one of which is an original song I wrote while I was still in college!!  My debut album "Vicki Vann" includes a Patsy Cline cover which was one of my very first recordings ever, along with an acoustic track of only guitar and vocals recorded back when I was 17!!  Yikes!  We're talking high school here folks! LOL!  So you have to be SURE and hear some if not all of these songs coming soon, from me to you......why.......?  BECAUSE I LOVE YOU, That's why! ♥ 

Eventually I'll have enough songs that I've written for a complete album or EP, but for now I'm quite content because I have some amazing songs that I have the honor of recording that were written by some of the heaviest of the heaviest hitters in the industry.  Gosh....!! They're just so good, so well written, so much so that I believe we're a match made in heaven.  Everything and every song happens for a reason, and I'm doing my very best to "live" these songs for you so I can deliver them to you, along with my heart and soul, on a silver platter:))  Whew! Oh, I do hope you like!!:)) 

Promotion and Production Mode

It's all about promoting the record right now.  The album is doing well, although it could be doing better but I'm happy with it and how the fans are responding to it so far.  The love affair is still greater in Europe and in Ireland particularly.  This came as a bit of a surprise to me but I welcome it with open arms, and although it's not the land where I was born...I'll take it! Thank you all!!  Most of the promotion includes a mere introduction of my music and the intent to get booked for shows in the coming year.  Fortunately I have my little team of soldiers helping me with that and they all know who they are, but I'm very grateful to all of them.  It does in fact...."Take a village".....and my little village is always hard at work on my behalf!  In addition to getting booked we're hooking up the band with introductions, auditions, and rehearsals.  It's always awkward at first but that all quickly goes away once "the jam" starts.  It's exciting to be able to hand pick the players you want to stand on stage beside you.  So far, that process is going well.  All this at the same time as making "The Video" too.  This will be my first official music video and all I can say is, "Wow!"  I had no idea how much went into the production of a real music video!  I'm in one accord with the entire process from start to finish....How cool is that!  It's incredible to see your idea, your art, your gift, your Baby take on a life of it's own!  It's incredibly empowering and liberating.  I just have a feeling that once I get started, making music videos that is, there will be absolutely no stopping me after that!  I must admit however, I'm a little tired physically and mentally from the day to day process and I haven't even left for the tour yet! Whew!  I know I can do it though....you see, my help and my strength both come from up above.  Amen.
In closing, I'll share with you these chosen words of my inspiration....'Father, thank You for all You have given me, for all You have taught me, and for all the good times still to come.  Amen.'
~ta ta.....until next time,

V V

Thankful and grateful for today! ♥

I grew up with two very strict parents.  I received from my Baptist preacher father strict guide lines such as never allowing me to wear pants or date until I was eighteen (although I talked him into letting me go to the prom with a friend when I was only 15 and my friend was 18.  This is where I learned my persuasive skills.  I also learned how to be a very good actress too, haha! My daddy knew I loved him.  I idolized him.  I just had to do what I had to do, to get what I wanted to get, LOL).  At any rate, I still have issues wearing jeans to this day because I feel it somehow dishonors my dad!  Also daddy said it was imperative that I sing in the church choir and study piano, and from my fashion model, gorgeous mother I received all the class and etiquette training of walking, talking, standing, and sitting properly, along with Beauty 101 on all fronts, but on both their efforts the universal gift that they gave me was the gift of gratitude..... and the mere expression of it.  It was something in my household that went along with brushing your teeth or having a sandwich.  It was just a daily occurrence that was practiced right along with prayer before meals, and prayers before bedtime.  However, this gift of gratitude stuck.  It stuck with me as a core part of my life.  It has remained with me and I must practice it daily right along with prayer and meditation in order for me to feel my life is purposeful and in existence.  In other words, it makes me feel alive to be appreciative.  So at this time, right here and now, I wish to enthusiastically and wholeheartedly extend a very, very special thank you:

As I sit here and blog while listening to songs that I plan to record for my next record, and yes, I'm beginning to plan the next record even though my last record was just released 8 weeks ago yesterday, I have to stop and reflect upon the events of the past few days.  I am so thankful and grateful to The Senior Vice President of The Grace Bardin Collection, USA Division, Robin Richey, and to the owner of The Grace Bardin Fashion Ensemble based in London, UK, the very lovely and talented Grace Bardin for choosing me to be the spokesmodel and representative for the clothing line here in The United States!  I am so very honored and I eagerly look forward to all our future endeavors together.  I thank our Heavenly Father for sending you to me.  I feel He has already Blessed our project(s), and anything beyond this point is just more of His abundant favor that He has waiting for us.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart! ♥ 
Now, let's get to work!  Haha!  I have a million ideas for the clothing line, and working it into my photo shoots, stage performances around the world, and the upcoming videos that we're working on!  Wow!!  Can you say....umm....'Elated!'...but only for lack of a better word.  However still, 'thankful, and grateful'.
I can't wait to share with you the first official piece that we unveil from this partnership to show the world....'We're comin' atcha!  Look out!!
Oh please do stay tuned...and check back.  I wouldn't want you to dare miss it!!

~ta ta.....until next time,

V V

Viva My Beloved July!

I've always loved the month of July!  It's my birthday month, yay, yay yeah, and it's the birthday of my beloved country, and I do love my country!  I fly the USA flag proudly outside my front door throughout the year at different times, but I continuously fly the flag from the end of May for Memorial Day throughout June for flag day and throughout my beloved July of course for Independence Day on the 4th, and my birthday on the 14th.  Two weeks into July I also like to fly the French flag for France because my birthday which is the 14th of July, is Independence Day in France, or as it is known, Bastille Day, or The Day of The Bastille, le 14 Juillet.  Fireworks go off in Paris and the beautiful Eiffel Tower lights up in a spectacular red white and blue display.  It's breathtaking!  Also, the French flag is symbolic of tracing my family tree back to France, circa 1600, at which time my paternal family originated by my family name Turnbach, which eventually came to be spelled Turnbough, and also at which time began the emigration here to North America. Thanks Ancestry.com!  LOL.  You see, once a teacher, always a teacher...yep, that's me!  Haha!  At any rate, I do enjoy celebrating it all and I like to go about the house singing all my favorite French songs like "La Vie En Rose", and "C'est Si Bon" along with Céline Dion's "Vole".

As for my birthday plans, well I'm so crazy busy right now, but I know I'll probably go to one of my favorite restaurants here locally, Roy's Restaurant which is Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine, 'Aloha and Mahalo to you'.  I'm looking forward to eating there, and I'm really looking forward to my birthday celebration with friends and family!  I'm going to make a point of it this week, my birthday week, to practice being "STRONG, LOVING, AND POWERFUL; and my subconscious will expand to include these things in my attitudinal repertoire  - Marianne Williamson.
More about my birthday celebration later.....:)) Joyeux anniversaire à moi!

~ta ta....until next time,

V V