Interview: Aaron: You have something to tell everyone?

John: Yes, I have been hiding something for about a year.

Aaron: What’s that?

John: Let me start at the beginning. Last January, “2000” I flew out of Newark airport in Jersey, to go to Holland and sign the Majestic contract. I was with my mother, and my friend Jerome and Kevin. Anyhow, as we were going through security, we were behind this girl with bright pink hair. I thought nothing of it except that I could feel her ego, not the bad kind, but the kind when you can tell that a person is focused on something. She walked down the hall way so fast, that all I could do was just stare at her hair. Before I knew it, she was gone. As we went to go sit at the gate, I went for a quick smoke break at the bar, and saw a women on a cell phone talking very loudly about jumping a motorcycle though a window for a music video. This got my attention. When She was done with her call, I introduced myself and asked her about the music video. She told me that her client was going to be the next Madonna. She gave me the black and white of her client. We then exchanged business cards and went about our ways. I left for Holland.

Aaron: John, what was the name of her client?

John: P!NK

Aaron: So this was her manager?

John: Yes, Donna Wright.

Aaron: What happened next??

John: After I got back from Holland, I went to my local music album dealer and looked up P!NK. Nothing. I called my local radio station. Nothing. I researched all the popular music sites on the net. Nothing. I then checked out her web site pinkspage.com There was some info about her, but nothing real big at the time. However, her audio samples were on fire!!!!! She could vocally thrown down like I never heard!!!!! Her intonation, her syncopation, her range and the energy coming out this girls music gave me goose bumps the very first time!!!!!

Aaron: John, calm down, what happened next?

John: I sent her an email through her fan mail. I waited. On March 04th and 10th , I got an email back from her.

Aaron: John can we copy n paste them for this interview?

John: No, they are quiet personal to me. But in a nutshell, she said I sounded very professional and she asked if I would be interested in joining a live band of hers that she was going to be putting together in the near future.

Aaron: How did you respond?

John: I told her I was more interested. I even told her that I believed in her so much that I would invest what I could into her. I didn’t know that she was already signed and ready to be distributed and shelved.

Aaron: Signed? Shelved?

John: She was recently signed to LaFace records and her album “Can’t Take Me Home,” was to be released in stores on April 4th, 2000.

Aaron: What’s the next big event?

John: Well, I was quite excited that her music was going to be heard all over the world. I didn’t hear back for awhile, so I assumed that she just found someone else on drums and moved on. My spirits were lifted when my step-brother called and told me that she was on MTV buzzworthy and there was no band. I was just about jumping around house. Then I heard from her again……

Aaron: About?

John: Well, she said that she just got back from Amsterdam, and that she would be opening for Nsync for three months. She said that they didn’t allow live music for opening acts, and that after the tour she would rehearse the entire month of August with a band. She said she would keep in touch and thanked me for my patience.

Aaron: What happened next?

John: Well, I was awestruck with her summer gig, and I asked if she could get me in to see her at Hershey, which was the last date of the tour. I waited. On July 03, I heard from her again. She asked If I was still interested in coming to the Hershey show. I said yes.

Aaron: So you went to see her at Hershey?

John: Yes, but I went to a smaller gig or hers in Philly out of the blue on July 20th . She was doing her home show at a local club of hers after her gig at the Spectrum. I found out about the Gig, and went down. She was supposed to perform around 10:00pm or so and didn’t do her 2 numbers until about 12:30pm. Let me just say that this club was so packed that they had to open up the big bay doors to let in some fresh air. It was well over 125 degrees and well over fire limit regulations for maximum person capacity, but we all waited for P!NK. She came on and sang her 2 numbers, Oh my, she was fantastic. All my doubt about her being one of those fabricated artists was gone. She threw down in a major way!

Aaron: So when you were done you went home?

John: Nope. I used my emails and got back stage. She wasn’t expecting me till the Hershey show, so it took quite a bit of work to get back their, but I got in.

Aaron: You got back stage to see P!NK?

John: Yeah, you think I would just leave and tell her how good she was on email?

Aaron: Then what?

John: A strict women brought me back to the VIP area. Man this place was decked out with food and everything, wow. Anyhow, I was brought up to where she was, and in front of her was two “BIG” bodyguards. Before I even knew what was going on, P!NK was informed that I was here to see her, and she sat up from signing autographs and came though her “BIG” bodyguards, and she hugged me! I know it was professional, but she was actually excited to see me! Anyhow, I gave my sincere regards about her performance and I shifted the topic of conversation to the live band she was going to put together. She informed me that she was going to be promoting another single from her album after the Nsync tour, and the band would not start now until November. We talked a little about what she was looking for in the band, and then I asked her to sign the back of my emails with were stapled together and folded in my back pocket. She wrote me a message, and then I told her I would be going. I did not want to wear out my welcome, and she had a lot of fans to talk to. She told me I would find my tickets for the Hershey Show at “Will Call.” I said good-bye and left with my spirits lifted a great deal.

Aaron: What happened at the Hershey Show?

John: On July 30th, I went with my cousin Tom, who is an incredible musician from Long Island, New York. We got there early and waited for the guest list to arrive. It didn’t get at the ticket window until the last minute, but when it was there, I showed my ID, got our tickets, and went inside. I couldn’t believe the number of people that paid to get into that show. I found her one body guard/new manager, Mark. He remembered me from the show 10 days prior and informed me to wait at one location, and he would let me back when she was done with her gig. We were given wonderful seats, but Tom didn’t want to have all those wonderful screaming kids all round him, so we watched from the side. I still rag on him because P!NK came up the isle during her gig and we would have been right there in good viewing position. There was also a crew filming for the Nsync movie, and I still wonder if that clip would have been in there.

Aaron: Spilt milk, go on…

John: After she was done, “she rocked,” we got back stage where all the buses were, and sat at a table area with other fans. She came our way and Tom and I just sat there, and waited for her to finish with the other people she was talking with. It was down to us and Mark asked if she remembered me, she said yes and she came over “ I was still sitting down,” and she gave me a big bear hug, it was so cool. We stood up, I introduced Tom and we chatted about the band right away. She asked a question that still sticks in my head. “How did you like the album?” I was honest and I told her that the pre-recorded music backing her up just did not kick it well. I remember being very sincere about the way that I responded. She informed me, that it would be my job to do so when the band starts. She also told me I would be the first one called in when it starts. I gave her my master CD from a project I had done about 8 months before that. I forgot to make a copy, so she has my master, still. I had bought a cheap disposable camera and we had pictures taken with her. With low lights in the dark, they never came out, but it’s ok because the memories are in my heart.

Aaron: Didn’t you tell me she gave you a nic name?

John: Yes, besides my real name, she had written on the ticket envelope, “Jonathan President.” I figure it was a cross from a variation on my first name, and the first part of my email address.

Aaron: When did you hear from her next?

John: September 15, she told me she was in complete promo mode over seas and that she would let me know what’s going with the band project as she finds out.

Aaron: I take it the band didn’t start in November?

John: No, she’s been milking out her album by promoting more singles than expected. She’s been riding a good promotional wave considering she’s sold more than 2 million albums alone in the US, and she’s been nominated in just about every possible major award ceremony. As a matter of fact, she just performed for the American Music Awards not too long ago. She’s well known now.

Aaron: So have you heard from her since?

John: Actually, I just heard from her father on January 17th. He told me that the initial plans for putting together the band have not yet materialized and they would let me know what the story is as soon as they know.

Aaron: You’ve been holding this information in for this long?

John: A few of her fans have known, but for the most part I’ve kept this story a secret for a year now.

Aaron: Why tell us now?

John: Since I heard from her father, my spirits have been once again lifted, and I feel I should let everyone know that I’m on the “verge” of landing a really great job. Things look very positive. It’s a lot of faith on my part, but I hold her promise true to me. Even if she wasn’t a huge hit, I would still want to be her drummer, because P!NK is a great performer. I do feel that God has crossed our paths as a musical fate. My faith right now is at an all time high in my life for this reason alone. How many people does this happen to? I thank God everyday just for even putting me in this situation, no matter how stressful it is.

Aaron: Can you imagine what the gig will be like?

John: Yes, I have thought about it a lot. Last March, I thought about the scenario of moving in with the band in some run down apartment, working some day job just to float the cost of living and paying for rehearsal space, studio time, cd production and duplication, not to mention getting the project off the ground playing locally and working on a dream that the band could really make it. Now, I think about getting the call, packing my stuff and going wherever I need to go to get started. I dream about collaborating on what will make her music even more successful, rehearsing it, recording it, and touring to promote the cd. I dream about playing in packed stadiums, making sure that every gig runs as smooth as humanly possible. I dream about playing everyday, and helping my family out back home. Most of all, I dream about hearing P!NK sing everyday. Even though I would be her drummer, I would always be a fan, because she is just that good!

Aaron: Anything else?

John: Yes, I dream about the possibility of performing a drum set solo every gig, and when people ask me about my background, Drum Corps training will get the highest level of endorsement possible from my heart.

As of 4-20-01, I have forwarded my P!NK demos CD's to as many important places as I felt needed to try and get an update from her. I have also within the last 6 months or so, made postive contacts with a large number of her fan site and fan club webmasters, and when they heard about my demos, they all wanted to hear them, and before I knew it, I was and still on this date, big news on all the major P!NK fan sites and clubs linked to her site. I must be pretty loud at this point. I hope it's taken as a postive attempt to hear an update from her.

4-12-01 I have completed my P!NK demo, and released the links to the MP3s for everyone to listen to. While the original idea, was to record "There You Go", "Most Girls", and "You Make Me Sick" live with no vocals, I decided to make it purely a drum demo, with P!NK's music in the background. The demo came out way better than expected, actually, it sounds exceptional, and was recorded on a Radar 24 Bit 96 KHZ system, which is the top system of its kind in the recording industry. We hope you enjoy his demos. Below the links, is the letter that is on the back of the CD going to P!NK.

My P!NK Demo

4-12-01

I'm surprized how good this turned out, considering it's just me and the CD!

John Donovan - drums

There You Go

I love the groove on this one, I really do.

Most Girls

Check out how cool I made the intro!

You Make Me Sick

I can't help but love that most of the crashs are on beat 2 :).

P!NK, This has been a great year for you, and an interesting one for me. By some wierd stroke of luck and fate, our paths crossed. January of 2000, you walked in front of me at Newark Airport in security, and I got to talk with Donna later on. I emailed you when I got home from Holland, asking if you needed a drummer. You emailed back, asking if I was indeed interested. During our correspondences, we met twice during the summer of 2000. The month that your band was supposed to start was August, and then you pushed it back to November. I haven't heard from you since September. I have in front of me, positive emails, and memories of our two meetings discussing the plans with the band. If you can call, write or email me with some sort of update, or rejection, it would mean a great deal to me, so I know what's going on. Thank you and God Bless. God's Speed, 1-570-476-5761 president@majesticdrumline.com

UPDATE 7-26-01 Dear P!nk, I know now from talking with ex-celebrities and other professionals in the music business that at your level of exposure, you may not have the option of getting in touch with me, other old friends, or even immediate members of your family, let alone doing what you want, or saying what's even on your mind and doing things YOUR way. This means that there is a great chance that you actually might not be happy with the environment around you at this time, meaning that you are just a puppet on strings, at the mercy of your new management. With this in mind, I've accepted that I may not hear from you in the near future, but in the chance that you actually get a moment of freedom and read this, please know that I am here for you not only as a drummer, but as a friend for life. As a friend, I will always be here for you, unlike a lot of people around you right now that are just trying to make money off of you and don't even care what YOU want. You may not have a choice in ignoring where you have come from and whom you have personally interacted with and made promises and agreements with, on the way to where you are now, but the real people that matter in your life, will always be here for you, no matter what happens. As for how real I am for you, my intentions are most sincere, as I am hoping yours still are somewhere inside of you. Even if it's ten years from now, and you're broke living in a homeless shelter, I'm here for you. As I've told you before, if you got dropped off the roller coaster ride tomorrow and were back home at dads, I would be there with my drums in the back of my van, ready to give you a reality check, and lift you up once again. Musically, you complete a part of my soul that no money in the world, no matter how large, can fill. I still feel that our paths crossed as musical fate. If it means that I'll be backing you up in some redneck pub in ten years, so be it, I will be happy. I would rather back you up in a packed stadium, but God works in mysterious ways, and I am willing to accept his path for the both of us. Money can't buy happiness. I feel in my soul that you are starting to find this out now. God's Speed, John Donovan 1-570-476-5761 president@majesticdrumline.com

UPDATE 10-08-01 My Second P!NK Demo

10-08-01

This didn't take long at all to map out, and lay down

John Donovan - drums

Get This Party Started

It's fun to sing along with!

Get This Party Started; Just Drums

I'd love to play with a band that takes things are serious as I do, and still have fun with it :)

All I want is a fair shot. P!NK, you said I would be the first in. I'm praying you were sincere about that, and act upon it. I have been supporting you for almost 2 years now, im not a starrider :)

Alecia "P!NK" Moore