Music for the People & With the People
Freddy's Story
In 2005, after two years interning at Sony Music (one of their youngest intern ever) in New York, 18-year old Freddy decided to present his own song to the big wigs he'd gotten to know. They laughed at him and told him to get back to his "real job", alphabetizing CD's and answering fan mail on behalf of artists. Incredibly, six months later, that song triggered a fierce bidding war among record labels and in the end, landed him the single largest recording contract of the year.
Against his parents' sound advice, he signed the deal, dropped out of school at the University of Pennsylvania and moved to Los Angeles. For the next two months, Freddy got a taste of what its like to be a star. He became "A-list" for parties with the biggest names in music. Established famous musicians were clamoring for the chance to be on his album. He took up residence in the swanky Peninsula Hotel and routinely was flown across the country on private jets.
Then without warning, a voice mail message changed his life completely and profoundly. The record company had merged with another, and "nothing personal," he was unceremoniously dumped. Just two months after signing the year's biggest record deal, Freddy was out. His confidence shaken but not destroyed, he approached the five major record labels who just months before had been fighting feverishly for the right to represent him. Incredibly, one by one, each of them passed on their second chance at a breakthrough artist. The stigma of being "dropped", combined with the delicate egos of record executives who couldn't stomach "sloppy seconds" had killed his chances of getting another contract.
Shocked by his sudden change of fortune and depressed to be 3,000 miles from home and all his friends, Freddy became despondent. He suffered panic attacks, surrendered to depression, and took to his bed. As his world darkened, he began seeing a psychiatrist who prescribed mood-altering drugs. "It was the only way I could get through the day. I was shocked by what had happened and I was also really embarrassed," Freddy remembers. "I hadn't done a good job keeping up with friends back home and I was too embarrassed to reach out to them when I really needed them. That's a lesson I will never forget."
Checking his long-neglected Myspace account one day, Freddy's attitude was buoyed by a few inspiring emails from cyber-fans around the world. When his mom and dad showed up at his doorstep without warning, Freddy agreed to come home and get back on track. He moved back to Pennsylvania and re-enrolled in college (where he had a 4.0 GPA). He focused on writing more songs and performing more at small shows around campus. The word started to get out. Fueled in part by the anger over how he had been romanced and then unceremoniously dumped, Freddy pursued his dream with new fervor. In the four months that followed, he racked up an incredible 2.6 MILLION plays on Myspace. He did it with no label, no management, no publicist, and no money.
While enrolled full-time in an Ivy League college, Freddy garnered the attention and support of Maroon 5, Good Charlotte, and Buckcherry. He headlined the entire CMJ Music Marathon and music magazines began calling, wondering how an unknown artist had garnered so much attention. When Dancing with the Stars bought his song "Dance" for their entire spring season promo, Freddy finally allowed himself to imagine a second chance. "I believed in myself enough to know that I might get another shot," Freddy said, "but the thought of signing on with another record company brought back so many bad memories. I was really conflicted about what to do."
Among the visitors to his Myspace music site was a self-proclaimed "music fanatic" who also happens to host the largest syndicated Top 40 radio show in America.
Kidd Kraddick's daily morning show from Dallas is heard in over seventy cities across the country. He's won every imaginable award for radio including the coveted Marconi, and his show is heard by two-million listeners a week. He explained what got him to Freddy's site that first time. "I started a new feature on the show called 'Music That Makes You Cooler'," Kraddick explained, "so I started rooting around Myspace and other sites looking for bands or artists to bring to the show."
When he heard Freddy's song, "Defying Gravity", he knew he had happened upon something special. "I couldn't believe that someone this good wasn't signed to a recording contract," Kraddick recounted. "I Google-Imaged him and all these pictures came up of Freddy with big music stars. It didn't make sense to me. How did this kid with no recording contract get into all these parties? How did he get over two million plays on his songs?" Finally, Kraddick's curiosity got the best of him. "First I sent him a couple of messages from an anonymous account, praising his talent and asking him why he didn't have a record deal. Finally, after a couple weeks, I shot him an email and gave him my number. " After a two-hour conversation with the student turned rockstar turned student, Kraddick was convinced he had stumbled onto something special. "At first, my urge was to put one of his songs on the show immediately," Kraddick said, "but I held back and developed an idea that had been in the back of my mind for awhile."
The idea was to give Freddy a second chance. "I'm a sucker for the underdog," Kraddick admitted. "Radio isn't an easy business either and I remember people telling me at the beginning of my career that I didn't have the voice for it and I should make other plans. I could totally relate to what happened to him and I just realized that I couldn't sit back and do nothing. He's too talented and too deserving of another chance for me to just ignore him."
The two would talk on the phone occasionally, and Kraddick would offer encouragement and advice. "He told me not to drop out of school no matter what," Freddy recounted. "That's what impressed me right off the bat." Freddy found Kidd to be a valuable "fan", especially when he started bringing other people into the process..."people like him who just wanted to help."
Freddy confessed that in the back of his mind he was somewhat skeptical. "He's been a huge advocate, ya know? I have to admit that after what I've been through I was kind of sitting back waiting for him to tell me what he hoped to gain from this." Freddy laughs as he adds, "but that day still hasn't come."
On Friday April 25th, Kidd called Freddy live on the air and offered him the chance to perform on Kidd Kraddick in the Morning in Dallas. "Our show has been lucky enough to book the biggest music superstars for unplugged performances", Kraddick said. "I decided to offer Freddy the same stage that had seen the likes of Bon Jovi, Maroon Five, Destiny's Child, and pretty much everybody who matters in music." (Two days before he made the call to Freddy, Kraddick spent twenty minutes with Madonna talking about her new album.)
Trying to temper his obvious excitement, Freddy explained his dilemma to Kidd and the audience. If he misses school, his parents will freak out and cut off his allowance. "I already owe them a ton of money from the last disaster... I couldn't ask them for more. This was NOT going to be the best news they'd ever heard," Freddy joked.
Kidd's response? "Then get in your car and drive, man!" On the fly, the show dreamed up a plan for Freddy to get to Dallas. He would load up a truck with a keyboard and an amp and "play his way" from New York to Dallas. Just like that, Freddy's "Gas Money Tour" was born. The 21-year-old UPENN student would spend the following week bouncing from Kidd Kraddick in the Morning affiliate stations across the country, performing in parking lots and begging for gas money. "I would walk to Dallas for the chance to play over all those stations, " Freddy said. But what about Kidd's condition that he stay in school? "I worked it out with my professors that I can email my work in that week," Freddy said. "The biggest hurdle was getting my parents to let me do this again. The last time turned out really bad so they are understandably concerned that I'm not heading down the same path."
Will Freddy make it to Dallas and re-start a promising career? Tune into Kidd Kraddick in the Morning to find out, and watch the daily "webisodes" on www.kiddlive.com
Against his parents' sound advice, he signed the deal, dropped out of school at the University of Pennsylvania and moved to Los Angeles. For the next two months, Freddy got a taste of what its like to be a star. He became "A-list" for parties with the biggest names in music. Established famous musicians were clamoring for the chance to be on his album. He took up residence in the swanky Peninsula Hotel and routinely was flown across the country on private jets.
Then without warning, a voice mail message changed his life completely and profoundly. The record company had merged with another, and "nothing personal," he was unceremoniously dumped. Just two months after signing the year's biggest record deal, Freddy was out. His confidence shaken but not destroyed, he approached the five major record labels who just months before had been fighting feverishly for the right to represent him. Incredibly, one by one, each of them passed on their second chance at a breakthrough artist. The stigma of being "dropped", combined with the delicate egos of record executives who couldn't stomach "sloppy seconds" had killed his chances of getting another contract.
Shocked by his sudden change of fortune and depressed to be 3,000 miles from home and all his friends, Freddy became despondent. He suffered panic attacks, surrendered to depression, and took to his bed. As his world darkened, he began seeing a psychiatrist who prescribed mood-altering drugs. "It was the only way I could get through the day. I was shocked by what had happened and I was also really embarrassed," Freddy remembers. "I hadn't done a good job keeping up with friends back home and I was too embarrassed to reach out to them when I really needed them. That's a lesson I will never forget."
Checking his long-neglected Myspace account one day, Freddy's attitude was buoyed by a few inspiring emails from cyber-fans around the world. When his mom and dad showed up at his doorstep without warning, Freddy agreed to come home and get back on track. He moved back to Pennsylvania and re-enrolled in college (where he had a 4.0 GPA). He focused on writing more songs and performing more at small shows around campus. The word started to get out. Fueled in part by the anger over how he had been romanced and then unceremoniously dumped, Freddy pursued his dream with new fervor. In the four months that followed, he racked up an incredible 2.6 MILLION plays on Myspace. He did it with no label, no management, no publicist, and no money.
While enrolled full-time in an Ivy League college, Freddy garnered the attention and support of Maroon 5, Good Charlotte, and Buckcherry. He headlined the entire CMJ Music Marathon and music magazines began calling, wondering how an unknown artist had garnered so much attention. When Dancing with the Stars bought his song "Dance" for their entire spring season promo, Freddy finally allowed himself to imagine a second chance. "I believed in myself enough to know that I might get another shot," Freddy said, "but the thought of signing on with another record company brought back so many bad memories. I was really conflicted about what to do."
Among the visitors to his Myspace music site was a self-proclaimed "music fanatic" who also happens to host the largest syndicated Top 40 radio show in America.
Kidd Kraddick's daily morning show from Dallas is heard in over seventy cities across the country. He's won every imaginable award for radio including the coveted Marconi, and his show is heard by two-million listeners a week. He explained what got him to Freddy's site that first time. "I started a new feature on the show called 'Music That Makes You Cooler'," Kraddick explained, "so I started rooting around Myspace and other sites looking for bands or artists to bring to the show."
When he heard Freddy's song, "Defying Gravity", he knew he had happened upon something special. "I couldn't believe that someone this good wasn't signed to a recording contract," Kraddick recounted. "I Google-Imaged him and all these pictures came up of Freddy with big music stars. It didn't make sense to me. How did this kid with no recording contract get into all these parties? How did he get over two million plays on his songs?" Finally, Kraddick's curiosity got the best of him. "First I sent him a couple of messages from an anonymous account, praising his talent and asking him why he didn't have a record deal. Finally, after a couple weeks, I shot him an email and gave him my number. " After a two-hour conversation with the student turned rockstar turned student, Kraddick was convinced he had stumbled onto something special. "At first, my urge was to put one of his songs on the show immediately," Kraddick said, "but I held back and developed an idea that had been in the back of my mind for awhile."
The idea was to give Freddy a second chance. "I'm a sucker for the underdog," Kraddick admitted. "Radio isn't an easy business either and I remember people telling me at the beginning of my career that I didn't have the voice for it and I should make other plans. I could totally relate to what happened to him and I just realized that I couldn't sit back and do nothing. He's too talented and too deserving of another chance for me to just ignore him."
The two would talk on the phone occasionally, and Kraddick would offer encouragement and advice. "He told me not to drop out of school no matter what," Freddy recounted. "That's what impressed me right off the bat." Freddy found Kidd to be a valuable "fan", especially when he started bringing other people into the process..."people like him who just wanted to help."
Freddy confessed that in the back of his mind he was somewhat skeptical. "He's been a huge advocate, ya know? I have to admit that after what I've been through I was kind of sitting back waiting for him to tell me what he hoped to gain from this." Freddy laughs as he adds, "but that day still hasn't come."
On Friday April 25th, Kidd called Freddy live on the air and offered him the chance to perform on Kidd Kraddick in the Morning in Dallas. "Our show has been lucky enough to book the biggest music superstars for unplugged performances", Kraddick said. "I decided to offer Freddy the same stage that had seen the likes of Bon Jovi, Maroon Five, Destiny's Child, and pretty much everybody who matters in music." (Two days before he made the call to Freddy, Kraddick spent twenty minutes with Madonna talking about her new album.)
Trying to temper his obvious excitement, Freddy explained his dilemma to Kidd and the audience. If he misses school, his parents will freak out and cut off his allowance. "I already owe them a ton of money from the last disaster... I couldn't ask them for more. This was NOT going to be the best news they'd ever heard," Freddy joked.
Kidd's response? "Then get in your car and drive, man!" On the fly, the show dreamed up a plan for Freddy to get to Dallas. He would load up a truck with a keyboard and an amp and "play his way" from New York to Dallas. Just like that, Freddy's "Gas Money Tour" was born. The 21-year-old UPENN student would spend the following week bouncing from Kidd Kraddick in the Morning affiliate stations across the country, performing in parking lots and begging for gas money. "I would walk to Dallas for the chance to play over all those stations, " Freddy said. But what about Kidd's condition that he stay in school? "I worked it out with my professors that I can email my work in that week," Freddy said. "The biggest hurdle was getting my parents to let me do this again. The last time turned out really bad so they are understandably concerned that I'm not heading down the same path."
Will Freddy make it to Dallas and re-start a promising career? Tune into Kidd Kraddick in the Morning to find out, and watch the daily "webisodes" on www.kiddlive.com
Add a Comment
About
Badge
© 2009 Created by Bradley Joyce on Ning. Create Your Own Social Network
You need to be a member of Freddy to add comments!
Join this social network