“Baby Will You Let Me Know” is a blues song about not being sure if the person you are with is still with you.  I wrote the lyrics and melody when I was with a band call Cool Man Shoe.

Baby Will You Let Me Know by Frankie Ghee

The song “When I Used to Cry” is one I wrote when I was teaching middle school Choir.  It’s about how when children grow into adults we sometimes get the idea that asking for help shows a lack of character.  Sometimes, we suffer alone when we don’t really need to.

When I Used to Cry by Frankie Ghee

If I Could by Frankie Ghee and Eric Arnold

Today, I went out to Manito Park.  It was nice and cool although rather smoky.  The ducks were friendly.

I have a set of headphones that let me hear what other people are thinking.  I got them at the North Spokane Walmart last week.  They’re not fancy, the old fashioned kind you actually wear on your head.  They’re black, hard plastic with foam padding for the ears. 

I bought them on Thursday at 5:00am  I was heading out on a three hour road trip to visit family in Missoula, and I  wanted to listen to a podcast on my cell phone on the way.  I used a screw driver I keep in the glove box to free my new headphones from their packaging.  I was still sitting in the parking lot. 

I put the head phones on my head.  The padding felt soft and cool against my ears.  They felt right.

Before I plugged them into the headphone jack on my iPhone, I heard a voice.  It said, “Wait a minute.” 

I froze.

The voice in my headphones said, “Look at that couple over there.”

I looked up, and through my windshield, I saw a very fat, somehow British looking white man with red cheeks and thinning gray hair and an equally fat, silver haired black woman who, with her mahogany skin tone and ornately colored dress, looked as if she might actually be from Africa.  I guessed that they were both somewhere in their sixties. They were jointly pushing a cart full of groceries from the store to the parking lot.  They looked happy.  I couldn’t help smiling.

“Listen,” the headphone voice said.

I listened.

I watched the couple.  They were not talking, only pushing the cart and looking happy.  Their lips were still, but I heard their voices…in my headphones.  

“I love you so much right now, but I’m afraid it wont last.” the man’s voice said.

“I wish we could die right here in this moment,” the woman’s voice answered. “Then we would always be this happy.”

I pulled the headphones off.  My heart was thundering in my chest.  I was having a hard time catching my breath.  I looked around to see if someone was in the car with me.  The headphones seemed to vibrate in my hands.  I put them back on.

The couple was loading the groceries into the back of a silver Suburban, and though they still looked happy on the outside, I was overwhelmed with sadness at the possibility that their bliss would not last.  I understood that it wasn’t my sadness I felt.  It was theirs.  I was receiving their emotions and their thoughts through my headphones.

“If we do this,” the woman was saying, “the insurance won’t pay, and our kids will be left with nothing.”

“We’d have to make it look like an accident.” the man replied.

“That never works.  They have investigators.”  The woman sighed.

And then they were silent.

I was overwhelmed with an all consuming desire to help them because I knew in that moment that  they were right.  These two would not be happy a year from now or even a day from now.  Today was the happiest they would ever be.  I decided.

When they left the parking lot, I followed them.  They stopped at a white, two story house on tenth avenue in Spokane Valley.  I drove past it and parked around the corner.  The neighborhood was quiet.  I gave them time to get the groceries taken care of and then I walked back to their house and right up to the front door.  I knocked. 

The man opened the door.  There was no screen.  I stabbed him in the throat with my screw driver.  He went down.  There was no fight in him. I pulled the screwdriver out of his neck and did my best to avoid the blood spray. 

The woman came in from the kitchen.  She saw me, and started to say something like a greeting, but then she saw the man sprawled out on the floor.  She gasped and then, she too was down.  I finished her.

I had forgotten about the headphones, but when it was all done.  I heard the voices.  They were thanking me. 

I left that couple and went on my trip.  I made a stop at a motel in Idaho to make sure I was clean.  I put the headphones in the trunk.  They’re still there.

Last night I played outside of Jimmy John’s for a while.  It was pretty hot at first but nice.  I love the view from my spot.  There is a flock of birds that hangs out on the roof of the restaurant across the parking lot.

After JJ’s I went to Hico Mart.  It was cooler by then, and a bit busier.   

I had very nice people stop buy at both places.  It is way cool to be able to sing for people who love music.

You can never tell who is going to respond to a certain song.  I am often surprised.

Stay tuned for more on my adventures in busking.

Frankie

What do you do when you find Frankie performing some place this summer?

1. Come up close enough to hear
2. Stay as long as you like-feel free to sit if there is a spot you fancy
3. Take a business card if you like
4. Ask questions/make comments
5. Don’t feel like you have to tip
6. If you want to hire her to perform for your event or venue, contact her at FrankieGhee.com, or leave her a note with your information
7. Let her know how you heard about the gig.

This is as casual as it gets

My motivation for performing around Spokane is to raise awareness about my website and my creative projects.  I want to earn my living with my voice and my creative writing.  I love the freedom and randomness of street music, but my ultimate goal is to get my writing and music published, and to find paying venues for my singing.

The way you pay for a free concert is by visiting my site and reading a poem, story, or blog.  If you find something you like, spread the word.  If I build it, they will come.  Right?

Where can you find Frankie Ghee performing for free this summer? 

Okay, here’s the deal.  There are a few places I have found hospitable to spontaneous performances.  Thus far, I’ve been hitting them randomly.  Sometimes when I get to the place I planned to play, someone else is already there, or there is construction or a toxic gas spill.  You know?

If the Universe works it so my first choice of venue is a no-go.  I go to the next spot.

I am thinking I will try outside of Hastings and the Dollar Tree on the South Hill today, July 16, 2014 6:00-7:30pm.

I’ll send a tweet when I get there.

If, for some reason, that plan needs adjustment, I will tweet the location of my landing.

Tonight was fun.  I sat outside of JJ’s (Jimmy John’s) on 29th by Trader Joe’s.  I got to chat with a couple of people, and a few just hung out and listened for a while.  My song list is getting crazy.  I do original music for voice and guitar along with a weird variety of folk songs, ballads, oldies and whatever strikes my fancy.  I added two songs by the Pretenders tonight and I’ll keep working those in.  Man I love 80’s music.

If you ever see me out there being musical, please know that I appreciate the audience.  That’s why I’m singing out in the big public instead of in my front yard.

If you are interested in hiring me to perform at your party or venue, please contact me through this site or catch me on twitter.

For more information about me and my experience, education ect. check out the rest of the site.  Read some old blogs.  Go down the menu.  There is a lot there.

If you want a sample of my singing or of my songwriting,  please contact me and ask.  I’ll send you a file as an attachment.  Easy as pie.

In the mean time, look for me tomorrow evening for an impromptu free concert Down Town or on the South Hill most likely.

Frankie

I wrote, performed and recorded Into the Night with a band called Toto Caelo in the early 90s.  “Toto Caelo” is Latin for “By the whole extent of the heavens”  If you get a chance, look up the band.  We did some cool stuff.

Into the Night

Into the night was called

Into the night came

Into the night was called

Into the night came Reign

Into the night came Reign

And so he stood there after

Singing the songs of laughter

So he stood there after

Singing the songs of pain

He sang the songs of pain

And everybody ran out screaming

Wishing they were only dreaming

But the monster’s teeth were gleaming

So they had to play the game

Or to die in shame

Into the night was called

Into the night came

Into the night was called

Into the night came Reign

Into the night came Reign

And so he stood there after

Came through the walls of plaster

So he stood there after

Bringing in a wall of flame

He brought a wall of flame

And he said

To the death there’d be a battle

After Dark among the Shadows

Swords would class and bullets travel

And the loser dies in vain

The winner rides away

Into the night was called

Into the night came

Into the night was called

Into the night came Reign

Into the night came Reign

And so he stood there after

Singing the songs of laughter

So he stood there after

Singing the songs of pain

He sang the songs of pain

And though the soldier all were wary

To the grave the beast was carried

And his broken body buried

And the night was turned to day

The night was turned to day

Into the night….

By Frankie Valinda Ghee