Oct 13 – 15:  Wichita, KS – Tallgrass Film Festival  |  Get Tickets

Oct 15:  Louisville, KY – The Louisville Festival of Film  |  Get Tickets

Oct 15:  Royal Oak, MI – The Royal Starr Film Festival  | Get Tickets

Oct 25:  Cambridge, United Kingdom – The Cambridge Film Festival  |  Get Tickets

Nov 3:  Lansing, MI – The East Lansing Film Festival  |  Get Tickets

Nov 4 -6:  Denver, CO -The Denver Film Festival  |  Get Tickets 

Nov 12:  Dallas, TX – The Lone Star Film Festival  |  Get Tickets

Nov 12 & 14:  Cedar City, UT – The Red Rock of Zion Film Festival  |  Get Tickets

I tried a music career. I failed. I moved to New York City, studied piano, wrote songs, knocked on the doors of record companies and cobbled together this band or that band, playing in dingy nightclubs, hoping for a break.

In the end, it wasn’t meant to be. My love of music was overwhelming, but my opportunities were not. While working nights as a pianist in a dive bar, I volunteered for a day job at a weekly newspaper.

And my path was changed forever.

Since then, I have rarely written about music. Thousands of columns, assorted magazine pieces, a dozen books, yet I barely touched the subject. I’m not sure why. A therapist might have an idea.

But oddly enough, as I dove deeper into journalism and novels, I made many musical friends. They often wanted to talk about my job, just as I wanted to talk about theirs.

Things evolve. On Nov. 8, at the Fox Theatre in downtown Detroit, a number of those friends will join me in a charity event that finally brings together my two worlds.

Thirty some years after they split apart.

An incredible marquee

Rock legend Ted Nugent will be there. As will singer Michael Bolton, jazz great Earl Klugh, young star Sawyer Fredericks (latest winner of “The Voice”), R&B great Kem, Roger McGuinn (founder of the Byrds), guitarist John Pizzarelli, Phredley Brown (Bruno Mars’ musical director and Detroit’s own), rocker Brent James, singer Olivia Millerschin, guitarist Vito Lafata and others. They will play, sing and talk about the unique passion of music.

We also will be joined by Grosse Pointe Woods native J.K. Simmons, the Oscar-winning actor from “Whiplash,” one of the most intense movies about music ever made.

The purpose of the night is to help our needy citizens, and every cent of profit will support the efforts of S.A.Y. Detroit, which I found almost 10 years ago and which this week reopens a long-closed rec center at Lipke Park as an academic and athletic jewel for our kids.

But the evening itself will be draped in music — and storytelling. After a lifetime of avoiding the subject, I’ve finally written a novel that says everything I’ve always wanted to say about my first love. I began with the idea of a magical guitar player who was so gifted he could change people’s lives with his playing.

Nearly 500 pages later, I stopped.

The book is “The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto,” to be released Nov. 10 by Harper, and it follows its hero along a Forest Gump-like journey through 20th-Century music. He’s an orphan, he gets sent to America in the bottom of a boat, he becomes an Elvis-like star, then disappears for decades until he dies on stage, mysteriously.

I got so into the project that I asked real musicians to be a part of the fictional story. They agreed, and voices from Burt Bacharach to Darlene Love to Paul Stanley from Kiss are on the pages, sharing “memories” of Frankie Presto.

Some of those voices — including Pizzarelli’s and McGuinn’s — will be there on Nov. 8, meaning fantasy and reality will have guitars around their necks.

And a few new musical dreams may be kindled.

A celebration for Detroit

You see, the money raised will go in part to the Lipke Park renewal, where S.A.Y. Detroit invited the charity Notes for Notes to build a state-of-the-art recording studio inside the rec center, located in one of Detroit’s most challenged neighborhoods.

It is my hope that studio launches the dreams of future musicians. If I’d had a place like that as a kid, who knows how far I might have gone?

One of the themes of “Frankie Presto” is that “everyone joins a band in this life.” Every family, workplace, school or peer group is a band. So is being a Detroiter. The homegrown talent on the Fox stage Nov. 8 (Nugent, Klugh, Kem, Brown, Simmons and several others) know that. It’s part of why they’re coming.

I hope you’ll join us (see the ticket information below). Everyone who attends will get an autographed book and, even better, will be treated to a unique night of hearing why musicians do what they do. We’ve done these nights before (with Ernie Harwell, Judge Damon Keith, others) and they are always memorable.

It’s funny. In composing, there is a term called “da capo” that tells you to go “back to the beginning.” Nov. 8 will feel a bit like that. Perhaps this life has been more musical than I thought.

Tickets for “An Evening With Mitch Albom & Friends,” 7 p.m. Nov. 8 at the Fox Theatre, are $50, include an autographed book and are available at ticketmaster.com, olympiaentertainment.com, Fox Theatre, Joe Louis Arena, Hockeytown Authentics and 800-745-3000. More info, Page 16C.

The soon-to-be 93-year-old Keith, a prominent federal judge, was the subject of a documentary called “Walk with Me: The Trials of Damon J. Keith” directed by filmmaker Jesse Nesser.

All ticket proceeds from the event benefited S.A.Y. Detroit, founded in 2006 by author Mitch Albom, who served as one of the film’s executive producers…for more about the event and photos, please continue reading on saydetroit.org.

Followed by a talkback with Judge Keith Jesse Nesser and Mitch Albom

All Proceeds Benefit S.A.Y. Detroit

$25, TICKETS ON SALE NOW
www.dso.org | 313-576-5111

From director Jesse Nesser and executive producers Mitch Albom, Cynthia & Edsel Ford, Faye Nelson, and Frank Fountain

Walk With Me tells the story of ten extraordinary years, four unprecedented cases, and one unconventional federal Judge, who forever changed civil rights in the U.S. In the wake of the 1967 Detroit race riots, rookie African American Judge Damon J. Keith caused controversy by rooting out hidden discriminatory practices that had been woven into our housing, school, work, and police institutions. Believing that the law could and should be used to pursue social change and racial equality, Keith shook the nation as he challenged the status quo and faced off against angry crowds, the KKK, and even a sitting U.S. President. Visit www.thedkdoc.com for more info.

Presenting Sponsors: Ford, DTE Energy Foundation

Charity Partner: SAY Detroit

Media Partners: Detroit Free Press, WJR, B.L.A.C, The Detroit News, The Michigan Chronicle, Local 4 Click on Detroit

]]> https://www.mitchalbom.com/jude-damon-keith-docu-premieres-june-in-detroit/feed/ 0 https://www.mitchalbom.com/thief-asks-his-victim-judge-damon-keith-for-forgiveness/ https://www.mitchalbom.com/thief-asks-his-victim-judge-damon-keith-for-forgiveness/#respond Mon, 23 Dec 2013 12:37:35 +0000 http://mitchalbom.com/dev.mitchalbom.com/thief-asks-his-victim-judge-damon-keith-for-forgiveness/

President Barack Obama said, “He no longer belongs to us — he belongs to the ages.”

Singer Paul Simon wrote on Facebook, “His passing should reignite a worldwide effort for peace.”

This is the kind of praise reserved for larger-than-life leaders. Yet even as I shared in the sadness of Mandela’s passing, I kept wondering where the next such leader would come from.

Or if he or she ever would.

When you hear the phrase, “They don’t make them like that anymore,” it usually refers to cars or houses. But it could easily apply to world figures. In fact, you could argue that Mandela is the last of the almost-universally adored figureheads.

Who else is there? Most political powerhouses are hated more than loved. No religious leader commands universal reverence (the pope may be closest, but that is more the position than the man). Even the handful of business tycoons who try to be bigger-than-life altruistic — Bill Gates, Warren Buffett — can’t escape the initial reaction of, “Well, yeah, if I had that kind of money, I’d be altruistic, too.”

From prison to the presidency

So what was it about Mandela that stirred us so? It wasn’t his political legacy. He served only five years as South Africa’s president. And it wasn’t geography. How many of the people mourning him ever have set foot in Mandela’s home country?

I think it begins with suffering. Most universally revered figures have endured something and risen above it, which gives their followers hope. In Mandela’s case, he paid an enormous price for a worldwide platform: He sat in a prison cell for 27 years.

During that time, he became a symbol as much as a person. When he finally was released in 1990, after enormous external pressure, he stepped into the sunlight — as well as into a mold. The mold was part-victim, part-martyr, part-media curiosity and a big part symbol of humanity in the face of injustice.

The last was where Mandela made his mark.

He could have been bitter, angry, cynical or bombastic. Instead, he diffused situations with handshakes and an engaging smile. He spoke eloquently. Even in a tense debate with Frederik Willem de Klerk, then the president of South Africa, Mandela brought down his rival with words, at one point declaring, “Even a discredited, illegitimate, minority regime must observe certain moral standards.”

He wasn’t a politician fighting to pass a tax bill. He was a freed man fighting for his people’s freedom.

His legend grew.

Bridging the great divide

By the way, this doesn’t mean that Mandela lacked critics. He had them, including those who said he was a Marxist and who decried his early embrace of violence for the cause (which he later eschewed).

But even Mother Teresa had critics. And her death, in 1997, may have been the last time an international figure received this sort of worldwide emotional send-off.

That’s pretty lofty company.

So who is the next leader of this status? I can’t think of one. We’re too divided now. Obama was seen, on his election night, as a symbol of high hopes, but that honeymoon didn’t last very long. Today, he is mired in the same political sludge as his predecessors.

What man or woman could unite left and right? Could inspire Christian, Muslim, Jew and Hindu?

I asked Judge Damon Keith — who in 1990 introduced Mandela to a cheering Tiger Stadium crowd — why the man was so singular in adoration.

“It’s something about the suffering and majesty of his 27 years of imprisonment,” Keith said. “The way that he handled that type of injustice for a cause and for his people.”

The world today has no shortage of injustice. But it still seems unlikely that we will soon have any more Mandelas. The Internet and worldwide media have changed the equation. Anyone who gets too big is brought down by some hidden camera, or prying reporter or vicious blogger. It is worth noting that Mandela spent about a third of his adult life out of public view.

Maybe that’s the safest way to do it in modern times.

“God has a way of developing leaders,” Keith suggested.

Maybe so. This is clear: If you uplift people with hope, you will be elevated yourself. Mandela achieved lofty status. But he died as high above our heads as this generation may ever lift anyone again.

While Mitch and Judge Damon J. Keith hosted some of the best and brightest of Detroit on stage at the Fox Theatre on November 11, Mitch’s webmaster–Brenda–shared live highlights on Mitch’s Facebook and Twitter accounts. We’ll be sharing more videos and photos soon from the event (the official, glossy kind), please enjoy the highlights below:

What can attendees expect at the Detroit Legacies in Black and White event at the Fox Theatre on Monday?

A whole lot of a whole lot – with a vibe that might resemble a mix of a living-room conversation and a late-night talk show, “hosted by a couple of guys who could never host a late-night talk show,” says Mitch Albom.

The official premise of the event is a shared stage between Albom and legendary Detroit Judge Damon J. Keith – friends who have new books coming out this month. The idea was to celebrate their friendship and other success stories that cross racial lines. In addition to conversations about Detroit, there will be readings from Albom’s “The First Phone Call From Heaven” and from a new biography about Keith, “Crusader For Justice.” Among those reading from the Keith book will be former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer, Michigan congressman John Conyers and local media personalities Diana Lewis, Devin Scillian, Tom Leyden, Mike Stone, Lee Thomas and Blaine Fowler.

Among a wide variety of local celebs from the sports, entertainment and media worlds, perhaps most anticipated is former Tigers manager Jim Leyland, marking his first major public appearance since he announced his retirement in October. There will be an on-stage conversation about his career, along with a video package of highlights.

Other big names scheduled to attend are Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, comedian Tim Meadows, the Four Tops, NFL Hall of Famer Barry Sanders, Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard, Tigers great Willie Horton, R&B musician Kem and former Michigan football coach Lloyd Carr.

Kem and the Four Tops will both perform, with additional music provided by local favorites Stewart Francke and Jill Jack, and several choirs.

Event details: 7:30 p.m. Monday, Fox Theatre, 2211 Woodward, Detroit. 800-745-3000. www.olympiaentertainment.com. $40 and $150 ($150 tickets include pre-show VIP reception backstage at 6 p.m. with light refreshments and mingling).

– Detroit Free Press staff

There’s a similar scene that takes place every year in the Detroit chambers of U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Damon Keith, the 91-year-old civil rights icon, at his annual Soul Food Luncheon. There, Keith, the grandson of a southern slave, slaps and hugs hundreds of attendees of every creed, color and religious persuasion.

These are the kind of scenes that don’t often make headlines — as opposed to whenever the races clash.

But they are the reason behind a unique night at the Fox Theatre on Nov. 11 to honor Jim Leyland, Judge Keith and a parade of people who demonstrate how we do get along — from Matthew Stafford, Barry Sanders, Lloyd Carr, Jimmy Howard and Willie Horton from the world of sports, to the Four Tops and Kem from the world of entertainment, to Tim Meadows (“Saturday Night Live”) from the world of comedy, to Carmen Harlan, Devin Scillian, Alan Lee, Ken Brown, Carolyn Clifford, Bernie Smilovitz, Amy Lange, Mason, Paul W. Smith, Mike Stone, Blaine Fowler and many others from news, TV and radio and politics.

It’s called Detroit Legacies: In Black and White — an event I am proud to cohost with Judge Keith. Because enough with the negative. That’s not who we are. And for one big night, we’re going to remind ourselves of it.

The skipper and the judge

Know this: Damon Keith, out of law school, had to clean bathrooms as a janitor in Detroit. When a white employee saw him with a law book, he laughed and said, “Keep mopping.”

Years later, Keith, then 68, was an esteemed federal judge being honored at a national conference in Virginia. He was waiting in front of a hotel when a white man drove up, tossed the keys at him and said, “Boy, park this car.”

Through it all — a segregated Army, the Detroit riots of 1943 and 1967, death threats when he made rulings that stopped racism and discrimination in schools, cities and workplaces — Keith never used the word “hate.” He didn’t allow it in his home.

Jim Leyland was the same way. The son of a glass factory foreman, one of seven kids, the only color he knew was blue, as in blue collar. He played with and later managed players from other races and countries. Somehow, they all loved him. He cried when the Tigers won the division last month, then was carried off by Torii Hunter for a champagne shower.

When he announced he was retiring as Tigers manager, the outpouring of respect crossed all lines.

As it will on Nov. 11 — which Detroit Mayor Dave Bing’s office will be declaring Jim Leyland Day. It’s a chance to show appreciation for a job done well and with class.

Music, charity and books

That night, on stage at the Fox, Leyland will talk to the crowd about his career and how he managed everyone from Barry Bonds to Miguel Cabrera without seeing skin color, and Stafford will talk about living in a sport where you can’t see color and win. Kem and the Four Tops will talk about how music breaks down barriers — and perform to prove it — and so many others will share, laugh and revel in the spirit of cooperation that often gets overlooked.

Every dime raised will go to charity, to help people who are working but poor, homeless people, illiterate adults, talented Detroit students and a civil rights center that stands for what we as Americans — and specifically as Detroiters — have dealt with and overcome.

Tickets are just $40, and everyone attending will be given an autographed copy of my new novel, “The First Phone Call from Heaven,” a small way for me to thank my city. They also will get a discounted coupon for Judge Keith’s book, “Crusader For Justice,” due out later in the month.

Mostly, they’ll get an amazing night of people never before assembled on one stage. But that’s the idea. You never know in life who you’ll one day be next to.

For tickets, go to www.ticketmaster.com,www.olympiaentertainment.com or call 800-745-3000.

Come say thanks to Jim Leyland and Judge Keith — and be part of the story that doesn’t get written enough.