John Mayer made me do it.

(In honor of the new CD release, here is something I wrote a few months back.)

I think John Mayer is responsible for my entire relationship. Judge if you will, but before you do, listen to a live set and tell me you don’t think he is talented if not brilliant. It was 2001 and Napster was still illegal and we used the hell out of it. The first week of college was a contest between the four roommates to see who could download the most songs/movies and graphic pictures as possible. (Congrats go to Randy Clark, sorry to put you on blast but I was just so darn proud of you.) Within the first week of dating, Jessica brought over a burned CD of live John Mayer songs and said she thought I might enjoy. We sat in separate chairs holding hands in no way touching inappropriately and started listening. I was already a huge fan of singer songwriters and admittedly struggled at first with Mayer’s breathy tone but enjoyed the lyrics and the guitar. By the end of the CD we were engaged. (Don’t take that the wrong way, sickos.)

It became a regular staple in the truck CD player (before Ipods. Well, before I had an Ipod) and in the dorm. We knew all the words and couldn’t wait to see him in concert. Our first out of town trip together was to Kansas City to see John Mayer and Guster. We made it a group outing and hopped in my best friends Durango without tickets and headed to KC. Mayer hadn’t hit the national spotlight just yet and you could tell by the semi-small crowd gathered in the City Market. City Market is a lovely outdoor venue in the heart of KC surrounded by restaurants and shops and as the name says is a huge farmers market. We arrived on site and began looking for free tickets. A radio station was set up out front and as it turns out if you are a fifteen year old girl with jean shorts and a tank top with any degree of glitter, you get a much better response from obese radio disc jockeys. Sure we failed, but worse case scenario, we stand outside or in one of the bars and get to hear the concert right? Not us my friend.

We found a major flaw in the hand-stamp-gate-pass set up for the show. All we had to do was walk in the front of a bar that had access to the inside of the City Market square, rub a stamp on our hand from somebody already in the concert area and walk back out and around. This worked to perfection.

I am aware that at this point in the story we have stolen illegal music online and failed to pay for a concert ticket, sorry John. It was completely worth the little work it took to beat the system. As the sun faded away, a muggy evening broke way to a cool breezy night of all the songs we had grown to love. In an added bonus they were shooting the live segments for the “Your Body is a Wonderland” music video. We walked away life long fans. For all of those artists out there that think that pirated music is hurting your pocket books I should let it be known that we have purchased each and every John Mayer album and DVD since, not to mention T-shirts and concert tickets to 6 more shows over these last 8 years of our marriage. One special concert was the central focus of our brief honeymoon to Chicago in June of 2003.

After having an enormous wedding (300+ people, and we knew most of them) and both still enrolled in college we knew we couldn’t do something to big and elaborate. It was then that I started looking for a concert we could attend within reach of Tulsa, OK. Neither of us had ever been to Chicago and a short 12 hour drive seemed perfect. As soon as I purchased the tickets I began researching online about contacts surrounding John and his team. Between his website and management page I found a wonderful woman who emailed me back. I asked a simple question would it be possible for us to meet Mr. Mayer. I explained we were driving up for our honeymoon and would love to meet the man behind the music. Weeks passed and she replied with ‘keep following up with me’ and so I did. A week before the show she emailed me saying there would be two fan passes waiting for us at the gate with our will call tickets and please enjoy the show. Proof that if you don’t ask you will never receive. We arrived in Chicago and made a few great stops. Uno’s pizza, Shed’s Aquarium and the Sears Tower were among the wonderful city highlights.

On the day of the concert we arrived early at the Tweeter Center and as promised our passes were at will call. Before the show we joined a small group of fans for a meet and greet.(those damn girls in short shorts and glitter again.) We brought along our copy of “Any Given Thursday” his first concert DVD and he signed it, we took a picture and got to chat for just a brief moment. He wished us luck on marriage and was very friendly. We were both excited for the show and headed to our seats. Luckily we saw him before the show because upon finding our seats we realized they were perfectly placed behind a concrete pillar. The music made it worth it and the awesome older couple beside us buying us beer didn’t hurt either.

As his music matured and grew so did our relationship. We made trips to Dallas and saw him in our own back yard at OKC and Tulsa. We joined the fan club and have had front ten-row tickets at most shows. As an Oklahoma boy, Garth Brooks is the only artist that takes up more space on my Ipod. When Preston was born we introduced him to John’s music almost immediately after returning home (possibly in the car on the way home from the hospital). It was only natural that seven short years later we would plan a trip to see John back in the same place it all started, Kansas City. This time we paid for all four tickets (my little sister is a huge fan also) and loaded up for a road trip for Preston’s first concert. (I remember my first concert, Boys 2 Men with Brandy opening, terrible audio, amazing performance, I was ten.)

Times had changed and John wasn’t playing a small outdoor venue in front of 1500 people, instead he was headlining to a sold out crowd at the Sprint Center in downtown KC. Our seats were perfect. Far enough back for comfortable audio levels and straight back from the stage. Preston stood on the back of the chair in front of me for most of the show and sang along to the ones he knew. Jessica and I couldn’t stop smiling at our little creation enjoying music we dated to, got married to and vacationed to. It was a fun experience that brought us full circle on our journey of Mayer. I am sure we will enjoy many more concerts and albums but this will always be our first concert as a family. We await the next album and tour, come out and join us, but only if you love guitars, melodies and musical mastery.

-- I wrote this a while back and now we have to wait no longer. His new album came out yesterday and we have been enjoying it via itunes. (Paid for them all ever since, promise!)

Always my little sister.

January 26th, 1987 – I have enjoyed the world as an only child for the last four years. Life is good; I am the center of attention and can do no wrong. Surely it would be the same forever. Being waited on hand and foot. Food naps and toys. What a life!

January 27th, 1987 – A little baby, semi-cute, not sure what the fuss is all about. Mom and Dad seem happy about it, but why? They already broke the mold with me. I guess I’ll wait and see how this shakes out.



Every day since –

I adore my little sister. Sure, now she is married and works in corporate America and can rent a car but she is always my little sister. We always worked as a team from even the earliest cover-ups. Our mutual respect and understanding of “us vs. them” was clear. An unspoken bond that remains still today.

I guess some brothers and sisters fight like cats and dogs, but we never went down that path. In part a result of a four year age gap and in part our parents just wouldn’t allow it. Thinking back to childhood, almost every memory from my house involves my little sister or music or both.

One of our first projects together was a music video, George Michael’s Faith to be exact. I played lead mime-guitar and looked as cool as a seven year old can look in sunglasses and a black t-shirt. On back up vocals and keyboards, little sister in her night gown, age 2(or less.) 1989 was a great year for music Don’t Worry Be Happy won Song of the Year at the Grammys and Tracey Chapman was best new artist.

It was not until little sister hit Kindergarten that she took top billing. Those of you that know me now might find this hard to believe but I wasn’t the most outgoing in elementary school. An all school talent show K-5th was coming up and little sister decided it was time to shine. At the time I thought it was cute but now I realize how good she actually was at such an early age.

Being from Oklahoma, what better than a medley of songs from the musical “Oklahoma” to really tug at the judges heartstrings. Did I mention this was “Star Search” style judging before judging shows were cool? Hayley did the motions, sang the songs without flaw and sporting pigtails and painted on freckles took the grand prize!

There has always been music in the air at our house. Hayley and I were Disney children, we used to sing “A Whole New World” for hours trying to get it right. Even then it was clear she was the better of the two, but she didn’t lead on that I was bringing her down.

We made music videos every few years just goofing around and making mom and dad laugh mostly. I hope to get a few of those gems online for all to see soon, look out. We didn’t know we were making viral videos at the time because the internet was still just a twinkle in Al Gore’s eye.

Hayley would go on to win another title the following year. Skip ahead about ten years. We sit in a small recording studio in Neodesha, KS. The studio is an old fur vault from the standard oil days and the musicians are nobody you know, but have been everywhere and seen it all.

Hayley laid down vocals over a few weeks time and the album was called “More to Come...” http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/hayleypeck she was leaning toward singing more than school. We co-wrote a couple of the songs and in fact one of them will be a hit someday, I am sure of it. All good things come to those who wait. Just like when we were little I was her biggest fan.

Months passed by and one day a call comes from an unavailable number to dad’s cell phone. It seemed impossible that a billionaire would be calling, but sure enough Garth Brooks had heard Hayley’s album and wanted to meet with her and our entire family.

In a conversation at his modest pre-mansion home he told Hayley in so many words, go to school, music will always be there waiting if you want to come back. He didn’t say she was lacking the voice, in fact his quote as I remember it was “your voice comes across smooth with the music, not abrasive like most.”

Haylo, nickname from way back, did go to school. She accomplished many things in college. A successful joining of a sorority, leading musical productions graduating with a degree and a job and the man she now calls hubby.

Since college we have both tried out for Nashville Star in Oklahoma City together. American Idol in Austin. And even competed in an Okie Idol contest in our hometown. (I won the whole thing.) And just recently we both submitted videos to sing on stage with Billy Currington at his concert in Tulsa. Hayley is in the top four and will get a chance to sing for his manager tonight and in my opinion will no doubt win the chance. I think there has been a shift in the way our life paths are crossing back and forth. Writing, singing and dreaming have never been a problem, now it is time to capitalize.

I hope this isn’t too much pressure for my little sister. What am I saying? No such thing.

We have always been so close. Building robots from cardboard, setting up a haunted house for our parents, even making a cooking video as grow adults for dad when he was in the hospital. I think I normally spark the video idea but she always goes along with it. I think it is about time to make a new video, Hayley Westwood: Supernova.

I am still her biggest fan. Sorry other family. The beauty part of self-proclaimed titles is they are undeniable to the creator. I wish my little sister the best of luck and look forward to the journey ahead. Thanks for being such a great sister, sister-in-law and aunt. I am proud of you and proud to be your big brother.