Benny Mardones had great success as a songwriter with Alan Miles and for the time being, Benny was happy.
He would often sing a demo version of the songs he wrote for other artists. After hearing one of the demos, Tommy Mottola, then working for Joel Diamond, suggested that Benny sing his own songs. Joel felt the same way, and set out to find Benny a record deal.
Now as we go into this next part I want you to ask yourself these questions:
* What is it that you want?
* What are you willing to do to get it?
* How far are you willing to go?
* Will you ever quit?
Benny finally gets a chance to play a showcase for the music executives and show off his musical talent. First time - no record deal, second time - no record deal, third time - no record deal! How many of you at this point would’ve quit? Fourth time he nailed it - an amazing performance...no record deal!
The music executives came back to Benny to say we loved it, but we want you to play one more showcase. Benny's response was like mine would’ve been and most everyone else’s – “No way. If they can't make up their minds by now forget it.”
How easy it is to take shot and quit? Then we justify it by saying, “Well, I tried”. We say that to make ourselves feel better. The truth is, it is easier to quit when it gets too hard than to forge ahead.
I am hear to tell you the secret, are you ready? LIFE GETS HARD!!!!
It did that day for Benny, but he did what most would not: When life got hard, he got harder. He played for a fifth time and landed his record deal. Going into the studio to record was a dream come true for Benny and, in 1979, he recorded the album “Never Run, Never Hide”.
In previous weeks we’ve talked about talent and desire. Where talent opens up doors, desire allows you to stay in the room long term. Talent got Benny into that recording studio, but his desire would change the course of his life forever. Just two days before going into the studio Benny penned “Into The Night” which was released on that album.
We often hear “be careful what you wish for, you might just get it”. Well, Benny got it. By the middle of 1980, “Into The Night” was the song of the summer. Benny finally felt like he owned his dream, he had made it. With barely enough money in his pocket for transportation, Benny went to get his first royalty check with the hopes to maybe pay the rent and get some food. When he opened that envelope, the reality of that dream came at him like a bullet from a gun. That check was worth more than his parents had made in their entire lifetime.
Now if you do your research and read some books, every great achievement ever recorded has a turning point that shapes your destiny. Whether you are Elvis Presley, James Dean, Michael Jordan or Benny Mardones, they all had a turning point. After the huge success of “Into The Night”, he found himself battling the demons of drug addiction, discontinued all concert performances, recordings, and appearances. To the rest of the world, it seemed Benny Mardones had fallen off the face of the earth.
At the times of our greatest struggles we never see the turning point as clear as we do after the fact. But for Benny, it is burned in his mind forever: In 1985 Benny's son Michael Everett was born.
Even though it moved him, it did not shake him to his core just yet. One day, as Benny stood at the crossroads of his life with drug addiction, his son -- a newborn unable to speak --- communicated with Benny in a way only a son could communicate to his father. That same love that Benny had growing up for his music, that love that got him what he thought was all of his dreams come true, now was a distant memory compared to the love he felt for his son Michael that day.
When you decided to change, it happens in an instant, but if you take no action towards it, you will never change anything. That day, Benny called his road manager who lived in Syracuse. With his bags packed and his son by his side, Benny embarked on a new life.
We talk a lot in our articles about surrounding ourselves with positive people and position and then things will happen. It stands true time and time again. With the help of some amazing individuals, like Joe and Zofia DeMaio, Ed Pozzuoli, Alan Miles, and Central New York, Benny became recharged in his professional life -- most importantly his personal life.
I asked him:
“Your career was riddled with so much up and down how did you or do you handle it?”
His answer was simple and yet direct:
“Dave, I just put one foot in front of the other. I don't know how much longer I am going to be able to do this, so for me, I am going to give 150% every chance I get.”
How many of us can saw we live by that motto everyday? The world is lined with dreamers and doers. Benny Mardones possesses the rarest quality of them all -- both.
Benny Mardones owns his dream now more than ever. But not for the reasons you may think. Not for the fact that after 40 years he is still doing what he loves to do. Not for the fact that he has made lots of money. Not for the fact that “Into The Night” may live on forever. Benny Mardones owns his dream because he now shares it with the one most important person in his life: His son Michael.
His legacy will live on forever because he showed his son that if you want something bad enough go get it and never quit. When the time comes for the lights to fade on his final performance, I am sure
Benny will go gently “Into The Night” and his legacy will live on through his son and the people he touched along the way.
Remember be positive, be real and live your life In The Zone.
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