My musical inspiration has been a song from the Broadway musical "Wicked" called "For Good". The Bay will always be with me "like a handprint on my heart".

Chorus from the song, "One" by U2...
One love
One blood
One life
You got to do what you should
One life
With each other
Sisters
Brothers
One life
But we're not the same
We get to
Carry each other
Carry each other

Hannah, with young people like you....Mississippi ...will truly RISE to be better...than it has ever been...you are right ...folks from everywhere now knows where Mississippi is....and hopefully what we stand for...help yourself...and your fellow man....bless you

Music has been a support for me during bad times and lonely times during my life. After the hurricane there were several songs that I was listening to that took on a different meaning. Wish someone would compile a CD of "Katrina songs" to raise money for a building fund for all the homes that have been destroyed.

U2's "Where the streets have no name" was playing on the radio when I first returned in Sept. and drove down Hwy. 90 to where the Bay Bridge once spanned the ocean.

How about "Believe", by Brooks and Dunn. Gives me chills everytime I hear it and reminds me of all the great people in BSL/Waveland, who truly "Believe", that there is more to life than "just what I can see".

Truda, someone did. It's entitled "Hurricane relief, come together now". It's produced by RIAA. 100% of the net proceeds of all sales goes to ARC, Habitat for Humanity and Musicares:Hurricane relief 2005. Many of the songs are originals. Some are not, such as "When You Walk Through a Storm" sung by Barbara Striesand. The collection is both moving and healing. You can contact www.musicares.com for more information. I was able to purchase it at a local music store. In fact, I purchased 25. Aside from toys and furnishings purchased for family who lost everything in Bay St. Louis and Waveland, those were the only Holiday gifts I gave this year. People, many who gave generously with goods and money as well as sweat and toil gutting houses, really seemed to appreciate them. We think of ya'll everyday.

Is U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name" the same as Vanessa Carltons? Vanessa does a really good job, it really does speak hurricane though.

Right after I heard "This American Life's" story about the first football game in the Bay, Jane Sidburry's haunting prayer/song, "Calling all Angels" came on the radio, one night. These are a few of the lyrics:

"calling all angels
calling all angels
walk me through this one
don't leave me alone
calling all angels
calling all angels
we're cryin' and we're hurtin'
and we're not sure why...

and every day you gaze upon the sunset
with such love and intensity
it's almost...it's almost as if
if you could only crack the code
then you'd finally understand what this all means

but if you could...do you think you would
trade in all the pain and suffering?
ah, but then you'd miss
the beauty of the light upon this earth
and the sweetness of the leaving

calling all angels
calling all angels
walk me through this one
don't leave me alone
callin' all angels
callin' all angels
we're tryin'
we're hopin'
we're hurtin'
we're lovin'
we're cryin'
we're callin'
'cause we're not sure how this goes."

I was stunned first to hear a story about the Bay, from so far away. I sat in my car and prayed and cried for an hour in the dark. Given the huge outpouring of love and volunteer labor, I really think that in response to the storm, God did call out the angels...and miracles happened, and the burden was lifted at least a bit, if not much more.

once again ...this is an old one...but try Cloaser To Home...Grand Funk R.R.

hannah, i cant wait until next year when i can come back to ola and see all of yall again....i love ya and i'll talk to you later

remember...footsteps in the sand...you may only see one set of footprints, thats because jesus is carrying you through the storm

Truda, a CD recently produced is now available for order thanks to the efforts of a member of the MGC-Group (www.mgc-group.org). All Proceeds above production costs go to Mississippi Gulf Coast (MGC) Group's recovery efforts and projects.

All the songs are about the Mississippi Gulf Coast. To hear clips of the songs go to http://www.mgc-group.org/CDsamples.htm.

Song titles are:
1. Mississippi Is Back
2. Blanket Brigade
3. Hold On
4. Mississippi Moonshine
5. FEMA Blues

This CD is well worth listening to and will help in efforts of this group to provide assistance to the people of the Gulf Coast.

Jeffery Williams, A Gulfport Musician and Songwriter, who lost it all in Katrina, sums it up from his perspective with his new Katrina song, Slabbed. It's available to hear on his website:
http://jefferytwilliams.com