March 2010
WHIRL Publishers' Page
Full Circle
I know that everything happens for a reason, and that everything and everyone is connected, yet I am always surprised when it all comes to fruition. Recently, I decided to finish the conversion of a former nursery room in our house into a home office for Jack. One of my projects was to put up some of the entertainment posters he had studiously and meticulously saved from his former career as a Pittsburgh promoter with his company, Next Big Thing Productions.
I spent hours carefully taping and placing posters from the likes of James Brown (thanking Jack for the opportunity to perform), Jay Leno, The Wailers, Buffalo Springfield, The Band, Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Hiatt, Billy Bragg, Leo Kottke, and Sandra Bernhard, when I was struck by a poster printed on metallic paper, covered with autographs. It was Los Lobos, from 1987!
Twenty-two years later, Jack has come full circle by featuring one of his favorite bands in the cover of this issue. Of course, the event is made even more special by the fact that the Pittsburgh Blues Festival benefits the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. For 15 years, the blues musicians and promoters have raised significant funding for the Food Bank, a partnership that speaks to the soul of this city.
We are also proud to feature our second annual salute to the troops in a photograph taken at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum. We have a huge contingency of military personnel from Western Pennsylvania, and it is our honor to feature them in this tribute.
Here’s to your special Independence Day!
Christine & Jack Tumpson
We welcome home Samantha Daniels’ brother, Sgt. Sterling Daniels, of the 1-66 AR 4th ID, in his fifth year of military service for the U.S. Army.