Last spring, some of my best friends lost their 4-year-old son Joey to epilepsy. But Mike Gomoll being Mike Gomoll, he looked out through the tears and saw an opportunity to transform a world that must certainly have seemed suddenly like a much worse place into a more hopeful place.
Joey loved music and always had a song to sing. So, his dad created Joey's Song, a foundation to help combat epilepsy. He asked his friends to share contacts in the music business, but what few may have realized is that it was Mike himself -- not anybody's industry connections -- who would make Joey's Song a success.
It was his passion, his drive -- and sadly, his loss -- that made nearly every single musician and band that he cold-called agree to take part. In many cases, these artists did more than simply "agree." They stepped up and offered to help in any way they could.
"Within the first 30 minutes I heard from Matthew Ryan, Eileen Rose, Robbie Fulks and Jason Ringenberg -- not via their management or record labels, but directly from the artists themselves," says Mike.
"All said yes to our request for songs and asked what else they could do. By the end of the first day I knew we had a chance of making this work. They were incredibly generous."
The immediate result will be two CDs -- "Joey's Song: Volume 1," available Jan. 25, and "Joey's Songs for Kids: Volume 1" -- and a release party on Jan. 21 at Pinstripes, 100 W. Higgins Rd., in Chicago.
Believe me when I assure you there will be more. I know for a fact that Mike has a lot more music and many more commitments than are represented on these two amazing discs (the track listings are below).
I hope you will buy the CDs and support a good cause. But even more so, I hope you will listen to them and enjoy them and think of Joey when you do. Think about how much he loved music and how much everyone that ever had the pleasure of seeing his smile misses him.
"Music was Joey's link to the world," says Mike. "Joey would listen to music, sing to music and loved to dance."
When you listen, think about what you can do to support the battle against epilepsy.
"I'm hoping that the story of Joey's Song will touch people the way it has touched the musicians and everyone involved in this project," says Mike.
Here are the track listings for the first two CDs, which you can pre-order here:
Joey's Song: Volume 1
Hang On Mike (live) -- Mike Viola *
If your Tears Don't Make A Sound (demo) -- Del Amitri *
In Love With You -- Tim Easton *
The Difference -- Thea Gilmore *
The Sweetest Sound Of All -- Ed Harcourt *
People Got A Lotta Nerve -- Neko Case
Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm (live) -- Crash Test Dummies
Streets Of Laredo -- Slaid Cleaves
This Street, This Man, This Life (acoustic) -- Cowboy Junkies *
Wash & Fold (live) -- DADDY (featuring Will Kimbrough and Tommy
Womack) *
All Thumbs (demo) -- Tracy Bonham *
I Believe In You (live) -- Robbie Fulks *
14th Street And Mars (alternate version) -- Michelle Malone *
Seven Angels -- HEM *
Carry Your Cross (demo) -- Michael McDermott *
Still I Dream -- A.A. Bondy *
Joey's Songs for Kids: Volume 1
Monkeys -- Steve Wynn *
Oh Johnny LeBeck -- Eileen Rose and The Legendary Rich Gilbert *
Baby Clap -- Greg Percy *
The Wheels On The Bus (live) -- Lowen & Navarro *
Little Blue Horses -- The Sleepytones
Say, Say, Oh Playmate -- April Smith and The Great Picture Show *
Hippopotamus -- Jon Dee Graham
Pickle Me Juice -- Ralph Covert *
Mr. Teetot -- Ellis Paul *
Working On The Railroad -- The Band Of Blacky Ranchette * (aka Howe Gelb)
Upside Down Town -- Greg Trooper *
Dan Blocker -- Gurf Morlix
And It's Beautiful -- Crash Test Dummies
You Are My Sunshine -- Matthew Ryan *
Sam's Lullaby -- Phil Lee *
*=previously unreleased.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
