Breaking Bad on Labor Day
For those who read this blog, you may be surprised to see me referring to “Breaking Bad”, a TV show known for an extremely heavy, and illegal, array of topics…(of which, if I write the actual words here, this blog will be flagged and banned in certain areas of the world). But you also know […]
The Final Retreat
For years, I had what was known in our home as Mentor Mondays. This was due to so many texts, emails, and phone calls from executives, hopeful speakers, and struggling entertainers to “pick my brain” over lunch. Eventually my brain had been picked, pecked, and prodded over enough soggy salads at lunches around Utah that […]
Bond, James Bond
Can you imagine meeting THE James Bond as a 7 year old, and him bringing you into his world of espionage, not just meeting him once as a youth, but again as an adult? Roger Moore delights fan Mark Haynes with this story of how, as the author puts it, “I was working with James […]
The Honor System
Just before my 2 week run of sold-out shows began at the Hale Centre Theatre I realized I didn’t have the personnel lined up to man our table and sell my book, “The Promise To The One”. My kids were all traveling, we wanted my wife to just attend and enjoy the shows, those on […]
BJ The Crab Guru
In June our family knocked off a few more states in our motorhome that had eluded us for years even though they are close to our home. Racing from SLC, UT through the scorching Nevada heat, we made our way up the California coast, enjoying the Redwoods and chillier weather, before hitting the famous […]
The Difference a Shirt Makes
For Fathers Day this year my wife bought me a new shirt. I insisted that I didn’t need a new shirt, and wore my old shirt. Tami said, “Honey, you’ve worked very hard for the last year to lose weight, and it’s time for a new shirt to fit your body properly.” I said, “Ok, […]
The Band Promise
This week I will finally take the stage and perform a show we have worked for over a year to create. If you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, we have added a few more shows to the run and there are some available finally! Get yours HERE. Excited isn’t a strong enough word for […]
Losing The Karaoke Contest
In all of my years as a performer, and being lauded as a good one, I have never won a talent contest. This past week, on an Alaskan cruise with my family, siblings and their children, I lost a karaoke contest in front of all of them. My Dad, who provided this amazing trip, is […]
You Never Know
Years ago, this very weekend, I was performing in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada at a party high above the harbor in a setting that is reserved for the rich and famous. The pink hue of stage lighting blinded me from knowing who was watching, as party goers walked by and didn’t seem to be […]
The Audience Hates Me
Here I am. Performing my guts out. Doing all I can to get a laugh, spark an emotion, beg a reaction. Nothin’. The audience hates me. I can tell. You know when you’ve got ’em. And wow, how you know when you don’t! These people hate me. But I’m going to keep giving, trying, […]