Click here to learn what's happening in Darfur, Sudan
Click here to view a bigger version of my map!
You can also make your own, it's free!
THE UNOFFICIAL BIO:
OK, here's one theory:
Abandoned at birth, Leigh MacCallum was raised by wolves in rural Kentucky. After graduating summa cum lupine from the prestigious Lycan-thrope College, with a BA in Caterwaul, he pursued his Masters at Yowl University. (There are rumors that he also pursued the neighbors' live-stock, but it should be pointed out that these reports are to date largely unsubstantiated.)
Sadly, following the attainment of his lofty educational goals, he descended to a plethora of ill-advised career choices, ranging from a summer position as First-Alternate Foghorn at the Death Valley lighthouse, to a stint as vocal stand-in for an unnamed comedienne who, as it turns out, actually lip-synched (or is it sank?) the National Anthem at the 1990 World Series.
These disasters drove Leigh deeper and deeper into a protective shell of despair and debauchery, a condition that was solaced only by frequent visits to the glass house of Wild Turkey. This sorry state of affairs lasted until the real last year of the old Millennium--2000--when, as fate would have it, lightning struck. No, actually, lightning struck! He was sitting in his customary favorite aluminum lawn chair, watching what he used to call those pretty lights in the sky, when one of those pretty lights reached down and shook his hand, so to speak. I mean to tell you, it was a jolt! The event fused the brass rivets of his jeans to the aluminum chair and, of course, set his glass of bourbon on fire. And then, in the singed, smoky afterglow, he had what could best be described as an epiphany--and from that moment on, he knew his true calling: he would use his voice to inflict as much pain and suffering as possible upon a world which, in his warped, canine way of thinking, had never thrown him the Milk-Bone he felt he so richly deserved!
So sit back and prepare yourself. Prepare to be amazed. Prepare to be perhaps amused.
But, above all, prepare to be hurt.
I give you: Leigh MacCallum!
At the Dunedin Brewery
AND NOW, THE TRUE STORY:
Leigh MacCallum, a grizzled reprobate who hails from so many parts that his origins might at first seem obscure, was actually born in our nation's capitol, where he lived out the first nine months of what was to become an extraordinary life. The son of an Air Force officer, he and his family wound up living in Guam, Ohio, Wisconsin, Japan, New York, and Wisconsin again, all before Leigh was eleven years old. Once on his own, Leigh managed to live in or visit every state except Alaska, as well as doing military tours of Viet Nam and Germany, from which latter location he was able to vacation in Spain, England and Scotland, as well as the Scandinavian lands of Denmark and Norway.
Finally returning to Wisconsin, Leigh (who had majored in music at the University of Wisconsin) began a successful career as a traveling minstrel, playing in every sort of establishment from bars to university campuses. His songs at that time were, for the most part, covers of works written by others.
Then, in 1977, Leigh got a teaching position in Tucson, Arizona. It was there that he wrote what was to become one of his trademark songs. The song was entitled, simply enough, "Life," and was written as an inspirational tune for the teens he was teaching. And, as fate would have it, it would turn out to be a watershed experience. Grant monies for his school failed to be refunded, and he was laid off at the end of the year, whereupon he decided to return to Wisconsin and his singing career.
After several more successful years of traveling (always accompanied by his dog, White Fang) and singing, that career was put on a protracted hold as he settled down to marriage and child-rearing. The marriage ended in 2005, and Leigh is now returning to the music industry with renewed enthusiasm. And enhanced songwriting capabilities.
The simple refrains of songs such as "Life" will still be sung, but the new material shows a maturity garnered in the years that have passed. There is a depth to his words that reflects the complex soul that has lain beneath the surface for so long. For example, a couple of verses from "Late for the Dance":
We’re approached on occasion by those we don’t know
They come whispering softly and shuffling slow
And we can’t truly tell if they’re friend or they’re foe
So we hope that they stay but we wish that they’d go
And we find love a battlefield covered in red
So we spend all our time sifting wounded from dead
And thus wearing our shiniest armor to bed
We continue our talking while nothing is said
But there is also a wry humor to be found in some of the new work as well. His "Hair of the Dog" includes the lyrics:
I woke up the next mornin’ to a pain in my head
An’ I knew that I needed that drink bloody red
By the time that I mixed it I wished I was dead
It was all full of hair from that dog I named Fred
So there’s hair from my dog in the hair of the dog that bit me
Don’t know what you think but you know furry drinks just don’t fit me
When I needed that Mary all bloody and red
What I got was a mouthful of dog hair instead
‘Cause there’s hair from my dog in the hair of the dog that bit me !
As soon as suitable recordings of these new songs (along with updated versions of some of the old ones) can be made--anyone willing to put up some free studio time?--they will be posted here, and a new CD will be produced.
In the meantime, Leigh wishes to thank all those who have come to this site and listened, especially those who have left the kind comments. It's great to be appreciated once again!
You know the Bible 100%!
Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!
Ultimate Bible Quiz
Create MySpace Quizzes
I Am A Cedar Tree