W., Bradenton free įor this year’s Bradenton Area River Regatta music lineup, event organizers tapped a rock star with local ties to headline.Ĭhuck Negron, the former lead singer of Three Dog Night, will play a free concert at the Bradenton Riverwalk’s pavilion and event area. Saturday Bradenton Riverwalk, 452 Third Ave. I want my music to help give people peace and comfort.Chuck Negron: 5:15 p.m. “I’m a survivor,” she said, “and I’m ready to tell my story. Now I know that the rolling stones, including Leah here, can find their direction to a safe home once they step into this house and ask for help.”Īs for Leah, she’s ready to get off the streets, join a garage band and maybe take a shot at stardom on NBC’s singing competition “The Voice.” But one of her primary goals is to one day record an album that chronicles her life, including her days on the streets, in ways that only a gorgeous harmony and heartfelt lyrics can. When Max finished, he put the microphone down and said, “I’ve always loved that song, but now that I think about those lyrics, they mean more than they ever did when I was growing up. The same could be said for Max, who is usually mild-mannered, but his inner folk singer came out as he belted out every line of Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone:” “I always love seeing that moment when someone shyly picks up the microphone, and then, as they begin singing, they are able to reveal their true personalities.” “Karaoke lifts the spirits of everyone here, especially on frigid days when everyone wants to forget the realities of living on the streets,” Max said. For Max, karaoke isn’t just about singing, it’s about making the house feel even more like a home.
Music is my gift, so I’m glad I can share it here at Denver House.Īmong Leah’s supporters is Max Parker, who oversees Denver House and is a regular at the weekly karaoke sessions. And I’ve always played the piano, including some of my favorite pieces by Rachmaninoff. “I’ve sung for hours a day since I was a child. “Singing has made me happier in my heart,” she said. “One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do,” Leah sang, letting her voice carry throughout the warm house where she doesn’t feel alone, unlike the nights spent on the streets. Leah doesn’t like to go into details about what caused her to live on the streets, but she did say her faith is what keeps her going each day, and would eventually lead her to a safe place to live. In those days, Leah was an aspiring singer whose journey to stardom was blocked by personal issues, including mental illness, that ultimately left her homeless on and off for several months. Once the familiar music for “One is the Loneliest Number” began playing, Leah beautifully sang, just like she did back in high school. What those karaoke singers may not have known is that karaoke has actually been shown to bolster self-image, decrease anxiety and encourage social interaction, according to this study.
“I chose this song because it speaks to what being homeless really feels like - lonely,” Leah said.īut Leah wasn’t alone in the Denver House living room, where people waited for her to sing as the lyrics were highlighted on a flat-screen TV above the fireplace. Leah had something else in mind: the classic Three Dog Night tune, “One is the Loneliest Number.” It was time for Leah to shine.Įach week, Denver House participants, many of whom are impacted by mental illness and homelessness, gather to sing tunes that range from old gospel songs to the latest radio hits. Inside the peer-run drop-in center, Leah headed straight to the living room. On a day when temperatures hovered just above freezing, Leah left the cold and the realities of homelessness at the door step of Denver House.