What a year it’s been so far! I want to apologize for not blogging updates like I should, but I’ve been planning a wedding. My beautiful bride and I got married on Maui June 18th with our closest friends and family. It was a beautiful celebration filled with Mariachis, Hula and Fire dancers and a lifetime of memories at what is thought to be Hawaii’s oldest Sugar Mill.
On the music front, I have been busy writing (as usual). There are new songs featured on Days Of Our Lives pretty much every week (sometimes daily!). And a bunch of songs that I can’t wait to share with you guys!
I hope you all are having a great summer so far. I’ll try not to let the summer end before the next update!
Man I’m so excited about this week! It’s Emmy week!! If you haven’t heard, I’m nominated for Outstanding Original Song in a Drama Series. As cliché as it sounds, it’s a total honor to be nominated. Don’t get me wrong though, I really want to win. I don’t want to be the guy making the crazy bummed out face when someone elses name is called. So the easiest remedy is to say “and the winner is Jd Webb!”
Last week was awesome. I’ve been in the studio writing a lot, lots of new music, songs for me, as well as other artists. I also attended some great events. Chaske Spencer hosted Be The Shift, a charity to benefit the Sioux Tribe. It was great hanging with the Twilight cast. I also went to an awesome charity event called Hear Me. It’s an amazing organization that gives orphanages access to recording studios and links them with other orphanages all over the world so that they can make music together. I’m really looking forward to doing more with the Hear Me Charity.
Ok friends, I’m headed off to my suit fitting. I hope my suit for the Emmys rocks. I chose the fabric, style and the designer. If it sucks, it’s all my fault! Cross your fingers. I’ll give you guys a sneak peek before I hit the red carpet. Ok, more to come soon!
I’ve been way behind on my blogging so far this year. Sorry about that, but today is a new day!
So I’m loving this spring weather. If I can’t be home in Hawaii, then for me California is the next best thing. Sure the water isn’t as clear and then there’s the smog and the traffic, but lately hanging out in the water on my paddle board, I can almost overlook it. I said ALMOST. Since I’ve lived in LA, I’ve complained about the waves and how crowded the surf is, but now that I’m addicted to Paddle Boarding, I don’t care. I can surf when I’m home in Hawaii. When I’m in LA, it’s me, the board and my paddle. It doesn’t matter if it’s flat or not. I love it!
I’ve been all about the Ocean this Spring, even more so then usual. I’ve even been doing a lot of my song writing on a boat! I just bring my portable studio and I’m set. Somehow I always feel inspired.
Tomorrow I’m headed to the ATL! Atlanta is one of my favorite southern cities and it’s been WAY too long since I’ve been there!
After ATL I’m headed home to Hawaii for my mom’s birthday and Mother’s Day. I’ve got a special Mom’s Day gift for all of you and you don’t even have to be a mom! More info on that shortly.
I hope all of you are enjoying Spring as much as I am and if you see my padding by. Be sure to give a big ALOOOOOOHA!
I know it’s been a while since I blogged, but I just couldn’t. This has been one of the most difficult times of my life. I know it’s time to move forward so that’s what I’ll do. Since it’s been a couple of months, I’ll try to bring you all up to speed.
I was so excited for December. Most of you know it’s my favorite month. And this year was going to be extra special. My Christmas CD Home For The Holidays was set to release and I’ve been very excited about the songs on this project. Recording started early in the summer and everyone was finally going to get to hear what I’d been working so hard on for all these months.
Somehow even with the long hours in the studio, I had finished my Christmas shopping early and my focus was going to be on spending quality time with my family. For the first time in a long time I was going to make it home for my birthday December 9th and spend the rest of the month Home For The Holidays .
I was counting down the days knowing that my Grandparents were already in Hawaii which would make the holidays all the more special. My “Da” (Grandfather) had no idea that I’d written a song about him called Just Like You about him and all my family was a buzz with anticipation. My Grandfather has always been my hero and now I was going to get to show him from my heart how much he means to me. Yes I had told him a thousand times, but never like this, never in a song.
I remember December 1st feeling an unusual sense of urgency, wanting to be there with my family, especially my Grandparents. It almost consumed my thoughts. I just kept telling myself “just a few more days”.
I remember my flight home to Hawaii, I just kept thinking how it would be one of the best Christmases ever. I couldn’t wait to see the look on Da’s face when he heard Just Like You. The day that I got home, Da was complaining about stomach pains. Within a few hours, he said we should probably go to the hospital. He doesn’t like hospitals so I was surprised to hear him say that. He was in too much pain to walk up the stairs so I carried him up the stairs. Never at a loss to make me laugh, carrying him up the stairs he said, “you sure are strong Jd”. I told him that when he got out of the hospital he could return the favor. We all laughed.
Once we got to the hospital, the Doctors said that his stomach had somehow flipped and that was causing the problem. They said it could just turn on it’s own so they would wait a few days and if not, he’d need to have an operation. Da was in great spirits as always and the family camped out in his hospital room never leaving his side. We prayed and believed for the best. Hopefully he wouldn’t even need surgery.
A couple of days later, I was sitting on the bed talking to Da and he said he stomach started really hurting. The pain left after about 10 minutes and he returned to his jovial self. Later that night, the doctors said that his pain he spoke of in the afternoon had been a heart attack. They said that he couldn’t have surgery because the heart attack had made it too risky. We had to hope his stomach would flip back. We rallied around and continued to pray.
Over the next few days Da’s health began to decline within days he wasn’t able to respond to us. For the next couple of days he was unresponsive. I told Da that I was going home for a few hours. I gave him a hug and said “I need you Da, I love you so much”. Da said “love you J”. I looked up at my family and said “Da whispered I love you”! I was so excited. He must be on the mend. It was about midnight when I got home, I said a prayer for Da and crashed. At about 4 that morning the phone rang. It was my mom calling from the hospital. “Da’s gone” she said. My Dad, my sister and I rushed to the hospital, the nurses were in the room. They told us we needed to go to the waiting room. My mom and Meme were in there, we hugged and cried.
Da went to heaven December 22nd. My Grandfather taught me so much about life and love. He lead by example and words cannot describe what an amazing man he was. His love for my Grandmother was that of a fairytale. He made everyone of his children and grandchildren feel like they were the most special thing on Earth.
I never got to play him the song I wrote for him, but I know he was proud of me, he told me that every time I talked to him. I hope to one day be the husband and father that my Grandfather was. He was on in a million. I miss him and I promise to continue to make him proud.
It’s official I am in Christmas overdrive and it’s not even Thanksgiving yet. I think what finally did me in has to be blamed on Coffee Bean. They introduced their holiday drinks and for one day last week they were free! Well let’s just say I don’t think I drove by a Coffee Bean that day without stopping. It was a peppermint latte love fest!
Now you know what spawned the whole Starbucks or Coffee Bean posts. And I have to say, Coffee Bean is wooing me!
It’s not like I needed to me more in the Christmas spirit. I’ve been singing Christmas songs since May when I started recording Home For The Holidays. You know the saying “it makes you want Christmas all year round”? Well this year I’m living it!
Recording the title song “Home For The Holidays” with so many of my family members really kicked it off. That was an amazing memory. Having all of them together in the studio was unbelievable and they rocked it!
The whole thing was a great time in the studio. I loved putting my own spin on Christmas songs that I’ve grown up with as well as writing new ones! My Grandfather hasn’t heard “Just Like You” yet, we’re keeping it a secret until I get home to Hawaii. My family said they just keep stopping the CD before the last song starts.
Thanks for all of the great comments about the CD. I hope it brings your family years of enjoyment!
Cross your fingers. I’ll give you guys a sneak peek before I hit the red carpet. Ok, more to come soon!
Hi friends,
