Spotted last night...

So, last night I was out checking out a fabulous group called THE ACOUSTIC SAINTS at a local establishment in the valley, and ran into Joe Retta. 


For those of you who do not know Joe, he is the former (and sometimes) lead singer for QUEEN NATION (Tribute to Queen) here in the Los Angeles area.  Joe has been most recently doing the lead vocal duties with the former UK power group, The Sweet.


It was great to see him after such a long hiatus.  Always unpredictable and great of voice, he sat in the SAINTS for some great unplugged Zeppelin.  It was great to see Stu and Stuart of Heaven and Earth(also one of Joe's projects) and hear of their upcoming record release set for early fall!  Keep and Ear out!!


THE ACOUSTIC SAINTS delivered up some tasty renditions of classic rock, reinvented and thoughtfully arranged.  Featuring a lineup of a "who's who" in the LA and National music scene, the band is Stan Bush on guitar and soaring vocals, Chuck Wight  on acoustic fretless bass and backing vocals (Quiet Riot), and Rick Sailon (Laura Branigan, Jim Messina) who brings violin, mandolin, guitar and backing vocals.  


Listening to the SAINTS with a little RETTA thrown in was such an enjoyable treat.  If you get a chance to catch an ACOUSTIC SAINTS show, Go!



Love,
Michelle

 Joe Retta

The Acoustic Saints 

(left to right) Rick Sailon, Stan Bush, Chuck Wright

Getting Ready...

It's Summer and that means a lot of shows in the pipeline! 


We are very grateful to all of our friends who have supported and stood by us since 2002!
Back then, the 'Tribute Scene' was just really starting to take off and we jumped in head first with "Bella Donna".


In the beginning, it was quite a task getting the blueprint for the band, establishing a "name" and a plan.  At times it seemed very daunting indeed.
The successful tributes of the day were largely superstar male groups (think, Beatles, Stones, Diamond, etc) and being a band that was female fronted was a challenge!


Although a 'no brainer' to me, given the vast and enduring popularity of Fleetwood Mac's enchantress, Stevie Nicks, at times it was a harder sell.


Promoters were not quite sure if a band that sang about "Dreams" and "Gold Dust" would translate well  alongside the testosterone soaked tributes gracing the Los Angeles scene.


Luckily, my vision of honoring the great Stevie Nicks with a tribute solely dedicated to her grabbed on and never let go!


Almost 10 years later, the Tribute Scene is flourishing and has become an entity unto itself.
As more boomer age musicians hang up their top 40 licks and jump into the pool, undoubtedly, the genre could swell to the point of collapse.  Time will tell if this is a fad or not.


At any rate, I am happy and gratefully satisfied with our accomplishments.  Having received big 'kudos' from Ms. Nicks herself in 2005, Bella Donna continues to work hard to honor the woman who has inspired so many---us, not withstanding!


Love,


Michelle

The Hauntingly Familiar tribute to The Reigning Queen of Rock

"Come In...Out of The Darkness..."

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