Storms make trees take deeper roots.
~Dolly Parton
We met my first day of acting class in West Hollywood (over a liquor store!) near the corner of La Cienega and Santa Monica Blvd. I don't remember being nervous but I must have been, it was my first acting class since moving to Los Angeles from San Diego. Leslie and I hit it off immediately. She'd been there for a while and was so open and welcoming. She was my first friend in L.A. We started going to the famed Barney's Beanery after class as well as the drag queen cafe down the street for coffee and fries with our fellow actors. We had "music nights" where we'd all gather around Leslie at the piano and sing as she played our favorite Broadway showtunes and standards.
In 1996 I flew to Cincinnati to be a bridesmaid in her wedding and since then she has had three beautiful children. She's always been an amazing songwriter and after going through challenges no Mom should go through she has channeled this gift into a new album.
From her website ...
Singer-songwriter Leslie Cours Mather has certainly endured some dark times recently. At the age of four her daughter Stefani was diagnosed with leukemia. Thankfully, Stefani, now eight, has been treated and is doing just fine. But it was a tough patch there for a bit. Out of it all, however, came an added bonus. As she and her family passed through this emotionally wrenching period, Leslie found solace and release in writing songs. Several of these songs are found on For My Children, her astonishing new album.
This song is the heart of a parent: limitless, sacrificial and persistent. I wrote it while watching my daughter endure Chemotherapy at the precious age of four, but I believe I would have written it for any of my children.
~Leslie
50% of each CD purchase ($5.00) will be donated to a childhood Leukemia research consortium named TACL (Therapeutic Advances in Childhood Leukemia & Lymphoma). Help us discover a cure for childhood Leukemia. Check out www.tacl.us for more information.
Interested in Leslie's beautiful CD? Click here!
I am so inspired when someone takes what are life's most difficult challenges and turns them into something beautiful and inspiring.
I am so proud of you Leslie!
Where words fail.
Music speaks.
~Hans Christian Anderson
10 comments:
Love the song;she needs to go the Nashville. What a great friendship yours has been.
I will tell her you said so! Thanks Donna!
I do feel blessed.
as always - beautiful .. and oh so true!! Love you and Les too - I remember those days well!! from Melissa N.
Thank you very much for your visit and your fine words!!!
Thanks Lu! What an honor to be a part of your beautiful blog. Who's up for a music night? Thanks for supporting such a critical cause. Leslie
What a beautiful story and what an amazing voice your friend has...thank you for sharing her with us all.
Weekend hugs to you. xoxo
Touching post. Leslie's music is lovely. Real pain. Thanks for sharing this.
What a moving post. I am so happy that Leslie's daughter is now better. I will be back later to listen to the music. It's a bit noisy around here right now.
it´s really beautiful. thanks for sharing this. i´d love to hear more about your acting adventures. we´ll have to meet at the drag queen cafe for a long coffee one day. :)
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