Earned Respect

 

 

How’s it going Ladies and Gentlemen?

Thanks for coming back to Graceland Ontario, your one stop location for success advice from the greats. Today we’re going to talk about standing for your principles.

Another sad post… As you probably know if you’re Canadian (and probably don’t if you’re not ), the great Stompin’ Tom Conners, local singer and legend, passed away a couple days ago at the age of 77 (which is far too young these days). The man who was named for the way he kept time with his left foot wrote classics like “Sudbury Saturday Night” and, most popularly, “The Good Ol’ Hockey Game”, not to mention about 298 others.

But what he might be remembered most by was his pride in being Canadian. It was only a couple months ago on Canada Day that I compared the man to Elvis in the U.S. for the patriotism he was synonymous with in my country. I mean, he openly spoke out against Canadian artists who sought fame in the larger United States who with a population ten times ours have about as many extra opportunities. He fought to keep a Canadian identity in music, even as more and more American recordings crossed the border.

Now, I’m not against American music − as you probably know from this blog, I’m a HUGE Elvis fan. But someone needs to stand up for something if it’s going to live, and Stompin’ Tom was the man to do it for us Canadians and our music. Proud to the end, a true patriot.

Stompin’ Tom’s death signals an end to an age in Canadian music. But even though he only sold nearly four million records (compared to Elvis’s over One Billion), his music will live on to all those who remember him for standing what he believed in, even when it wasn’t popular.

What does this mean for you? Stand for something you believe in and don’t stop, even if it doesn’t look like it’s going your way, even if others think you’re crazy for it. They’ll respect you in the end. At the Toronto Maple Leaf’s hockey game the night Tom’s name was called, most of the fans stood up during the playing of “The Good Ol’ Hockey Game” in respect of him.

I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t mind a tribute like that when I pass on.

Stand for what you believe in and I'll talk to you next week!

Alex H.

In tribute of Stompin’ Tom, here’s a Youtube link to his hit, “The Good Ol’ Hockey Game”, his most famous song.

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So, I Suppose We're Talking About Legacy: Remembering Sir Patrick Moore

 

Hey Guys!

Today’s a kinda special post on Graceland Ontario. For me, it might be one of the saddest ones. One of my childhood heroes, the British astronomer, Sir Patrick Moore, died today at the age of 89. His program, The Sky at Night’s been running since 1957. His last episode was Monday.

So, what I suppose I’m writing to you about today is legacy.

The focus of this blog is, of course, Elvis’s success lessons −the ones you can learn from to take and improve your life.

Well, legacy’s as proven by Elvis as it was by Sir Patrick Moore, even if in a different way.

Elvis had roughly a twenty three year career, from 1954 to 1977. You might be able to add a bit to the beginning there… in short, for a man who died in his early forties, he’d already compiled nearly a quarter century’s worth of work.

Elvis recorded somewhere between 665 and 988 songs in his life.

Those aren’t the rough drafts, the unheard tapes, the live performances. Those are just the different songs he put out. Compared with the complete output of the Beatles (at about 213 and 288), it’s a large number for a musician to put out.

And, even now, those songs are still heard − some like the early Sun recordings stuff, others prefer when his voice became all big and operatic. But one things for sure, there’s a legacy for people to listen to.

Same thing with Patrick Moore − there are hundreds of episodes of his show out there (over 700). Even with his passing, he, like Elvis, will never really pass. Not for a long time. There’s just too much he’s left behind for people to forget him.

 

God knows when you go the way of Sir Patrick or Elvis. God knows how much or how little time you have left. But you better get moving. People remember others for their output. Sure, some people are better thought of during their life than others, but if you have a product to sell, books to be read, songs to be heard, then you’re a heck of a lot better off than those who haven’t started. And those objects can continue to sell long after you die, giving you a sort of immortality.

 

Those who don’t do any work out of fear, stand no chance of being remembered.

And, even if you think you don’t care about being remembered, there is a financial aspect to be considered − the work you do now will be rewarded, if marketed properly, for financial compensation on your part. And when you’re gone, it’s the best death insurance policy you can by for your friends and family.

Sometimes it takes someone to kick you before you get moving. Now it’s my turn − for me, nothing’s more rewarding than a reader telling me they were inspired by something I said to action. I’d like to hear your success stories. But you gotta give it your all to earn that success. Otherwise, there’ll be no legacy, and you will fade to obscurity. Action or inertia: it’s your choice.

 

Elvis’s Lessons:

Sir Patrick Moore passed away today. He had a show on British television, The Sky at Night, for over fifty years. He left a legacy, like Elvis with his hundreds of recordings. Legacies give you a kind of immortality −your work will last even after you pass. And people’ll remember you. Plus, it’ll make you money now and for your estate when you’re gone. But you’ve gotta get started somewhere. If you don’t know how, let this post kick you to action. I want to see you be successful, but it’s your choice whether you decide to give it a shot.

P.S. If you want to read one of Sir Patrick's Obituaries, here's the one off CTV.

P.P.S. If you'd like to see an episode of The Sky at Night, here's one off Youtube.

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