Known to our trade as a veteran of the commercialmaking industry, production house entrepreneur/executive producer Tom Mooney is also a Vietnam War veteran. And when his son, who’s a Marine, recently came home safe from a tour of duty overseas, the elder Mooney felt the need and burning desire to make an album, “#10 G.I.,” carrying a message to break the seemingly endless cycle of war so that all our servicemen and women can come home.
The first single–“Forget The Hate,” for which Mooney sings and plays guitar–and corresponding music video from that album have just been released, with all sales proceeds going to charities that support our troops and war veterans.
The song was 40 years in the making as Mooney had been noodling with the lyrics over the decades dating back to his time in the military. He finally brought it to full fruition recently given that today’s times call for its message.
The black-and-white video, directed by Alex Engel, has Mooney performing against a backdrop of historic images from war and politics. His raspy vocal rendition is a call for peace, showcasing those in the military service who sacrifice of themselves on assorted fronts, and in some cases sadly make the ultimate sacrifice. The album and video are designed to put the spotlight on our soldiers instead of the election year norm when politicians are front and center stage.
Mooney and Engel conceived of the video, which can be seen below and is posted on YouTube. More info can be accessed on Mooney’s Forget The Hate Facebook page. and here.
The performing ensemble on the album consists of vocalist/guitarist Mooney, Jay Folk on lead guitar, Phil Calico on bass guitar and Paul Ducker on saxophone. Calico and Mooney are album producers.
Dan Klein executive produced the video, which was shot on the Curious Pictures stage in NYC. The stage, talent, time and services that brought the music and video to fruition were all donated.
Mooney, perhaps best known in the ad biz as founder of the venerable production house Headquarters, now maintains ADDigital Productions. Klein is exec producer at ADDigital and Engel is on the company’s directorial roster.
Stars Among Those Who Lost Their Homes In L.A. Area Fires; Jamie Lee Curtis Pledges $1M To Relief Effort
Fires burning in and around Los Angeles have claimed the homes of numerous celebrities, including Billy Crystal, Jeff Bridges, and R&B star Jhené Aiko, and led to sweeping disruptions of entertainment events. Three awards ceremonies planned for this weekend have been postponed. Next week's Oscar nominations have been delayed. And tens of thousands of Angelenos are displaced and awaiting word Thursday on whether their homes survived the flames — some of them the city's most famous denizens. Thousands of structures have been destroyed but damage assessments are just beginning. More than 180,000 people are also under evacuation orders in the metropolitan area, from the Pacific Coast inland to Pasadena, a number that continues to shift as new fires erupt. Late Wednesday, a fire in the Hollywood Hills was scorching the hills near the famed Hollywood Bowl and Dolby Theatre, which is the home of the Academy Awards. That fire had been largely contained without damage to Hollywood landmarks. Here are how the fires are impacting celebrities and the Los Angeles entertainment industry: Stars whose homes have burned in the fires Celebrities like Crystal and his wife, Janice, were sharing memories of the homes they lost. The Crystals lost the home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood that they lived in for 45 years. "Janice and I lived in our home since 1979. We raised our children and grandchildren here. Every inch of our house was filled with love. Beautiful memories that can't be taken away. We are heartbroken of course but with the love of our children and friends we will get through this," the Crystals wrote in the statement. After her learning her Pacific Palisades home was lost in the fires, Melissa Rivers says she was... Read More