B Street Bands Glenn Stuart dealing with cancer, releases album

As much as this pandemic has been life-changing for us, for Glenn Stuart, "life changing" doesn't begin to describe what the lead singer of the "B Street Band" has been going through since this whole thing started.

A pandemic era that started with the cancellation of a gig in Italy lead into a battle with lung cancer and a new album.

"We played our last gig at the Hard Rock, AC on March 12 then we were supposed to leave to play in Florence, Italy the following week, come home for two days and then leave for vacation on the Dominican Republic," Stuart told me in an email exchange. "All canceled."

As if that wasn't enough, Stuart was diagnosed with lung cancer.

"Boom! Welcome to the Spring Of 2020! After you get over the initial shock of the diagnosis, you begin to think. I was thinking “what am I going to leave behind me?” I had these songs floating around. Some were songs done a lifetime ago. Some were just ideas in my head or scribbles on an iPad." I wanted to know that if you googled me one day in the future, something would come up beside an overdue parking ticket, you know what I mean?"

So along with chemo treatments, there was an album, "American Dreamscapes," to be made. Why "American Dreamscapes?"

"American Dreamscapes came from a painting sent to me by a B Street Band fan. Something about the picture really grabbed me and I knew I wanted to use it."

That was the beginning of making these songs, which started about family.

"I enlisted my friend Ken Waddell to help me record and produce these songs. At first, there were two or three. 'All About Love,' 'Mighty Girl' and 'Thoughts on Things' were written for my wife Grace, and my children Annie and Sean."

Then the floodgates opened.

"Then ideas started to flow and three songs became six, became nine. Ken had a few tunes he had written and done himself. When he played them for me, I thought they were awesome...those nine became eleven and Biko (by Peter Gabriel) was a song I always wanted to record, that became twelve."

Why Biko?

"Always a big PG fan and I wanted to record something that was on the more popular side of his repertoire as well as something that I felt was timely in today’s racially charged climate. I enjoyed doing that as a remake, it became a rockin’ tune...a lot of fun to do!"

"Little by Little" was based upon a poem written by a young girl from the African country of Milawi. Her name is Joyce Chisale.

"Little by Little" is also a great summation of how Glenn is dealing with all that's going on around him both personally, professionally and globally.

"As it says in the song, little by little we'll find our way"

To get Glenn's album "American Dreamscapes," click here.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Steve Trevelise. Any opinions expressed are Steve's own. Steve Trevelise is on New Jersey 101.5 Monday-Thursday from 7pm-11pm. Follow him on Twitter @realstevetrev.