Posts Tagged ‘Rona Sullivan’
July 2026 VOCAL Songwriters Showcase
It was quite a celebration at O’Toole’s Restaurant and Pub on Forest Hill Avenue in southside Richmond July 20, 2026. The Virginia Organization of Composers and Lyricists (VOCAL) had just celebrated their 40th birthday, and some of its finest songwriters came out for the VOCAL Showcase. The headliner was Gary Shaver on keyboard with his musical guests Steve Young on guitar, Larry Lyles on violin, and Marilyn Brown as a vocalist. Opening up for Gary was Steve Smithson, Rona Sullivan and Jill Chumley, and David Atkins. Such writing and performance talent drew in a large crowd for a memorable evening of original music.
Steve Smithson
Steve opened the show with a new song, written recently, a pensive tune, singing “…Rebel wind is callin’, will you now hold me dear, the time in growing near….”, as he picked the strings of his six-string guitar.
Steve followed that with a question for the audience: “Y’all feel like singing tonight?” He taught us the line “Burn my bones”, which the crowd repeated at his direction, everybody singing acapella without guitar, with Steve adding the line “…and bury my ashes.”
Next came a cowboy song with images of the West. “Another cowboy rides away…..there’s no reason to stay…”, the cowboy marveling at the majestic mountains to his left and right. Strumming his guitar, Steve sang “Praire cowboy, hang up your spurs….”, remembering the by-gone days for what they were.
Enthusiastic applause greeted Steve at the end of his set, and John Ellis, the MC for the evening, got up to the mike to thank Steve and inform the crowd about all things VOCAL. Next up, Rona Sullivan and Jill Chumley, both with their guitars.
Rona Sullivan and Jill Chumley
The first two songs were written by Rona, who introduced her first song as “…my reason for never dating a songwriter…”. She sang “Don’t put me in your book, don’t put me in your song….that’s where I know it’s over, that’s where is all goes wrong…”, with Jill adding harmony. “That’s a true story…” Rona said after she finished.
Rona’s next song she described as her divorce song, featuring Jill playing harmonica during the instrumental opening of the song. The audience laughed at the line “…you can take the house…..I’m keepin’ the truck!”.
After Rona’s two songs, Jill sang two of her own. Jill said her first song was about a relationship that ended in divorce, “…however I didn’t get a truck.” More laughter. “Roll on, wheels of love, roll on changing times…my soul is flying…”, Jill sang, adding harmonica in places. Powerful material. Jill told those assembled that “I’m sure there’ll be happier songs tonight.”
Jill’s second and final song was written about a friend who lost her dog that had been her companion for 16 years. The song is called “My Lace”, and includes the lyrics “…Can you feel my love surround you?.....Always there by my side, loving me, loving you, even when we have the blues….take me to the river, take me to the sea, you are always here with me….”, and a haunting refrain “…my life…..my life….my life…”.
A fine set from Rona and Jill, which was much appreciated by the audience.
David Atkins
Next up was David Atkins, who has not graced the VOCAL stage in quite some time. He opened his set with bouncy, jazzy chords on his guitar, with surprising lyrics: “Overlooked…..under-rated….I’m one of a kind……undeniably unique….it’s me, your friendly neighborhood jar of pork rinds….” Much awe and laughter. He continued “….I’m a crunchy treat that’s unique for the competition….the Rodney Dangerfield of snacks……I get no respect!” David got a happy reaction from the audience for his tune, saying “When you’ve been away as long as I have, you better start with humor!”
David’s second song, entitled “Two More Cards” was moving and thought-provoking: “….What I wouldn’t give for two more days…..what I wouldn’t give for two more lives…..what I wouldn’t give for two more cards….”
David’s next song referenced the year 1862, and reflected the divisions that can develop between people, even close friends and family. “….You’ve got your truth, I’ve got mine…..we never see things eye to eye, unless we want to…..emancipated…..there’s nothing more to say, we could have found a better way……” The story continues with the singer saying he’ll take his loved ones and move on…….”to a place people see beyond the hatred……emancipated.”
David congratulated VOCAL on its 40th year. His final song started out “….gather around me, and lend me your ears…..” and David sang of a subject close to VOCAL’s heart…..songwriting. “There are those who climb mountains, sail oceans……there are teachers and preachers….but the ones I would follow, ‘till the end of tomorrow, are the ones who write their own songs….” He sang that some people pursue songwriting for “….fortune or fame…..to mend their hearts….but there are those who need to put music to rhyme, as much as we need air…”. Well done. Good to have you back at the VOCAL Showcase, David.
Gary Shaver
The night’s headliner, Gary Shaver, came to the mike and opened his set by exclaiming “Lordy, Lordy, VOCAL is 40!” Positioned in front of his keyboard, Gary invited guitarist Steve Young to join him on Gary’s first song, “Taking the Easy Way Out”, from 1977, about a romance that didn’t last. Gary, sporting a floral Hawaiian shirt, sang “…one of these days, someone else will come along….”, meshing his chords on the keyboard with Steve’s excellent guitar work. The crowd gave an enthusiastic response to the song.
Gary noticed the good-sized crowd at O’Tooles, and wondered aloud about how long VOCAL has held its Showcase at this Irish pub. Norman Roscher, from the audience, joked back to Gary that at least VOCAL hadn’t caused this establishment to close down like others VOCAL has graced over the years. That got a good laugh from the assorted VOCAL members and friends.
Gary’s second song was about lost love, which he wrote about 10 years after his first song. “….I gave you all of my love, what a price to pay…”, he sang….”how could love make me feel this way…..how could love turn and walk away….”, a gorgeous song, accompanied by Gary’s deft fingerwork on the keys. After the song Gary complemented Steve on his guitar playing, calling him a living legend.
Gary took the opportunity to thank the many members, officers and supporters of VOCAL over the past 40 years, including it’s founder, Cham McLaughlin. And Gary read the names of members and supporters we’ve lost over the years, such as John Lephart, who didn’t write songs or perform, but who was a long-time regular at VOCAL Showcases, and a financial supporter of the group.
For his third song, Gary invited his good friend and fraternity brother Larry Lyles up to the stage to play violin. Gary told the audience that he met Larry when they were both in the Richmond Youth Symphony, and that later they were roommates in college. They played their respective instruments together on Gary’s song, which had a nostalgic feel, as Gary sang “…it’s a wonder I’m still goin’, with what I’ve left undone….I’m trading the present for the past….” Larry added soulful feeling through his notes that quickly climbed up the neck of his violin. Fine music from two musicians with a long history of friendship.
For Gary’s fourth song, he announced “Now to the stage, the premium singer in Richmond…..Marilyn Brown!” Marilyn, originally from Virginia Beach, once sang at Kings Dominion, and also with the bands Mirage and Spectrum. Currently she enjoys entertaining folks living in nursing homes in the area.
Gary introduced his song, a duet he wrote when he was 39 years old, of a conversation between two people about their love affair, which wasn’t working out. Gary and Marilyn traded off, back and forth, on the lines. “….there was a time you took my breath away…..but a change has come over us, slowly and surely…..we’ve gone through the whys and wherefores…..what should we do with “we don’t matter anymore”.” Great feeling and strong voices. The crowd responded enthusiastically to their duet, and Gary said he appreciated the love in the room.
Gary told the crowd he hasn’t played the Showcase in a while, then leaned into the mike and asked “Mary Margaret, could you bring me my water?” VOCAL member Russell Lawson took the opportunity to yell out to Gary from the audience “You didn’t ask for your walker, did you?”, playing on the word “water”. This joke was enjoyed greatly by the audience, and Gary, also.
The next tune was just Gary at the keyboard. He described this song as a waltz, entitled “I Stand Amazed by Your Love”. “…I stand amazed by your love, darling……and I thank you for lifting me up…..to a world of joy that I never knew of…..and I stand amazed at your love….” One of Gary’s finest.
Gary’s last song, written when he was 59, tells the tale of a man struggling with a love he can’t let go of. “…about being lied to and cheated, even though you did me wrong, my love for you is just as strong, and I just can’t walk away….” He wanders from state to state, “…there are so many things I want to ask you….I know you don’t want me to….I can’t stop lovin’ you….” So what can you do in a situation like this? Songwriter’s know….you put it in a song.
John Ellis returned to the mike to thank everyone for showing up at the VOCAL Showcase at O’Tooles. This showcase was a good example that 40 years on, VOCAL still presents the best in original music in the Central Virgina area. Thanks to all who made this possible and to O’Tooles for their food and hospitality!
Showcase Photos
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Photo Credits: Matthew Costello
May 2024 VOCAL Songwriters Showcase
Our May VOCAL Songwriter’s Showcase was again live at O’Toole’s with performances from long-time members Steve Nuckolls and Rona Sullivan.
Steve opened the showcase with a great tune reminiscing about his childhood home in southwest Virginia, a town that was “Two Hours From Everywhere.” Then his solid tenor took us to “The Gossen Mines”, a place he knew in his childhood near Galax where you would get “iron your clothes” just by walking through. His song spoke of the risky thrills of exploring the old mine that his dad warned him about. The minor key infused the memories with a tension and longing well suited to his range.
Steve introduced us to a song “rewritten a hundred times” concerning “you know when you toil Monday and it seems you’ve already worked the whole week.” Despite the “workplace bull”, the singer is still headed for “Destination Party Time.” Next, he gave us a new song about a lesson from his dad on the subject of appreciating life and understanding rather than “things I have to do,” “You Get To” participate. “There’s a Future in Us” called on Steve’s high register and expressed the singer’s longing for relationship and the opportunity he felt was eluding him with someone who was once part of his life.
Another new tune was a stellar story about “my favorite waitress” who might not know the narrator yet but at least “She Remembered My Beer.” There was a nice sense of anticipation in the lyric that paid off at the bridge when they “finally got to know one another” and the lady “knows my beer by heart and now remembers my name.”
The song “Married to the Same Person” was based on acquaintances whose first marriages had been unsuccessful because of the similarities of each other’s spouses. The good news in the song is their new relationship represented “a just reward for our painful past…now that we’re married to the right person.” Steve closed with “Praying for a Rocky Top” where the singer hoped to find in his new home a place that recalled his fond childhood memories of a hometown “Rocky Top” establishment. The tune was another that rested in Steve’s higher register and you could hear the yearning for the security and sense of belonging from an earlier time. Well done.
Rona Sullivan’s set reintroduced VOCAL to her powerful alto and muscular songwriting after a couple of decades absence “because I lived on a farm.” She brought “Just Gimme the Truck” alive as the narrator told off her ex and dismissed the settlement for the mode of transportation most desirable at that time. Using an off-meter line to highlight the titled refrain made the message even more clear.
Next, she softened the delivery for a finger-picked “Beside the River,” an ode to her current home and the charms of waterside living. This used several augmented and ninth chords to accentuate the poignancy and allowed the nice vibrato in her voice to be accentuated in the longer notes during the mournful melody. Next, Rona took us to “a scary place in Virginia” to tell us the story of Three Forks, where “the snakes they handled” and the “secrets held by folks in the grave” spooked her so much, she was glad she “got out alive.”
The next song performed (she said it was out of her “angry” period) matched the stronger female narrator against a less skilled guy to whom “For the Cowboy at the Bar” was dedicated. The singer asserts, “I’m a gypsy [and] you think you are a cowboy.” However, the storyteller could see right through the bluster and wouldn’t be put on the “chain around your neck.” Similarly, “Expert” took issue with a narrow-minded fellow who claimed Rona wasn’t the right person to sing the blues, so she immortalized his appraisal by writing a blues tune to give him “your 15 minutes like Warhol said you would” while dismissing his “expert” opinion and proclaiming “I’ll sing whatever I want to.”
“Woman in Black” was the tale of a self-described confident woman who is “a little bit weird” but sees herself in demi-god terms with “wings on my back” and later “flames on my back.” This was followed by a newer song about relationships where she admitted “Wherever I Am” she was always the person making the choices. She had some regret that “I follow me wherever I am” and she “can’t get far enough away from me.”
Songs can come from the weirdest places, Rona explained, introducing “I Don’t Need You” as an example, taking that phrase as a title when a friend asked her to stop looking over his shoulder in a project. The lyric confirmed her goal of making her own way as a singer/songwriter and not be silenced.
A lightly picked “Words” featured Rona’s compelling vocals in a folky ballad reminding listeners that she’s “got stories to tell.” The creativity will be in lifting the stories from her own life says the lyric. The final “Boggie Man” was a raw blues number about a character who “curse[d] the day he was born.” With “friends in high places” there’s a threat that he’ll “put you down” if you don’t steer clear. Glad you’re back in the fold, Rona. Let’s hear some more.
Showcase Photos
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Photo Credits: Matthew Costello and John Ellis
October 2023 VOCAL Songwriters Showcase
The October 2023 showcase had an intimate and attentive audience who gathered at O’Toole’s to hear three fine VOCAL talents, Rona Sullivan and Gene and Gayla Mills. Rona was a member several years ago and is back in the area performing her original tunes. Gene and Gayla have been members for several years and are back following the Covid/Plague hiatus. Welcome back to the fold!
Rona Sullivan
Rona opened the show with a few of her bluesy/folky heartfelt tunes. You Could Have Had Me asks why he would go to California or other places when he could be here with her in Virginia with all the beauty it has to offer (Blue Ridge Parkway, Chesapeake Bay, etc.) Her “short-marriage divorce song” described the give-and-take relationship they endured, but she finally just told him to keep the house and give her the truck! Three Forks is a tale about a really scary place in rural Virginia that involves snake handlers and other creepy things – don’t even think of taking me there again! Beside This River conjures up some very picturesque images along a peaceful river as we trod the mossy ground taking in beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Wild Weed describes a fast-growing child who’s “got the fever and hears the thunder”. Expert is an attitudinal song about a former attorney client who tried to tell her how to sing (e.g “you can’t sing the blues because you don’t have enough wrinkles on your face”). She tells him she’ll sing anything she wants and may even sing a song about him! Wherever I Am won’t let her get far enough away from her! Great job, Rona!
Gene and Gayla Mills
Gene and Gayla then took the stage with Gayla on upright bass and Gene on his vintage Martin. They brought us several homey/folky heartfelt songs with awesome harmonies and great cross-picking. Don’t Wait ‘Til You’re Talking to Stone conveys a great message about living in the moment, telling folks how you feel about them while you/they are here to do it. Waiting for Rain describes the plight of many in the same boat (pun intended) who really need the rain (farmers, fisherman, etc.) Gene delivered some fancy guitar picking in New Used Heart, the tale about two lovers-to-be on their second time around, tired of experiencing that “shade of blue”. Earl Thomas Johnson was inspired by a homeless man who lived under a bridge near their house. They befriended him, helped him out a bit, and learned about his past, including that he had to move out of his family home because of rising rents. Here We Are (where we said we’d be) is an autobiographical tune about the two of them, married for 37 years (congrats!) Gayla sang lead on this one with Gene joining on backup vocal and guitar. The Last Lullaby is a sad but beautiful song they wrote about a dog that was near death, but the song has apparently taken on a life of its own with other people requesting it be played for someone special in their lives. The next tune was inspired by people having great eyesight, wanting to see stars in the daytime sky and crows in the darkest night. They ended the evening with a really cool song called Fiddle in the Wall, a story about old-timers in the Blue Ridge Mountains who had to hide their fiddle in the wall because it was thought the instrument only played the Devil’s music. When the Blue Ridge Parkway was being built in the 1930’s a lot of old cabins were torn down and the fiddles were discovered. Great set, Gene and Gayla!
Showcase Photos
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