"A moment to show you care"
The
saying, “Take a moment to show you care,” is truly represented in Daniel
Rodriguez and the interest he took in making my mom’s 88th birthday a
day that will always be treasured in our hearts.
Over the years,
we “met” Daniel on television several times, as did millions of others.
His voice always caused us to reflect on God’s presence during all
circumstance. Daniel’s full tenor voice seemed so reassuring and to us,
he became (as the Catholic song says), “A channel of God’s peace." And
so I sent a humble, hopeful request for any song Daniel could possibly
dedicate to my mom since we had purchased tickets for the evening
performance of the "New York Tenors" at the Barbara B. Mann Theater---which fell
exactly on her birthday. All birthdays are special in our family but
to us, this one had a much deeper meaning---we were celebrating the life
of a wonderful, special, and fragile lady.
My mother had
survived many hardships, war in Europe, fleeing from soldiers,
immigrating to the USA, hard work, and deaths of two husbands. Not long
ago, her own life stopped and she had to be revived four times as she
"coded" amidst policemen, firefighters, and paramedics. These men were
our heroes and the newspapers called it, “A miracle”. As matriarch for
four generations, she loved listening to classical music and Daniel’s
beautiful voice and so I was eager to have this be a wonderful, touching
surprise.
Well, tears and smiles intermingled after the impact
of Daniel’s announcement came from the stage. The song “Ave Maria”,
one of my mother’s favorite, was breath- taking and so appropriate. My
mom was incredibly touched as the realization-- that Dan was singing to
her-- sank in more and more.
After the performance, we went to see Daniel for CDs, his autograph, and to thank him for his beautiful dedication. Imagine our surprise as he stood up and sang, “Happy Birthday” to my mom sitting in her wheelchair -- as 300 or more fans surrounded us. Nothing is more wonderful then to see a loved one happy….. and my mom radiated happiness and joy!
Since then we have
listened to Daniel’s CDs many times and enjoyed them each time anew.
Unbeknown to Daniel, we had attended an early morning mass on my mom’s
birthday where (as a surprise to my mom) a special prayer and blessing
had been said by our priest.
What are the chances of beginning
and ending one’s birthday with a church blessings and a favorite
religious song sung by not only a beautiful voice but a generous, caring
heart. Thank you, Daniel!
Over the coming years many special times with Daniel followed. What an honor to be considered his friend. This man was put on this earth and given such a beautiful gift to make so many people happy, and has certainly turned my mother, Julia into a new person. We wish Dan, Marla and baby Alexandra a life rich in the happiness which he has given to so many.
Marla, Julie, Daniel, Rosemary
A warm welcome from Maestro Carl Topilow for America's Beloved Tenor!
This patriotic concert is a seven year tradition titled an "Armed forces Salute (this year) with Daniel Rodriguez." Right after the opening presentation of the colors and flags, Dan came on and did three songs. They were "This Is the Moment," "The House I Live In" and "Into the Fire" dedicated to our emergency workers, first responders, boys in blue and troops overseas. He, of course, brought the house down with his verve and dedication, not to mention his powerful voice.
Intermission was a highlight for us, back stage for hugs and pictures and we heard about Dan's F15 flight which he was so enthused about. Jack brought out the pictures and folks—we have a new, handsome "Top Gun" who is also the best tenor in the world. Jim and Cindy kept saying they were living in a dream world come true.
Elizabeth
Oct. 2007 New Zealand: Christchurch concert - Oct 31 2007: by Kay
Arriving early with my sister and daughter-in-law, ensured a front row seat. To see Daniel in person was a dream come true. Daniel and the beautiful Marla blew me away. I never stopped smiling all night. It was sensational.
Dan and Marla were signing CDs after the concert. I said to Dan "excuse me Mr. Rodriguez would it be possible to have a photo with you"? [Daniel did not yet realize this was actually Kay, his #1 NZ fan, and would not discover this until the following night]
Dan said to Marla "let's meet these people." When they walked over to us I said to Dan "is it ok to call you Daniel or Dan"? Dan started to sing " 'you can call me sweetheart', if you want to."
He then helped me out of my wheelchair while a few photos were taken with Marla and family. WHAT A GENTLEMAN and MARLA SUCH A SWEET LADY. It says heaps about stars who will greet people from all walks of life just as they are. Kay
Ashburton - Nov 1....Capturing the moment.....This was my night! Written by Kay Nov. 2007
Seated with my family in the front row 20 minutes before concert due to start, Daniel and his tour manager walked into auditorium. Daniel asked "which one is Kay"? I said I am and stood saying to Dan "I met you last night." While Dan greeted me one of his lasting hugs and a kiss on the cheek asked "why didn't you tell me it was you "? I replied "you never asked and besides it wasn't my night."
It was so lovely to spend time after the concert when everyone is relaxed. My son Caleb and Dan seemed to have similar interests. Both ex police officers, food, singing, family orientated, humour, outdoor interests, similar nature, kind, caring, etc., and love the Lord. I brought a homemade Pavlova. Dan sure enjoyed it!! There was lots of laughter coming from our corner it was great. Kay.
Kay and Dan ready to dive into her homemade Pavolva! Kay's son Caleb with Daniel
Kay's final concert 2008
Dunedin - Nov 3..... Marla's home town.... What a night! My sister and I arrived early at the venue again to have a good seat. We were privileged to be able to sit in on rehearsal. The singing was so emotional, it was explosive. The audience was spell bound. I was totally captivated and sat in awe this a magnificent evening. I never stopped smiling again.
Dan, never stop chasing your dreams. Your strengths and guidance from the Lord will lead you to greater glories in life. Your journey will take you to places you never dreamed of. I am so honoured to meet you. Simply gracious, loving, time for everyone. Thank you for coming, see you 2009.
Special thanks to my sister Elizabeth who took photos, and took me to the concerts I appreciate all you have done for me. God Bless, Love Kay.
March 29, 2009: Hello to all Daniel's fans & friends, by Elizabeth, Kay's sister
Where does one start? It is now 7 days since Daniel's Ashburton concert and I was there for the last night of his "New Zealand 2009 Legendary Lanza tour." He opened with a lovely tribute to Kay "She was a special friend and we knew her as Kay. Tonight's performance is for her."
I had invited 3 of Kay's caregivers to come along, also Kay's son Caleb & his wife, and Kay's youngest daughter Kalo and her husband were there. There were tender moments, laughter and a tear or two as Daniel took us through an amazing journey, it is a night we shall never forget.
Daniel said "I do have one more song and this one is for Kay, she was a lovely singer and her talent is passed on to her family – Caleb stand up!" Daniel sang "How Great Thou Art" (Kay had chosen this song to be sung at her funeral along with Daniel's "You Raise Me Up") Daniel stepped forward, knelt on the stage and put his hand out to me, I stood and returned my hand to his – what a perfect gentleman.
Kay would have LOVED to have been there, but the memory he has left and the tribute he paid was so wonderful, we will cherish the memories of Daniel & Kay forever. Kay adored him, and loved him as a special friend.
Daniel Rodriguez - thank you for all you did for Kay. She always said you are awesome. We know you are. Thank you to all the fans who were in touch with her, she did appreciate all you did. We can't wait until your next tour Daniel, we'll be there. Forever grateful. May God Bless you all. - Elizabeth
The next time she saw Daniel was at a Thousand Oaks Concert..by then her health declined and she was in a wheelchair– it was to be the last of his concerts she would attend– but not the last time she would see her favorite singer.
In Feb. of 2004, my aunt had two heart attacks and had just returned from a few diagnostic tests when the phone rang. I answered it and heard a very familiar voice on the other end. Yes- it was a long distance call from New York to California from Daniel. He asked to speak with my aunt. Once I realized I was not dreaming, I handed the phone to my aunt and said it was Daniel Rodriguez. She didn't believe me at first.
But when she heard his voice, a smile illuminated her face. They spoke for a few minutes and my mom and I also said a few words. Hours later, my aunt was still beaming and has joyfully told all of the nurses that she got a call from America's Tenor.
My aunt said Daniel's best wishes made her forget that she had two heart attacks. Thank you so much Daniel! Your kind thoughts have been wonderful medicine for a woman who has long loved your music. To know that this man who has touched the hearts of millions of people and brought them comfort, also took time to bring joy to my aunt is something we will always cherish.
America's tenor Daniel sings with young fan
By Anthony Warren
After his son left the stage Monday night, having completed a duet with internationally recognized tenor Daniel Rodriguez, Gregg Harper had tears in his eyes.
Rodriguez, New York City's famed "Singing Policeman," performed for a packed house at the Pearl High School auditorium, fulfilling a promise he made to Harper's son Livingston, a special-needs student at Pearl, two years ago.
The show featured the Pearl High Singers, the Chamber Singers and other school choirs, reaching its climax when Rodriguez invited Livingston Harper onstage to sing a duet on God Bless the U.S.A.
After the song, Gregg Harper took off his glasses and wiped away tears as he grabbed his wife. "There were a bunch of those," Harper said. "Obviously, they are tears of joy. This was such a special moment not hear Livingston sing with a person I think is the world's greatest tenor. Something like that makes up for all the difficulties Livingston has had."
Rodriguez said after the show that he told the Harpers that he would visit Pearl after they came to see him perform in Atlanta. "I'm blessed to be here at Pearl High School," he said. "I see the spirit of God, the spirit of community and the spirit of music in these young faces." Said Gregg Harper: "To have Daniel keep his promise shows a lot about his promise and character."
The $3,500 raised from the show was to be delivered by Rodriguez in the name of Pearl High to first lady Laura Bush at a USO show on Wednesday. The money will be donated to the USO care package program.
By Daniel, March 26, 2007 "The Promise"
This is a story about a young boy named Livingston and a promise that was made two years ago. Two years
ago when I was performing with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, I received a call that a young man named Livingston and his dad were driving from Mississippi to come to the concert. I asked them if they would join me for lunch.
This was the first time that I met Mr. Livingston Harper, a wonderful young man with a heart of gold and a personality to match, despite his challenges in dealing with Fragile X Syndrome (www.fragilex.org).
He said he was a singer in his high school choir and would love it if I would come to listen to him someday. I promised that I would, which brings me to the amazing day I just spent at Pearl High School in Pearl, Mississippi.
The amazing choir that performed this evening rivaled any professional choir. I got a chance to sing "Battle Hymn of the Republic" with the choir before doing a few songs of my own. The audience was extremely energetic and my music was well-received, but the highlight for both them and myself was when I called Livingston up to the stage to perform "God Bless the USA". The crowd went bananas!
Livingston had been working closely with his music teacher for several days prior to the concert and his proud mother, father, and sister sat in the audience and awaited the moment when the fruit of his labor would be revealed. He took the stage like a professional; I began the first verse and when he began to sing the second verse, there was not a dry eye in the house, including my own. It was one of the most satisfying, inspiration moments of my life. Mere words could not describe the overwhelming sense of love that filled that auditorium.
Livingston and I both ended on a high note with hands held high in the air. It was an amazing experience. Livingston's dad, Greg, expressed his gratitude and, I must say, was the perfect host throughout my stay in Pearl. Daniel
By Molly Moorhead, Times Staff Writer, Published November 11, 2005DADE CITY - At 4:45 p.m., Craig Edwards was ready to take off from work. "All right, I'm going home," the Walmart manager told a couple employees. "I'll see you guys later."The reply: "Yeah, right."The scene just inside the door of the store couldn't have been less remarkable. Apple juice on
sale for $1.47. Flannel shirts for $13.96.And Virginia Krumpe sits in her motorized wheelchair, a double strand of pearls around her neck and an
angel pin on her chest, greeting everyone who walks in."Hello," she says with a smile. "Welcome to Walmart."Virginia doesn't know it, but her serenader has just passed through the town of Saint Leo on his way to her.He is Daniel Rodriguez, the former New York City police officer who gained fame and a new career with his stirring renditions of The Star-spangled Banner and God Bless America after the terrorist attacks of 2001.
He performed on television and then victims' families started calling to have him sing at the funerals.Virginia first saw him on TV four years ago and fell in love with his tenor voice. She refers to him as her boyfriend. Virginia is 81.On Sunday, she was poking around the music section looking for his third CD, a collection of inspirational songs titled In the Presence.There were no copies on the shelf. Sold out. But a woman shopping nearby overheard Virginia repeating a familiar name.Earlier this year, Karen Perkins sold a home in Land O'Lakes to Rodriguez, so Perkins told Virginia she
could get her the CD. Virginia was skeptical.And when Perkins asked Rodriguez for a copy of the album, he said he could do better than that.Back to Thursday, inside the store:4:50 p.m. "Hello, welcome to Walmart."Edwards lingers, straightening the candy. Again.4:51 p.m. A little cluster of employees is having a hard time containing the giggles.4:56 p.m. Hearts are pounding. Virginia puts a little pink sticker on a package of cookies a customer is returning.4:58 p.m. Edwards walks in first."Virginia," he says, "I've got somebody that would like to meet you. Do you recognize him?"Virginia's hands cup her face."Hello, Virginia," says a kind-faced man with a New York dialect, jet-black hair and a gold chain around his neck. He hands her a dozen red roses.Sweet and gentle, he waits patiently as she tries to recover from the moment. Her hands are shaking, even as they hold his autographed picture and the coveted CD.Again and again, she says, "I never thought I'd get to meet you."5:01 p.m. An older couple walks in. No greeting for them. The woman looks around at the crowd, which has grown to about 20, does a little spin of confusion and disappears into the store.5:03 p.m. Rodriguez kneels at her chair and sings. It's a love song.There is joking and clapping, and Virginia finally understands why she was called into work on her day
off and why they told her to dress nicely. She learns that the greeter she was filling in for didn't really have
a doctor's appointment.
Then finally, tears. She holds his hand to her face. She never expected this. She'll never forget it, she says.Virginia has worked at Walmart for 13 years. First in fabrics, and for the past eight as a greeter. People she knows have told her to quit. Too old to work, they say.She won't, though, so three years ago her doctor surprised her with the motorized chair.5:13 p.m. The breathtaking moment is over, but Virginia is still shaking a little.
