First let me thank you once again for being such loyal and devoted fans! You have given me the unique pleasure of being able to express myself musically in so many ways along the spectrum of who I am that it's difficult to find the words that would show you how I feel. Everything seems to fall short as I write these thoughts to you.
It's been quite a long time that we've been sharing this very special communication through music. Quite honestly, as a child when I played my guitar and sang to my family and friends or all alone in my room I never dreamed that one day I would be sharing my thoughts and feelings with so many people. It was enough for me to be able to express myself and get out all my angst through other people's songs so I never envisioned having the opportunity to become a part of other people's lives with my own words and music. This has been the biggest gift that I have received from my career and from all of you........
But I know you have all heard me say on more than one occasion that I was never really a "performer type" person. I am quite content being behind the scenes and observing people and life, although the "fame" part of this whole shebangle (is this legally a word?) has made that very difficult for me to accomplish. I think I am the happiest when I am creating music that I know you will hear and hopefully like and when I'm in the studio helping to make that new creation transmit those very feelings that brought it into this world. It never ceases to be a magical process for me. And I think about you every step of the way, hoping to inspire you, to give you a way to express something to someone you love or to someone who has perhaps hurt you, and above all, to give you hope. Maybe I haven't been "out there" on the road as often as you expected or would have liked me to be. But I know you understand, especially those of you who have children, how fulfilling it has been for me to be able to balance this unique and beautiful career with taking care of my family. So again I thank you for your patience and your enduring love and trust.
As you already know, I'm heading back out on the road with a lot of energy and the desire to "connect" with as many of you as possible, since you are, after all, the reason I've headed out on the road in the past. At the beginning I wanted to win you over or seduce you, in a way. After you got to know me a bit I wanted to cement our relationship and make it stronger. I really see our relationship as a marriage that has to be nurtured and should not be taken for granted and the best way to do that is face to face. You don't know how many times I've wished that I could physically hug each and every one of you! And although that's impossible, I've tried to do that very thing with my music from the stage every time I've been given the opportunity. I know you've felt it or you probably wouldn't still be out there listening. So I want to get out there to as many places as I possibly can and give you one more hug.
There are so many things that I have been so fortunate to experience that I would never ask for more. But as all human beings I want to evolve and grow and in the process hopefully stay interesting to you. Music has been one of the most beautiful things in my life and will always be a very big part of who I am and what I do. And although I will continue writing and recording and doing everything else that comes with this incredible way of life, this next tour will be my last.
I know that you're not really surprised because I've heard rumblings that some of you were feeling that this was going to be the case. But I wanted to let you know directly from me before you heard it anywhere else. I'll still be out there promoting when I have something new to offer you and doing everything else that has been a part of this career. I really want to get this movie about Connie Francis filmed. I've been working with her for over two years and I'm anxious to finally get it into production. Also, I have already started writing a "book" in my head. Now I want to be able to put it on paper and communicate with all of you on an even deeper level. I want to write this myself, not with some other writer filtering my thoughts and putting them into words that are not really my own. This of course, will take time.
So the plan is that I will do this U.S. leg of the tour which is already organized although there are some markets that are waiting for the right timing to put tickets on sale. Each promoter lets us know when that is, since they know these things better than we do. I would love to take this tour as many places as we possibly can like Europe, hopefully Asia, and most definitely parts of Latin America. But as you know, we are living in very uncertain times based on so many things that affect each of us in the different places that we live. And although I can't promise that I will be everywhere I "want" to go you have my promise that I will do my best to get to as many places as I possibly can. After all, this is a celebration for me of all the beauty and love you have brought into my life and I want to remember it forever, make it something you'll never forget and party with as many of you as possible!
I love you........
gloria