Page 130 of Red Hot Harmony

“A slight possibility, huh?” One brow arched.

“Like three quarters. I’m still not certain what the rest is, but they’re also very strong feelings.”

“I’m okay with strong feelings.” He nuzzled my neck and murmured something against my skin that I didn’t understand.

“Mom?” Ally’s voice came from the vicinity of the door. I tore my gaze away from Dante and peeked over his shoulder.

My daughter stood at the threshold, holding a broom, hip popped. “Are you two done making out?”

“Not yet.” Dante shifted and motioned for her to come over. “Get in here, Hendrix.”

“Ummm, what for?”

“For a group hug,” he explained.

Wordlessly, Ally tossed the broom aside and launched herself into the space between us. I didn’t believe my kid had it in her anymore—the ability to accept physical comfort. Teenagers were strange, prickly creatures, but she welcomed the embrace.

“I’m still getting the new iPhone?” she asked a few seconds later.

“If your mom says it’s okay, then yes.” Dante laughed softly, his strong arms encircling me and my daughter.

And as I stood there, surrounded by the warmth of the two most important people in my life, I found myself thinking,this is what family feels like.

Epilogue

Hall Affinity: Is the Fight for Ownership of Their Music Really Over?

Pulse Nation

By Robbie Dodd

They say there’s a little truth in every lie and one couldn’t agree more, especially if that one is a recording artist who sold his soul to the Devil in an expensive suit for the promise of a bright future, financial freedom, and stardom.

However, only a small percentage of those deals are fulfilled in accordance with the clauses listed in the contracts. Even then, the contracts are written by very smart people and leave pretty much no loopholes for artists who desire to get off the fame and fortune train some years down the road when they finally realize that it was just a cleverly set up trap.

Why forfeit everything?

Because being a puppet isn’t as easy as it seems after all.

And long-time friends and bandmates Frankie Blade and Dante Martinez, who apparently stopped seeing the benefits in being a part of the KBC family way before their celebratory comeback, decided to prove the point by dragging one of the biggest record labels into court.

Blade and Martinez aren’t the first ones to sue their label. Artists have been doing this for decades, but if the fight isn’t a class action suit—which are easier to win—and if the opponent is literally the Moby Dick of the music industry with the best lawyers in the business at their disposal, battling for ownership of the music catalogue that brings millions of dollars to the copyright holders every year can be a bleak undertaking. History has shown us time and time again that in most cases, artists who want their masters back don’t get what they want.

But as the world continued to hold its collective breath, waiting for the judge’s ruling to be released to the press last Wednesday, Blade, Martinez, Z, and Kelly quietly celebrated the much-delayed victory of a year-and-a-half legal battle in the privacy of Blade’s Malibu mansion.

It’s probably necessary to mention that Carter Valentine wasn’t a part of this lawsuit.

As much as we all love the energetic young man who took on the drumming duties in Hall Affinity after Kelly’s departure circa 2007, it’s not a secret that the original conditions of his employment have never been updated to royalty-sharing status. Whether Valentine finds the amount of his retainer satisfactory or wishes to get a bigger piece of the pie will probably remain a mystery. However, sources close to the drummer confirm that Valentine still regularly talks to Blade and Martinez and will be on the list of guests attending the Equilibrium Records launch party next month. Basically, all of the above confirms that after the Kelly fiasco, the band chose to tread carefully and Valentine doesn’t hold grudges for being the hired gun.

Speaking of Equilibrium Records…

The project was kept under wraps until the official press release dropped in February, surprising pretty much—well—everyone. Many fans and industry insiders were very skeptical about the future of this joint endeavor since Blade and Martinez have quite the rocky history, and partnering up to launch a brand-new label seemed counterproductive, considering the circumstances that led the musicians to unite against KBC. Countless YouTube videos depicting the two rock stars publicly insulting each other at the last…

“Whatcha reading, Stepdad?” Ally sneaked a peek over my shoulder at the iPad in my hands.

“Don’t call me that, Hendrix.” I made a face and threw her a sideways glance.

“Why not?” She quirked a brow. “You’re two months away from being my stepfather officially.”

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