• You've gathered yourself, you lived through hell and then
• You counted yourself among the blessed who made it out alive again
• You don't know, you don't know just what it meant
• You don't care, you don't care just how they felt
• They don't know, no they don't know what it's about
• But you, you, you, you, you.....will make it out

• so don't cry anymore
• Don't cry anymore
• Don't cry.....
• No, don't you cry

• So gather yourself, you'll go through hell again
• And maybe someday you'll count yourself among the blessed
• who made it out alive again
• You don't know, you don't know just what it's for
• But, oh God, you've been through this before
• And when all you have is doubt
• I said you, you, you, you, you.....will make it out

• There's a long, long road
• But it leads me to your door
• And there's a wide and raging sea
• But it leads me back to your shore

"Blessed" by Hilary Scott, Copyright 2001

The recent hurricanes have weighed heavily on my mind. We played a Hurricane Katrina benefit concert a couple of weeks ago at the Martini Bar in Columbia which was quite successful, but now that Rita has also taken a toll, I feel a pull to do something more.

At recent shows, my song 'Blessed' has drawn many positive comments. Although I wrote the song nearly 4 years ago, we have just begun introducing it as a 'standard' in our shows, and though it was written long before these horrible disasters, the words are eerily pertinent to the tragedies at hand. I've had people approach me who had loved ones in the areas the hurricane hit, and they've said they wished those people could hear this song, as it might bring them some comfort.

My brain started to do flip-flops. I would not only like to bring those people comfort, but monetary assistance as well: how could I do it? The rebuilding will be years in the making, as we all know, and donations will be needed throughout the process; there won't be a quick or easy end to the suffering. I wondered if perhaps my song, 'Blessed' could serve as one vehicle on the highway of fellow humans who are travelling in various ways to these disaster zones, whether through prayer, donations, or by actually going there to assist in the flesh.

I am currently debating over several options, all of which would require help from you, as fans and friends, and the community at large. I'd like to cut a studio single of 'Blessed' (hopefully getting a few hours donated by a studio in the area) and then press some copies of it. These copies could then be 'sponsored' by people who would like a unique way of donating to Hurricane Katrina, and sent to the Red Cross or another charitable and trustworthy organization, where the donation (whatever size the individual could donate) would be utilized by the agency, and the actual CD with the song on it would be distributed to those misplaced or affected by the hurricanes. The name of the person who 'sponsored' the CD with their donation would appear on the CD (most likely the sponsor and myself would sign the CD by hand.)

Another option would be to record the song, and then make it available for download on the internet for a fee, and all download proceeds would go to a charitable organization involved with hurricanes Katrina and Rita relief. This would require a lot of word of mouth help from people like you to make a noticeable impact. I would hope that we could alert TV and radio personalities and perhaps get some coverage in that way.

Knowing that people find 'Blessed' to be comforting and emotionally valid, I feel that together we might be able, through music, to help in some small way. If you have ideas about this project, would like to assist, or just give your opinion, please contact us at: hurricanerelief@hilaryscott.com.

I have been obsessively listening to everything Hilary I can get my hands on, going to every Hilary show I can possibly manage to get to, and collecting everything from Hilary�s pre- Floating World days that I can find. No, I am not an addict (okay, I�m still overcoming the first step, denial of my addiction). But seriously, I am just another Hilaryhead like yourself, only I make it my business to inform you of anything and everything Hilary because well, I want to know more about her so I figure others might be curious as well. My partner, Mark started a little Yahoo! Group called HilaryScottFans in 2002 and we have been moderating it together ever since. (Tangin Sidenote: Did you know that HilaryScottFans has a bigger membership than Jonatha Brooke�s Yahoo! Group. Ironic isn�t it? Hmmm, Hilary has opened for Jonatha twice, not the other way around!)

A lot has happened to Hilary Scott professionally in the last three years that I have been tracking her career. A CD has been recorded live, but in a studio, very controlled, very Hilary. Hilary�s perfectionist tendencies have also led her to ponder, �should I re-release some of my earlier solo work, are you sure it isn�t too depressing and rudimentary?� and since the choir answered with a resounding �yes!�, a very limited release of Hypothermia was produced by Hilary and her brilliant bassist, Mike Robertson. After Hypothermia was let out into the world and snatched up by serious art collectors everywhere, my fellow Hilaryhead, Jeannine, and I insisted on hearing Daydreamer and Off performed live. So far half of our goal had been realized when Hilary and the Hilary Scott Band reworked Daydreamer into the hip-hop flair it has today. (Tangin Sidenote: Daydreamer also helped bring Hilary to the piano for yet another song where she most definitely should be more often because she is such the talented pianist! Have you heard the piano cut of Calls From Springfield from Come In, Come In: LIVE?)Then there was the big dream fulfilled of recording in Nashville with an up-and-coming producer and the opportunity to collaborate on radio-friendly renditions of a handful of Hilaryhead favorites with session musicians as well as the learning and growth experiences for us all who were concerned about Hilary maintaining the integrity of her songs and the size of her head. After bated breath and a few good listens to Out of the Wilderness, I reconciled myself to the inevitable conclusions that Hilary�s music would evolve with or without her beloved and my favorite band, with or without the versions of the songs I have come to know and love, and with or without her regional indie queen status intact. Someday, what I have dubbed The Green Album, will be released on a major label and distributed to Tower Records, Starbucks, and Barnes and Nobles everywhere and I will still be there, recorder, notebook, and camera in hand, like many, many others who will come after me, simply because Hilary�s music has touched me in a way that I, as a writer, cannot begin to fully express.

Please check out and register onto the new fan club website, SoundOut! where you as a fellow Hilaryhead can follow and help me document Hilary Scott�s rise to fame, fortune, and inevitable numerous ASCAP showcases and shiny trophies, at "Sound Out" - Hilary Scott Fan Club. Exclusive downloads, breaking news, slideshows, forums, and fan club merchandise will be found there in the years to come as well as the witty polls, interviews, and photo sharing that you all have come to expect from the Yahoo! Group HilaryScottFans.

October�s special download will be a live recording of Blessed from the Shelter Gardens Summer Series, one of Hilary's biggest outdoor concerts yet. The Hilary Scott Band debuted Blessed at their Officer Down Benefit for fallen Columbia, MO police officer Molly Bowden, and Blessed has since become another popular Hilary Scott Band standard. This special download for the month of October on the new and improved fan club website, contains some of the most haunting violin work of Hilary�s career to date, so you won�t want to miss this SoundOut! exclusive!

All of Hilary's albums are now review on "Collected Sounds. "Out of The Wilderness", "Come In, Come In: Live!" and "Hypothermia" have just been reviewed. Reviewer Amy Lotsberg says, "I reviewed Hilary Scott's CD, The Floating World" back in July of 2003. I remember being very impressed with her not only as a singer with a fabulous voice, but also a musician (playing several instruments on each recording) and as a great songwriter. Especially since she's pretty young. Recently I got a package containing the rest of her discography and just wanted to share some really good recordings." You can read the reviews on line at: Collected Sounds - Hilary Scott CD Reviews.

It is easy to focus on the power and passion of Hilary�s voice, along with the sophisticated layering of instrumentation that is her band's trademark. So, sometimes I don't really listen to the lyrics, let alone think about them. As I sat and listened this afternoon, I experienced the wisdom, love, pain and honesty that are expressed in these songs.

Why am I writing this? Because the most important thing I can do as Hilary Scott's promoter is encourage people to really listen, give themselves up to the experience and see where it takes them! If you have any one that has not yet been exposed to Hilary's music, change their life and get them a CD. Tell them you don�t just listen to Hilary Scott, you experience her.

Now, onto promotions! If you have not checked the new fan site, you are in for a treat! Moderators Melissa and Mark, Matt Petty of Madrigal Solutions, and Hilary Scott's webmaster have put together a beautiful and fun-to-use site.

Please check out Gig News on the Hilary Scott website, we have several exciting shows coming up this fall and winter. We are making our debut appearance at Knuckleheads Saloon in KC. This is a great venue and in fact, when the manager of the place saw the press kit I sent, he told the owner Frank Hicks, �Oh my god, is that Hilary Scott?! Is she coming here? I will give up my paycheck to help pay to get her in here!� That, Hilary Scott fans, is someone with good taste! We plan on making 3 to 4 appearances at this great venue per year. There are special hotel accommodations as well. Check Gig News for the information on this special rate for those of you who wish to stay overnight. There are several radio stations that have expressed interest in interviewing Hilary prior to the show, when these get set up, we will be sure to let you know so you can tune in. In November we are back at the Elbo Room in Chicago. Again, go to Gig News for info on buying tickets online. It is very important to tell the doorman you bought the tickets to see Hilary if you buy online, this is how the band gets paid! Buy them soon, I was told this night would almost certainly sell out. If you know anyone in KC or Chicago, please write or call and tell them to make sure to come see Hilary and support the band!

We have return dates to the fabulous Martini Bar in Columbia October 22nd and December 10th! The December show will be a very special Christmas Concert! The band has never before done this, Hilary and the band will be performing many Christmas classics with no doubt a unique Hilary twist! This will be an outstanding concert, bring your friends and we'll see you there!

In September, we had a special parking lot concert at Streetside Records to celebrate the return of Hilary�s CD�s. When you drop into Streetside, be sure to let the staff know you appreciate all their work helping get her CD�s back in the store.

Hilary made reference to �mystery news� in her latest blog posting. I can only say that some of the things that longtime fans have been predicting are coming into place! Hilary also spoke of our �adventure� at the Grammy Association Missouri Demo Review in St. Louis. Some very exciting things are indeed happening due to our new contact and fan, who is quite a powerful figure in the music industry.

Thank you all for your continued support. Please be sure to keep requesting the band's music from your local radio stations, coming to concerts, buying CD�s and supporting us. Don�t forget to help spread the word about the online petition!