DIGITAL-ARTICLES

Over a long, stellar career filled with honors, awards and international accolades, Glen David Andrews has just added another milestone to his list of accomplishments:

his own namesake record label!!

Born in the Carrollton 17th Ward neighborhood of New Orleans, Melissa A.Weber was admittedly a shy and introverted kid. However, her destiny was already showing signs of what was to come as music became a dominant part of her life...

When law students begin their curriculum in jurisprudence,

they often know from the start in which field

of law they want to specialize. Others may reach that

decision while they’re enrolled in law school.

Eugene Green Jr. sums up the guiding principles

that have defined both his business and personal lives. They reflect nearly four decades of public service, as well as volunteer community service in his native New Orleans while presiding over a successful real estate firm that manages or owns several hundred properties.

Katrina M. Porter is no stranger to having a measure of strength. A single mother and the daughter of bassist George

Porter Jr., she learned at an early age how to be strong and resilient to life’s obstacles.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues on a global scale with the United States reporting the highest number of cases, the medical staff at New Orleans-based Ochsner Health System has stepped up its vigilance and taken on a leading role in both research and education while the

quest for a preventive vaccine goes on at a near-record pace.

Throughout the summer of 2020 people from all over the world have enjoyed the rich, sultry voice of Anais St. John. She has performed every Saturday for the past several months from her Algiers Point front porch stage in a series appropriately dubbed “Porch Fest.”

The flu season is upon us and, to make matters worse, the global COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing, with cases and casualties on the rise. The flu season is upon us and, to make matters worse, the global COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing, with cases and casualties on the rise. Medical professionals are strongly advising those who haven’t gotten their influenza vaccines already to do so as soon as possible.

“Hello Dahling!”

That familiar greeting is often heard at parties and

other social gatherings in New Orleans. The greeter,

attired in the latest fashions and colorful hats, is none

other than Margarita Bergen, the reigning “social

butterfly” of New Orleans society.

From an early age, Lilli Lewis has admired the sound of the piano.Starting at the age of three she performed what she called “air piano” concerts for her family. She also listened to what her older sister was learning in her piano lessons, and taught herself how to play those pieces by ear.

In the halls at Northshore High in Slidell a student shouts, “Hey! LAH HYPE.” The freshman who answers to that call is a 14-year-old gifted musician and songwriter. His name is Elon Paul Brunus. LAH is an acronym for “Love and Hate” and the HYPE stands for the emotions that run rampant in a well-rounded young man who excels in everything he pursues.

Mardi Gras is the most fun time of the year in New Orleans and is hardly the time to be making heavy politi-cal statements. But Big Chief Alfred Doucette of the Flaming Arrows had a message he wanted to get across to the young people of the city; a message on his Indian suit during Mardi Gras 2012.

Linda Green defines her success by having always applied a variation on the Golden Rule: “If you do not love what you are doing, why do it at all?”

Globally known as “The Ya-Ka-Mein Lady,” Linda is an award-winning culi-narian who was born and raised in New Orleans. The pickup truck from which she serves her home-cooked soul food and her famous, trademarked Ya-Ka-Mein along parade routes...

Traditions are a valuable way for families to connect and create memories that last for decades. The Black masking tradition was handed down to Mary Kay Stevenson from her mother and today she honors this legacy that has been part of her life since she was a small child.

This past spring, when the COVID-19 pandemic began shutting down businesses and events throughout New Orleans, Carl Mack was on the verge of permanently shuttering his Mardi Gras Museum of Costumes and Culture in the French Quarter.

The museum with its dazzling displays and thousands of costumes, along with other Carnival memorabilia, remained closed to visitors for months but, through persistence and paperwork, Carl managed to rescue the facility.

Back when compact disc technology was emerging and customized personal playlists were still produced on cassette mix tapes, “Smooth” James Harris, Nick Daniels III and Earl Smith, Jr. - all graduates of Walter Cohen Senior High class of ’73 - just knew they were going to make a record together one day.

Movers and shakers are the people who are constantly in pursuit of knowledge. Herman Williams IV has taken his love of learning and acquired skills and is making things happen in New Orleans. His love for his hometown is apparent, and although he could pursue a career anywhere in the world with his talent and education, he chooses to stay in New Orleans and says, “I cannot imagine living anywhere else.”

The scion of one of New Orleans’ preeminent musical families, David Russell Batiste Jr. – more widely known by his middle name – is not only one of the city’s top drummers, he’s also a multi-instrumentalist, lyricist, composer, arranger and bandleader. Musically there isn’t much he can’t do or hasn’t already done.

Music has a way of bringing people together and when Lisa Amos brings her showmanship and her powerful voice to the stage, the audience comes together in unison to not only listen but to participate.

It was in his Brooklyn neighborhood in New York City

in 1979 when legendary alto saxophonist,

Sonny Stitt, who has often been compared to Charlie Parker, was doing a gig in a local club. He asked

Wess’s father, Wess Anderson Sr., to sit in with him on drums and young Wess Jr. was invited to tag along, bringing his own alto sax with him.

With the advent of modern digital technology

and rapidly increasing avenues of distribution, today’s film industry is undergoing a radical transformation and Armando Leduc is moving along with the times.

Prior to the pervasive pandemic, 94-year-old Lawrence Cotton was playing piano regularly as the oldest performing musician in New Orleans. As the infection

rate gradually recedes, Cotton is looking forward to the return of his weekly gig at Preservation Hall, as well as finding gigs for his own Legendary Experience band

and performing with Jane Harvey Brown's

Trad Jazz Stars.

“Father of the Virtual Office Concept”

Reuben DeTiege reigns as an innovator

and trusted advisor to

the small business community

Reuben J. DeTiege II is one of those ambitious sole proprietors but he is even more than that. He is also an innovator and a respected small business consultant

and advisor; a mentor to those just starting

out on their own ventures.

“The First Musical Couple of New Orleans”

Dwight and Connie Fitch

unveil a new foundation for musicians

When Connie Whitfield and Dwight Fitch first met at a

St. Mary’s Academy talent show back in the late 1960s, little did they know that they would become a couple for the next 50-plus years as well as a team. A team that would not only find them singing and performing together for more than half a century, but also one that would start a foundation...

Since taking over as Big Chief, Bo Jr. has made some small modifications to the tribe’s traditional rituals and offerings while still keeping the basic structure intact. “For one thing, it’s gotten bigger since my daddy last masked,” he said, noting that the tribal membership has grown from 4 or 5 to 16 members. “I’ve got

more music into it now, especially more funk”

LAMPlighting the way to prosperity

Theodore “Theo” Sanders III

oversees a beneficial $3.2 billion statewide fund

When Theo Sanders III was a student at O. Perry Walker High School on the west bank of New Orleans he was the unofficial bookkeeper for his group of friends. As he explained, “I was always the ‘numbers guy’ from a young age: the one who knew how to count the money and keep us straight as a group when we

wanted to do things.”

BRINGING THE ARTS TO THE ‘BURBS

Dennis G. Assaf

reflects on 40-plus years of

managing the Jefferson Performing Arts Society

In the summer of 2015 a long-held dream finally came true for Dennis G. Assaf. Thirty-seven years after its conception and eight years after its official

groundbreaking, the 1,000-seat Jefferson Performing Arts Center opened its doors on Airline Drive in Metairie.

In New Orleans, at almost any time of year, you might come across grown women frolicking about dressed as Baby Dolls. Adorned in short satin dresses, bloomers and bonnets these women are a fixture not only on Mardi Gras Day but year-round during second lines, funerals, festivals, conventions and other special events.

Strength is beauty” so the saying goes. If that is true, then Linda Aubert is one of the most beautiful women to grace the stages in New Orleans.The strength and determination that she holds strong, well into the second half of her life story, is admirable and courageous. A gifted musical professional, she is

a very talented composer, songwriter/lyricist, pianist, singer, playwright and poet.

Since returning to her native New Orleans in 1990 after lengthy sojourns in Michigan and New York City,

Tommye Myrick has been a busy bee, directing dozens of stage productions, winning numerous awards and working diligently to further the cause of social justice through theatre.

Nicoye Banks is an accomplished and dynamic actor. You may know him from his work in movies like “Invincible,” “Green Zone” or “Brooklyn’s Finest.” You may remember him from one of the three characters he has played on the series “Law & Order.” Perhaps his work in “Queen Sugar”...

Buying rental property and properly managing it requires

many skills, especially financial skills and people skills. It

isn’t for everybody - but for those who are into it and those who aspire to get into it, help is available to steer them along the path.

When a quar-ter-inch audiotape reel recorded in the early 1970s in a New Orleans studio that was believed to have beendestroyed during Hurricane Katrina unexpectedly surfaced 2,000 miles away, nobody could have been more surprised than Leo Nocentelli,guitarist for the world-renownedsoul/funk group, The Meters.

Back in his element since the easing of COVID-

19 restrictions, New Orleans-based photographer

Henry York can be seen all over town at music venues,

second lines, parties and other events, visually documenting the gatherings that have started taking place again.

Retirement has brought many surprises to James Marshall Brown III, including a new career. He has found his niche in this stage of his life by appearing in commercials, film and stage plays. At almost 70, James ﬁnds it humorous when his family members tell him they see him more on television than in person...

Troi Bechet has a resume that stretches out over three pages in small type. And that’s only her acting, directing and singing credits! Add in her accomplishments as the founder and CEO of a beneﬁcial community service organization and the number jumps to ﬁve pages!! A multi-talented, award-winning, community-dedicated New Orleans native, Troi is currently adding to her already-impressive resume by taking on the lead role in “The House That Will Not Stand”

When the Louisiana State Museum and the lieutenant governor’s ofﬁce made the decision to upgrade the limited jazz history exhibit wing in the French Quarter’s Old U.S. Mint building into a full-ﬂedged jazz museum in 2016, they chose a well-qualiﬁed musical authority to spearhead that effort. Years at that point, Lambousy brought to the table an extensive background in New Orleans history and music, along with an exuberant love for both.

While shopping in her favorite clothing store during a visit to her former hometown of Woodstock, NY several years ago, Maria Muldaur experienced a vibe that originated 1,500 miles away and it immediately grabbed her attention. As she described it, “I heard this wonderful vintage, old-timey jazz coming out of the speakers in the shop and I remarked to the shopkeeper that I didn’t know the local radio station was playing such cool old jazz. She said "That’s not the radio. It’s a CD."....

A solid home upbringing and a strong emphasis on book learning and hands-on skills acquisition helped Calvin Mackie develop into the prominent, multidimensional influencer he is today. A gifted motivational speaker, educator, inventor, entrepreneur, Presidential Award-winning mentor, podcast host and critically acclaimed author of two books, his accomplishments would fill an encyclopedia and his awards would fill a room.

“Healthy Meals FROM the Heart

that are Good FOR the Heart”

Brittney Tanaka Brown’s recipe for her

food and juice service

As a child growing up in the Eastover community of New Orleans East, Brittney Tanaka Brown was a self proclaimed tomboy who loved to roller skate and ride her bike. But she also loved to play games where she was a chef presiding over her own restaurant. So it comes as no surprise that the child whose prized possession was her easy-bake oven is now running her own home-based business, NeauxLa Meals & Juices.

"THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN"

David Skinner talks management

and Broadway show selection process

for the Saenger Theatre

Thousands of New Orleanians annually pack the seats of the opulent, historic Saenger Theatre on Canal Street for a wide variety of performances ranging from dance revues, rock concerts, standup comedy, and especially touring musicals that were box office successes on Broadway. But, while enjoying the performances, theatergoers rarely think about the process and logistics of what goes into staging these productions and how decisions are made as to which shows will be staged.

For some artists music comes naturally. These artists are people who have not had any formal training, but have a passion for music and/or another talent that cannot be taught. Paul Boudreaux is one of those people, a self-taught bass player, singer, songwriter, producer, bandleader and visual artist. As a child growing up in uptown New Orleans, Paul was exposed to music at an early age...

Before there was jazz and other genres of music New Orleans is widely known for, there was classical music and opera. But it wasn’t just the works of famous European composers that were being performed here in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Bubbling alongside the city’s thriving, Old World-influenced cultural scene were the compositions of some of New Orleans’ most gifted Creole composers and other composers of color.

When Jarrell Hamilton first saw the expression “creative altruism” and the name of the originator of that expression, she enthusiastically adopted it as her personal mantra.

“It really resonated with me when I read an article about Dr. Martin Luther King and what he meant by it,” Jarrell explained. “The way he described it, ‘creative altruism’ means using your craft or your artistry to benefit the social well-being of others and that’s what I do.”

On any given day when you make your way around the New Orleans community you will undoubtedly see some people who seem to be everywhere you look: busy people who are involved in multiple projects and activities that benefit large numbers of their fellow New Orleanians.Phyllis Boudreaux is one of those busy people. Founder of the former Touching Lives Ministry and FaithPhyll Ministries (now renamed Anointed Road to Christ), author of a widely read book on the keys to a happy marriage, community activist, publicist, consultant and wife of a renowned musician (bassist Paul Boudreaux).

To be involved with the arts, one does not necessarily have to be an artist themselves. They don’t have to sing, dance, play an instrument, paint or be adept in some other art form. Instead they can be an arts supporter or, to use a more descriptive term, an “arts aficionado.

“That would be excellent terminology to describe me,” said New Orleans native and arts activist Kathleen McKinney-Franks.As a member of the 114-year-old, predominantly African American, Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) Sorority, Inc. and past president/charter member of the local Omicron Lambda Omega (OLQ) chapter.

“A MOVER AND SHAKER

BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER”

Dr. Norman Francis: A Legacy of Leadership

Dionne Butler, Associate Producer

Sally-Ann said she is “thrilled” to work on the new WYES

Channel 12 documentary that pays tribute to the life and legacy of Dr. Francis. “I was very fortunate that Dominic Massa (the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of WYES)asked me to be the narrator for the project,” she began. “It was a pleasure working with him, as well as producers Dionne Butler and Thanh Truong,” all three of whom she worked with during her long career as a reporter and co-host of WWL-TV Channel 4’s Eyewitness Morning News.

When WYES-Channel 12 hired Dionne Butler as

associate producer for their upcoming documentary

on former Xavier University President, Dr. Norman

Francis, they knew they were getting a seasoned

media professional to help pull together the many

elements and details that went into the making of

the production.

Airing weekdays on WWL-TV Channel 4 from 9-10 a.m., “Great Day Louisiana” has rocketed in popularity since Malik took the reins of the lifestyle and entertainment talk show in October 2019. Approaching his third season as host, he describes the job as “living my dream and I love, love, love it!”

Taking on one of the leading roles in the production of a documentary on a living New Orleans icon would be a daunting role for even the most experienced journalist but TV news veteran Thanh Truong is enthusiastically up to the job. Thanh is the producer of an hour-long piece on Dr. Norman Francis, the retired longtime president of Xavier University that will premiere on September 27 over New Orleans’ Public Television station, WYES- Channel 12.

BRINGING JOY TO HIS HOME CITY

Malik Mingo “love love loves” hosting

“Great Day Louisiana” on WWL-TV Channel 4

"HONORED AND BLESSED TO BE

INVOLVED WITH THIS PROJECT"

Dr. Norman Francis: A Legacy of Leadership

Sally-Ann Roberts, Narrator

Ever since he was a teenager, Dominic Massa knew which career path he wanted to follow. He followed it and more than 30 years later he is still on that path. A hardworking, behind-the-scenes titan in the world of New Orleans television production, Dominic started early in the visual media, learning from, in his words, “the best in the business” at two major local TV stations. And now, at 46 years old with many more years of productivity still ahead of him, he has become one of the best himself, as a producer and a visionary.

Who would have ever thought that a young girl who grew up picking cotton on a Mississippi plantation would go on to become a Billboard Charting Gospel Singer with a Master’s Degree and the subject of a forthcoming documentary and possible stage play?

Georgia Hale was that young girl. At an early age she discovered the power of her own voice and began a singing career that continues to this day and has seen her reach the heights of that calling, along with that of her famous daughter, Joanna Hale McGill.

After enjoying a measure of success on Broadway and

off-Broadway in New York City, Donald Jones Jr. has

returned to his native New Orleans and will be making

his Le Petit Theatre directorial debut in their January

2023 production of “The Color Purple.” The musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s 1983 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel will take the stage on January 12 and run through three successive weekends before closing

on January 29.

When cultural arts organizations and individual participants in the Greater New Orleans performing arts scene want to get the word out on their upcoming events, one of the key people they oﬅen go to is Diane Mack. As a producer and host of the “Louisiana Considered” program over WWNO/

WRKF, originating from New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Diane helps promote opera, dance, classical and stage productions with her profound knowledge and enthusiasm for those specific live art forms.

LOCAL BROADWAY VETERAN TO DIRECT

“THE COLOR PURPLE”

AT LE PETIT iN JANUARY

Donald Jones Jr. is Back Home in New Orleans

When MyiaRené Carter received the email informing her that she was chosen for the role of Sofia in the upcoming Le Petit Theatre musical production of “The Color Purple,” she spontaneously dropped to her knees praising God and shedding tears of joy. As she describes the joyful moment,“I was in my classroom in front of my

students and I literally fell to my knees in tears. I’ve gone through so much in life where I thought I wasn’t good enough to play a major role.

When a local talent enjoys success as an actor, director and writer this is something surely to be celebrated. And Samantha Beaulieu certainly has a lot to celebrate. With dozens of film credits under her belt she has co-starred in the films “Unhinged,” “Bad Moms,” “Now You See Me” and “Big Momma’s House,” just to name a few. She has guest starred on the television series “Leverage: Redemption” and starred in recurring roles in “Queen Sugar,” “NCIS New Orleans,” “Tyler Perry’s The Oval” and “Treme.”

More than half a century ago, a musical genre known as “folk music” was in vogue and it enjoyed widespread appeal among those who were activists for various causes. The purveyors of this musical style focused their lyrics on controversial issues like war, racism, nuclear disarmament and other significant national and world events. Today very little folk music is being composed and performed and there are fewer broadcast media outlets from which to convey these messages...

While most New Orleanians are still sleeping, Whitney Patterson is wide awake and hard at work.

As the producer of WWL-TV’s “Eyewitness Morning News” program, she is the model of professionalism and journalistic integrity. Whitney explained that as a producer she wears many hats. She communicates

with the anchors, making sure they have all the information they need, whether it’s for an interview or background for a story. She also books all the talent for the show, including bands and featured guests.

“Up Close and Personal: A Look Behind the Scenes”

Producer Whitney Patterson

details her role and journey at WWL-TV

During the month of March we highlight the contri-butions and achievements of women as we celebrate Women’s History Month. How wonderfully appropriate to offer this feature on the multi-talented Gina Swanson. Gina has the attributes that we see in women who are successful in their own right. As a wife and mother of

two young children, this Emmy Award-winning journalist keeps herself busy as a news anchor and an adjunct professor at Loyola University, coaching students in Media Performance on delivery and presentation.

It’s been 11 years since New Orleans native actor Lance E. Nichols graced the cover of Breakthru Media magazine’s March/April 2012 issue and, as he put it, “A whole lot of water has gone under the bridge since then.” In the early part of 2012 the HBO series, “Treme,” was in its award-winning heyday and Lance was playing a key role in the action on screen. Since then he has appeared in well over 100 films, TV movies, television series, documentaries, shorts and other visual media, according to the most recent Internet Media Database (IMDb) listings.

Professionally, he goes by his full name – Salvatore – but informally, among friends, he prefers to be called Sal. But, by whatever name he is called, he can also add the title of “director” and others that have reflected his profession over the years. New Orleans born and raised, Salvatore

Mannino, is a professional theatrical director, producer, writer, innovator, actor and just about everything else associated with live stage productions. He is currently

directing “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” one of Tennessee Williams’ best-known stage plays, at Le Petit Theatre.

In 1991, Pastor Steven Perrilloux and his wife Rita were offered a special gift: an opportunity to take possession of a historic church in Reserve, Louisiana. The church was the original Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, built in 1937 to accommodate the region’s Black parishioners who were segregated under the Jim Crow laws in effect throughout the South at the time. A new brick sanctuary was scheduled to be built on the site of the church and the older wood frame structure would have been demolished if it wasn’t moved off the lot.

As the newest member of the iconic 1960s all-girl group, The Dixie Cups, Naydja CoJoe is elated to be part of the group whose biggest hit, "Chapel of Love," sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc. In June 1964 the record hit number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. The homegrown New Orleans trio originally consisted of sisters Barbara Ann and the late Rosa Lee Hawkins and their cousin, the late Joan Marie Johnson. Naydja proudly joins the current lineup consisting of herself, original member Barbara Ann Hawkins and Athelgra Neville Gabriel, sister of the Neville Brothers.

Handling publicity and media relations for even one of New Orleans’ major cultural organizations would be challenging enough, let alone two of them. But Mariah Forde is up to the challenge and she has hit the ground running. A recent arrival to New Orleans from her former home in Miami, Mariah is the Assistant Director of Communications for the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and the New Orleans Opera Association, a dual role newly and specifically ceated for her three months ago.

"PROMOTING THE PERFORMING

ARTS IN NEW ORLEANS"

Mariah Forde

takes on dual role with the local opera and symphony

"Together In Faith And Business"

Steven and Rita Perrilloux

describe their journeyof faith and management

of Historic Riverlands

Bringing empowerment, education, and awareness to young girls aged 10-18 and their families is the driving passion of Essence Harris Banks. However, her life's work truly took center stage when she faced a health crisis. At the time, Essence was a young mother who led a busy and active lifestyle. She enjoyed a successful career with Entergy, worked as a personal ﬁtness trainer, and had a packed schedule ﬁlled with social events and philanthropic endeavors.

As the 24-year-old grandson of Fats Domino, one of the most legendary architects of Rock & Roll, no one would have been surprised if Antonio Domino Jr. followed the same career path. Looking at an early photo of him as a very young child sitting at a piano next to his famous grandfather with his tiny ﬁngers on the keys, an observer might have concluded that he was destined to go in that direction.

Back in the early 1990s, while teaching a group of children how to play golf, their instructor, Khater Salomon, quickly realized that the golf clubs he provided were too long for them. Frustrated by their inability to swing the clubs, Khater had an epiphany. “I said to myself ‘Tere’s got to be an easier way.’ And then it was like a bolt of lightning hit my brain: short clubs, higher tees.”

From that experience the Graduated Teaching Method FORE Golf was born.

In the year 2000, Aaron Neville was co-featured in a book titled “The Brothers Neville,” in which each of the four of them told their stories in short, individual snippets. When Aaron was interviewed for a JazzFest cover story in 2019, the interviewer asked him some questions related to incidents Aaron recounted there and he replied, “I didn’t tell everything in that book so I need to write another one.” Now he HAS!

When Courtney Bryan, a New Orleans-born and raised classical music composer, was notified in September that she was being awarded a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship grant, no one could have been more surprised than her. “I didn’t even know I was being nominated for this,” she said in a recent interview with Breakthru Media magazine Courtney was one of only 20 of the most recent grantees nationwide and one of two from New Orleans.

Gralen Bryant Banks is a New Orleans born and-raised actor and radio personality with such an intense love and respect for the city he grew up in that he celebrates it daily. He hosts “The Front Porch,” a radio show on the city’s only Black-owned radio station WBOK. Gralen refers to New Orleans in the feminine. “I am her son, and I am paying homage to her. Even though she has all of these scars and blemishes, she is beautiful

and deserves to be showcased and celebrated,” said Gralen.

Le Petit Theatre holds “a special place” in A.J. Allegra’s heart. While working on a show there several years ago he met costume designer Kaci Thomassie. In 2020, they married. Three years later the theatre became his employer. As A.J. recalled in a recent interview, “I was presenting a show there for the Willow School where I was teaching at the time and Kaci and I worked together on it. That’s where it all started for us.”

New Orleans is known worldwide as a city whose people and visitors love to party and have fun. Dozens of festivals, parades and other festive events that happen frequently here are proof of that, and this is where Anita Matamoros Oubre is in her element. A hospitality industry employee by profession, Anita is an entertainer by choice, consistent with her bubbly, outgoing, perpetually cheerful personality.

Frederick Griffith was living in Houston in 2017 when his mother asked him to return to his hometown of New Orleans. So Griffith resigned from his restaurant manager position, pulled up stakes, and returned home. His mother had always been there for him, raising four children as a single mom, and, as Griffith puts it, “I never

wanted for anything.”Little did he know then that his mom, Anna Hampton, was giving him yet another gift, one that put him on his

life’s journey.