Hey Mister Rockwell Paint This Picture
My name is Phillip McClary and I am a singer / songwriter, and for years I thought that all I wanted was just to have my songs heard being played on the radio, just like so many others songwriters out there do. That's not really an easy thing to do...and before I could even hope to do that, I needed to first figure out what was really going on around me in my personal and spiritual life. Once I could accomplish that, and find meaning to my existence on this big ole rock, then maybe I could step back up in front of the mic, grab that guitar and really pursue my dream and give my music a whirl. If I could figure that out, everything else would fall into place...well guess what, it did...kinda, sorta...it fell on me and then I fell. I fell hard...
On February 9th, of 2021, I was the unfortunate victim of an under-insured, wrong way driver, and suffered a catastrophic head-on collision. I spent nearly two months in the hospital battling to live...and that experience changed me. It changed everything around me. It changed how I saw life. I found out I took way too many things for granted. I let negativity consume me. The most important thing I realized was that the people that I have chosen to surround myself with from the past and the present, now have become the fabric of my very own existence. If you know me, and you have been in this huge circle of friends and family that I have surrounded myself with, please know all of you are woven into my life, the good and the bad...and let me say, thank you from the bottom of this battered, but still beating middle-aged heart. You are who I am. All of you. You are my world and my world is the music that I am blessed to be creating and sharing with all of you, because of you...and of course, the big guy up above, the real G-Man. God.
WHY SUPPORT MY MUSIC
Money Does Matter
Making music can be expensive in itself. Producing and recording it in a quality that will get an artist noticed is a must! After being released from the hospital, and returning multiple times to have additional surgeries and procedures done over the next 7 months, I came to the conclusion that my health risks (fighting off infections due to having my spleen removed and a pacemaker/defibrillator implanted) would forever severely restrict where and what I could do for a living. Everything that was happening, was happening for a reason, and I believe it was a clear sign for me to do what was best for me, to stay healthy. So in Mid-October, I made a difficult decision and I retired from my position at the school where I worked with special needs students for three years. I now can focus on pursuing my dream, yet I know I cannot afford to make this music alone. I will need the help of all of you, my friends, family and fans, who already have shown your love to myself and family. Yes, this is why I need your help. My first song I have recorded 'Hey Mister Rockwell' I am releasing today! Subsequently then, I will be recording and releasing a new song every two weeks or so.
My goal is to get as many songs out there to not only provide a staple for a living while I continue to recover, but more importantly to get those songs in front of the folks in the music industry that could record them and take them to the next level. Make them a hit. It will take ingenuity, connections and thinking outside of the box to make this a reality. The only way I can do this though is with all of your help, through your donations, purchases of single tracks and the sharing of my story and my website.
With your generosity, your shares, and some creative marketing skills, I am confident, I will most certainly be able to achieve this goal of one day having a hit song on the radio! When I do, please know I'll be forever grateful and definitely have an epic party to celebrate this feat with all you!
HEY MISTER ROCKWELL
GET IT NOWReviews
"God Bless Baseball is wonderful. It really expresses an emotional tie to baseball and Topps, which is at the heart of the brand. I thought it was great, great, great!!!! You are talented."
— M. Eisner, Former Disney CEO
“Phil has such an incredible gift and talent for words. He is an incredible lyricist. He is humble and kind and it was a pleasure and honor to work with him.”
— M. Chadburn, Singer/Songwriter
“I just wanted to say…WOW! I Still Wanna Run is a truly beautiful song. So elusively charming and truly heartfelt. I absolutely love it! Incredible songwriter."
— T. Anderson, Musician
"When We Played is a GREAT tune! Totally relate-able. "
— Smash, St. Louis Legendary DJ.
"Your song, When We Played is such a GREAT JAM! Very Proud of you man! "
— T.Terbrock, DJ, KSHE
"Damn Phil is a there anything you don’t remember when you write your songs? Thanks for the journey back in time. As always you hit it out of the park!"
— S. Depping
"There are times in our lives, inevitable things occur, good and bad...and McClary writes about those things in heartfelt, honest ways that only someone who has truly lived through those things could write about. 5 AM is the most honest song I have heard in years about aging and the stress of the daily grind. Loved it!"
— L. Trace
"The first time I saw Phil perform was circa-1980 something, he was full of energy, but had yet to hit his true potential. He certainly has hit it now! A wonderfully bizarre, dark & funny songwriter with a lot of heart and one heck of a booming voice!"
— M. Caparelli
"Hey Phil, I absolutely love 5AM! It is incredible! As a middle-aged man, I could so connect with the realization that life can be difficult, yet we must move forward. Your song is dark, it's rough around the edges and yet beautiful to listen to while sipping on a cold beer...clearly like you intended."
— D. Davis
If Harry Chapin and Neal Diamond could be cloned into one person, that would be you. Would like to see your birth certificate and ACTUAL hospital records to prove you are who you say!
— M. Buck
" I Love 5 AM! So freaking relatable. I keep playing it over and over! It's an inspiration to not only runners but a reminder to us all that we are not getting any younger! Brings a little tear to my eye every time I hear it!"
— C. Assorti
"You are talented brother!!! (Technically insane (kidding), but extremely talented!!!)"
— M. Beyer, CEO of Fast Eddies Billiards & Sportsbars
MORE REVIEWS
"Phillip McClary this is the one. Another High School Football Game brought tears to my eyes. Should be in a Hollywood football movie. I am thinking Kenny Chesney might want to meet you."
— L. Trapp
"I loved listening to Another High School Football Game! You have a gift with words, and your musical talents amaze me!"
— S. Henke
"Great job, Phil! Another High School Football Game is very poignant and put a big lump in my throat. Great memories."
— L. Betz
"Love this. Another Highschool Football Game made me tear up remembering all those games everyone could not wait to get to on Friday!"
— C. Tharp
"Loved Another High School Football Game! Those high notes & the nostalgia were just f'n killer!"
— C. Barrenkamp
"Wow. Another High School Football Game is a great song! You sounded great. I never had the honor to play football, but was at every game during my tenure at West. I could picture it all!"
— K. Schloemann
"Phillip McClary Another High School Football Game gives me chills to hear all those names and memories of that time in my life. This is so good!"
— R. Hensel
"You're one hell of a story teller! Love your raspy yet smooth voice! I forgot how good you are! Ain't Got You is Brilliant! Sounds to me like a song that could and should be on the radio."
— K. Shiller
"Wow, I can't say enough about how great Another High School Football Game was. Keep them coming my friend!"
— D. Ital
GETTING BACK TO LIVE
It has been over 9 months since my accident. I have been in the hospital multiple times since, the road to recovery has been a long one, but with God's blessing and continued positive health improvement, my goal to play music out live again is in my future, it's just going to take a bit longer due to my back injury and stamina.
When I do return I will be debuting for one live show somewhere in the Midwest Metro Area. After that I will assess my strength and overall health, and proceed to make future plans for more live performances to support my new releases.
My intention would be to start performing house shows. A Phillip McClary "House Show" will be more than just me showing up to play a few songs in your living room or backyard. My "House Show" will give you the opportunity to bring all the friends and family that make up the fabric of your life, into one place, and then share an entertaining, intimately powerful, unique evening with them. The place could be your living room, family room, basement, deck, or backyard, or any private venue you would like it to occur for some great live music...perhaps if you add in some food and drinks, I can guarantee you will have a one-of-a-kind evening.
What is the order of events for a "House Show" evening?
The order is pretty laid back. It's usually great to give folks 1 hour to arrive, get comfortable, and chat it up before getting into music. The music typically last approximately 2 hours. Please note, there is a break in the middle to allow your guest and me to stretch and maybe throw back some cold ones. Spontaneity is what will make one of my "House Shows" a unique music-listening experience!
Ok, if this officially sounds like fun to you I will have more info to share soon.
BOOK A HOUSE SHOW SOON!