E349 - Author Debora Masterson ("Freedom Quest") - Top 5 Bands That Should been HUGE

Anyone who have ever had any sort of aspirations of making it in the music business know this well - the chances of “making it” are so slim you might as well play the Lottery with the expectation of becoming a gazillionaire or stand motionless in the same spot waiting to be hit by lightning.  All of the things they tell you to keep you motivated are important - having a dream, drive, determination, and, of course, talent…but that’s clearly not all there is to it.  There are connections and industry politics, but, more than anything, it takes a world of luck.  It’s like this constant series of sliding doors where you need to be at the right place at the right time, and any little tweaks to your timeline and decisions could be the difference maker between being a hopeful and being huge.  Today, we’re going to be talking about the bands that should have been huge - but never quite crossed over to the massive audience they deserved. 

Case in point is the band Freedom Quest, who built up a solid following in San Diego and Southern California in the early ‘70s, built off of the soulful, stirring songs of Craig Ingraham.   It’s hard not to listen to this material (available on streaming services as the album Freedom Quest under Craig Ingraham’s name), and wonder how they didn’t become huge.  All of the ingredients are there - beautiful tunes, expert musicianship, messages of peace, love, and unity that perfectly capture the zeitgeist of the era.  So what happened to Freedom Quest?  Well, a lot, it turns out and you can read the slightly fictionalized version of events in Debora Masterson’s debut novel Freedom Quest: A Love Story (Atmosphere Press), which winds through nearly 60 years in the lives of main characters Michael and Grace - from young star-crossed lovers to bandmates with a world of possibilities in front of them to facing life’s unique twists and turns separately to, ultimately, finding their way back to each other.  It’s the kind of story that reminds you that fate and destiny are very real and powerful forces, and it doesn’t take you long to recognize that the love story of Michael and Grace is largely the love story of Craig and Debora.  It’s a compelling read with a real life soundtrack, as you will learn as we welcome educator, producer, musician, dancer, and now author Debora Masterson!

Thanks to Philip Nakov from City PR for the introduction and coordination.

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