Connections do not just occur between a band member and his/her fans, yet on the surface, the possibility or opportunity for those connections may very well be the attraction for participating in a specific fandom. For many, the music is what draws one in, but the relationship that ensues is why one stays. It is delightfully refreshing to see that other artists agree. The relationship between a musician and his/her fans does not NEED to be solely transactional…although very few musicians are genuinely comfortable allowing fans “in”…for very obvious and understandable reasons.
Michael Des Barres, however, is one of those upper-echelon musicians. Most Duran Duran fans should recognize the name, he was the touring singer for one of the fantastic Duran side projects – Power Station – back in the 1980’s. In addition to being a fantastic front man onstage, Michael is a very accomplished actor, guest-starring in TV shows beginning in the 1960’s in the UK. He is one of the most recognizable and versatile actors on television today, having accumulated a full resume of US shows such as Rockford Files, WKRP in Cincinnati in the 1970’s, Miami Vice and MacGyver in the 1980’s to very recent appearances on NCIS, Bones, and The Finder. Luckily for MDB fans, he is not a difficult man to find! Fans are people that Michael seems to treasure, as has alluded as much on a fan-developed and managed website www.desbarres.com:
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| Michael Des Barres & John Taylor |
“The message that I have to say to fans and friends, and I don’t think of them as fans, I think of them as friends – and they are friends. We should all be friends, and really my belief is in connection and engagement and letting people into your life… and I say it in the briefest possible way – LOVE EVERYONE NOW!”
Michael doesn’t just say the words, they are put into action. His interactions on Twitter are not just one-way, he genuinely responds to fans on a continual basis. He takes the time to not only read what they are saying, but to engage with them on a personal level. Michael took time to sit down for an interview with Kitty Amsbry to discuss his theories on social media, connecting with fans, and the direction he took with his new album, Carnaby Street. Kitty Amsbry should be no stranger to any Duran fan out there. She is recognized as the brilliance behind Gimme a Wristband (www.gimmeawristband.com) and the mastermind behind Michael's new website,www.mdbimmedia.com, and now she has a brand new title: Chief Media Strategist of MDBimmedia.
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