Special Report

FROM THE HEART

Heart And Soul from page 12

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14

January 21 • 2010

advice to Kay and said he had heard
hundreds of singers over the years, but
none with Kay's style and sound.
Another addition to his stable of
professional supporters is renowned
music manager Rick Smith, presi-
dent of Primary Wave Management
in Southfield, New York, Los Angeles,
Nashville and Louisville. Smith has
taken Kay under his protective per-
sonal and professional wing.
For the past six months, Kay has
been closely collaborating with
music producer and engineer Chuck
Alkazian, owner and partner of Pearl
Sound Studios where the two have
been developing original material and
honing in on musical directions for
Kay's budding career, which is already
creating buzz and garnering the atten-
tion of other prominent music indus-
try insiders.
Alkazian, a multi-talented interna-
tional music industry powerhouse,
has worked with some of the biggest
acts in rock and pop music, including
Christina Aguilera, Mitch Ryder, Saving
Abel and Pop Evil. One of his current
projects is mixing the music for the
new, Michigan-based television show,
The Wannabes.
"For someone so young, Sam pos-
sesses a timeless intensity;' Alkazian
said. "I see him as an untainted talent;
completely not jaded. Everything he
does has a natural flow that sounds
effortless. When he sings, he conveys a
very real innocence mixed with deep,
soulful wisdom. Sam expresses himself
through music in ways that far exceed
his years. He reaches deep within as if
easing unspoken struggles and pain:'

Paying It Forward
When things started taking off for Kay,
his mother, who has six other children
and is stepmother to her husband, Jeff
Solomon's, two sons as well, needed to
secure outside funding so her son could
go into the studio to pursue his dream.
Her new employer, Dr. Sol Cogan,
learned of her financial challenge and
insisted that she allow him to cover
the necessary costs, with no strings
attached. He felt a strong connection
to their situation based on personal
experiences he had when he began his
career, and understood the importance
of having someone believe in you.
Cogan mentioned Kay's story to his
close friend and associate, Dr. Steven

Grekin, and Grekin also stepped up
to assist Kay financially. The kindness
of these two virtual strangers, both of
Bloomfield Hills, has been a tremen-
dous life lesson for Kay.
"I am so grateful to Dr. Cogan
and Dr. Grekin for their support and
guidance as well as all those who are
helping me and believe in me Kay
said. "My mother has instilled in all
my brothers and sister that everyone
has something special to share with
the world. She has encouraged each of
us to pursue our individual gifts and
taught us that nothing is impossible. I
now know that no obstacle is too big to
overcome because I've seen firsthand
the amazing things good people with
good hearts do for other people."
Kay is extraordinarily humbled
by the direction and assistance he's
received from his extended family
at Temple Israel, especially from the
clergy. Since his bar mitzvah, he has
become very involved in the many
youth group activities there, and has
even been trained to lead services
as a guest cantor when Smolash and
Michaels are unavailable.
On Nov. 6, 2009, he helped lead the
Friday night Union for Reform Judaism
(UJF) biennial services at the Toronto
Convention Center before 3,500 attend-
ees from around the world.
"Sam is inspiring to all of us:'
Smolash said. "The cool thing about
him is that he is eager to learn and
asks for feedback as he formulates his
own style. It is exciting to watch his
continuously evolving talent"

Past And Future
Kay finds much of his musical inspira-
tion from his grandfathers, the late
Jack Kay, who had great confidence
and pride in his grandson, and Moishe
Last, a musician himself who wrote
guitar books, taught guitar for 50
years, performed with musical greats
John Lee Hooker and Otis Redding
and owned the first integrated record
company in Detroit during the 1960s,
Music Merchants. He has even inher-
ited his grandfather's singing voice.
Kay's ultimate goal?
"To be a respected, successful R&B
singer," he said. "As an artist and
performer, I want to use my voice to
inspire and entertain people on a glob-
al scale while giving back and leaving a
lasting mark on the world." [7,

To listen to the "Raise Your Voice" video, go to www.youtube.com and
search for Sam Kay. Carolyn Krieger-Cohen is the founder of CKC
Public Relations in Farmington Hills.