Cher & Gene Klosner

Welcome to Cher & Gene Klosner's official site. Thanks to all of you for coming. A special welcome to those of you who are new to our site. We hope you'll enjoy what you find here.

FolkHouse - We’re doing 2 performances – pick a night and we’ll see ya there!

Saturday, March 29, 7:30 pm
Sunday, March 30, 7:30 pm
(Saturday’s performance is nearly sold out, so get your reservations in ASAP, if you’re planning for Saturday)
Cost: $15

Reservations: folkhouse@excite.com
E-mail Jerome and Di Brich for which night and how many.

This is our first "official" House Concert!! – We’ve done lots of unofficial ones and we love it so much that we’re now making them official! And we’re excited to have it happen at the home of our good friends, Jerome & Di Brich! You won’t be hearing “American Pie” or “Crazy”… - this is all original music - the coolest of the cool! You don’t want to miss it!
FolkHouse has been going since 2000, and is a wonderful intimate venue. It’s a place to hear singer/songwriters perform their original music and tell the stories behind them. Soda, coffee, water and snacks are provided at no charge. If folks want alcoholic beverages, they need to bring their own. Reservations can be made by emailing to folkhouse@excite.com and let them know how many and which night.
FolkHouse is located at 2440 Fontenelle Blvd., just north of the Saddle Creek/NW Radial/Military Ave intersection, and south of Holy Name Church. (It’s also strongly suggested that you carpool! But more parking is available on Miami St.) Doors open at 7:00. More details at www.geocities.com/FolkHouse2000.

Acoustic Roundtable III
Tuesday: March 25, 7pm (Doors Open at 6pm)
Ozone (Connected to Anthony’s)
72nd & F, just south of I-80
Omaha, Nebraska 68127

Cost: $10 advance/$15 day of show -
You can get tickets through us ($10 in advance) – e-mail us (chergene@chergene.com) for questions/tickets -or- you can get tickets at the Ozone.
Details at www.AcousticOmaha.com.

Join us and 22+ singer/songwriters for the Acoustic Roundtable III - an intimate evening of music offered by some of the regions best Singers/Songwriters. Writers-in-the-round take turns showcasing their original songs in a unique setting designed for both the listener and the performer. Several musicians are invited to perform on stage at the same time with each musician telling the story behind the song. Each writer/performer performs two songs (that’d be 2 each for Cher and for Gene, if it goes as previous shows have gone).
If you love local music and original material, come on out to the Ozone! Visit www.acousticomaha.com for details and list of artists performing. We went to Acoustic Roundtable II a few months back and it was very enjoyable – especially for those that enjoy discovering new acoustic, original music. CD’s available by most artists.
See you there!

The 2-disc set just won "Best Products - 2008 - Audio"! Check www.StardustLullaby.com for details and links to the award and to sites covering the story. We'll be doing a lot more updating there than here, since all of our press is directing people to that site. You can see our video clips from Donny Deutsch's "The Big Idea" and Action 3 News' "Oprah Extra" there. Look for an article in the Omaha World-Herald and February's Omaha Family Magazine, and we'll be posting reviews there. There will also be an article soon in the World-Herald about William Wolcott, the violinist who played on many of the songs on Stardust (and surely on our future projects), and that article is supposed to be mentioning his work on our cd.

Speaking of our future projects, we have already started recording tracks for a new Christmas cd, and for a cd of original material to correlate with us starting to perform at House Concerts, the first of which will be the FolkHouse. It's tentatively titled This Old House (there are still other songs planned for the project titled Here in the Distance) and we hope to have it out by this Fall. We have scheduled Sat., March 29 and Sun., March 30. Both are at 7:30pm, and have a suggested artist donation of $15. Please check the MySpace page for RSVP and parking details. RSVP's are via email (folkhouse@excite.com) to FolkHouse. We will perform songs from all our cd's, including some upcoming releases, so it's a show for grown-ups, not a lullaby show (we'd put you to sleep if that's all we sang!).

We will also be a part of the Acoustic Roundtable III at the Ozone March 25, 7pm. This is about 20 local singer/songwriters "in the round" and we will be in the first of four rounds, so don't be late, and be sure to stick around for the whole evening. There are some great local artists to discover! $10 ($15 day of show). If all goes as it did in the past shows we saw, Cher & Gene should have 2 songs each.

Hi everyone!! Holy moley, lots of SUPER COOL STUFF!!!! First and foremost, we were just featured on CNBC - Donny Deutsch's show," The Big Idea" - our video was featured on the American Dream Team segment! WOW!!! Was it ever cool when they called from New Jersey to tell us we would be on a national show! Iran around the house screaming! Today my voice hurts! Donny and Oprah are huge inspirations for me, so it was a real honor to be featured on his show. This truly was a dream come true for us :)

Then today, we were interviewed by Action 3 News - they came and did a story on us in the recording studio. Pretty darn cool!!!!!!

Stardust is getting great reviews, and is being considered for several Parent Awards. Keep your fingers crossed, and we'll keep you posted! Visit www.stardustlullaby.com for more information and to hear soundclips! We are also blogging alot on that site, and sweet hubby Ben has created a few games to play so stop by!

Stardust arrived a couple weeks ago and it's already selling out in stores, it's available for mail order, and we have a billboard up just south of the Starbucks near 72nd & Dodge in Omaha! You can check out info by clicking on the Stardust pic on the right, and more info on the official Stardust webpage. Some of the songs are streaming on our MySpace page, too! Add us as a MySpace friend! Be sure you're on our mailing list (link on the left) to be notified of any updates, and there sure is a lot of news lately!

Also, since it's the season of Advent, many Catholic churches from coast to coast are using our Mass For the Advent Season. Thanks to those churches! And, of course, Advent leads to Christmas, so if you need any 99-cent Christmas cassette stocking stuffers, go to the order page! Have a great holiday season!

Sound clips and lyrics and credits for the vocal versions of all of the songs are now up on the music page at StardustLullaby.com. There are also a couple games there you can play in the Fun & Games section.We'll get clips up soon of the instrumental versions as well! Make sure you're on our mailing list to hear news on articles coming out, our billboard on 72nd St. in Omaha in December, and where you can get Stardust, in stores or online!

We posted the song titles and the guest musicians on the Stardust page, along with even more new clips, so you know what songs will be on it and what amazing musical talent Omaha and Lincoln have to offer!

Hey everyone! We're starting our first official "Blog" - you can click to the left on the word Blog to get there, or go here: www.myspace.com/chergeneklosner .

We'll be posting there more frequently than here, and posting clips of songs, videos, etc. of the whole recording process of Stardust. You can also subscribe to our blog and get a notification everytime we post new stuff. Way cool!

We're still in the studio recording - we've been so fortunate to work with a virtual Who's Who of musicians - all extremely talented and, just as important, wonderful to work with. Nashville, LA and New York don't have anything over these incredible musicians in Omaha.

We are so excited about Stardust - it's going to be a double-disc collection with 42 tracks in all - 21 full songs AND their instrumental tracks so parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles or babysitters can sing along! Ben is doing the cover, which he'll be posting up here soon. It is scheduled for release in November, just in time for Christmas. There is a sample of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" on our blog - now mind you, it is just some of the raw tracks, which are not even mixed yet, and the instruments aren't balanced yet, but it gives you an idea of where the project is heading. I'll be posting more audio clips as we move along and some video taken in the studio

Mark your calendars forWednesday eve, September 19! FireSong 2007 will be taking place at St. Gerald's in Omaha! More info to follow soon.

The College World Series was amazing! It was pretty fun singing for that many people - the attendance was over 22,600 people. It got pre-empted by a commercial, so it didn't air on ESPN but we got it all on camera - here's a Quicktime clip of our performance.

Cher & Gene singing the National Anthem at College World Series.

Hey everybody! Our first College World Series performance is right around the corner: Be sure to tune in to ESPN 2 - Father's Day, June 17, Game # 6, at 6pm Central Time. We won't know for sure if it airs - often times the National Anthem gets pre-empted by commercials. We've been told it also airs on the radio here in Omaha at 1620 on the AM dial.

It's been a really busy year for us - we're about finished with the lullaby cd, Stardust - still have a few cello parts to put down, along with back up vocals and mixing, but it's really taking shape. We listened to it last night - put my son, Boo, right to sleep, as intended. Speaking of Boo, he is singing a duet with me on Stardust - a song called "Little Sir Echo" ...pretty darn cute, and he was a real trooper in the studio. Needless to say, Mommy, Daddy and Uncle Gene were very proud :)

We're posting some clips of the raw, unmixed tracks here for ya - there aren't any special effects on these yet, but you'll get an idea of what these songs will be sounding like. We'll be posting some video (likely tonight) from the recording sessions shortly, so come back often so you get an "Insider's look" at how a recording develops.

For those of you who don't know, Cher's husband Ben is an Emmy Award-winning animator for The Simpsons, and has done lots of animation for Fox, HBO, Showtime, e-cards for American Greetings, and the list goes on. Ben is heading up a team of mega-talented animators from around the globe to produce an animated DVD featuring Cher & Gene's music, available in 2008. How fun!

This week, 6 members from our California choir, Upon This Rock, are flying in to Omaha to record backup vocals on a Christmas song for our upcoming yet-to-be-titled Christmas CD. They'll be joined by the Fire Choir from Omaha - wow! It will be amazing. The song is a traditional Spanish carol and is called "Los Peces en el Rio." We composed a contemporary arrangement of this song a few years ago, and sang it for about 4,000 people one Christmas season and the response was so great, my knees buckled!

We're launching our Light the Fire Music website nationally in July - Mass of the Holy Family and Mass for the Advent Season will both be available. Our Responsorial Psalms Series, SingablePsalms.com, will be available in 2008. We'll also be doing a couple FireSongs this year - maybe even as early as August - so if you are in the Nebraska area, and want to be kept informed or learn more about these events, be sure to visit www.ltfmusic.com.

Brad Colerick (who did Aurora with Gene) just released his new cd, Lines in the Dirt, featuring a duet with Suzy Bogguss. More details at www.bradcolerick.com.

Lastly, we've been getting a chance to get out and perform our non-church repertoire :) doing singer/songwriter events. It's been fun, because often, hubby Ben and sister Margy sit in. Ben plays a mean piano and harmonica, and Margy adds some fantastic background vocals. Okay, that about wraps it up for now! Hope to see many of you tomorrow at the College World Series.

Great news! We just learned we'll be singing the "National Anthem" at the College World Series Sunday, June 17, 2007, 6pm! (That's Father's Day, so bring Dad!) These games are televised on ESPN, although rumor has it that they may cut to a commercial at National Anthem time. Drat. :-) So, I guess you'll have to just come to Rosenblatt Stadium to hear us. Either way, should be quite fun! Tickets are available April 28th via TicketMaster.

That same week, we'll be recording another song ("Los Peces en el Rio") for our upcoming Christmas cd with our Fire Choir from Omaha AND our Upon This Rock Choir from California! In the meantime, we've been busy recording our lullaby cd, Stardust, and the tracks sound amazing so far! The guest instrumentalists (violin, cello, stand-up bass, jazz drums, clarinet, vibes, recorders and more) from here in Nebraska just blow us away, enough not to miss any talent from Nashville or Los Angeles, and the state-of-the-art studio (WareHouse) is such a comfortable place and Tom Ware does such magic on our recordings. Can't wait for you all to hear it! Be sure to sign up on our mailing list to be informed of when that comes out. Our tentative release date for Stardust is October 1st.

We're also working on more things for our church music site, Light the Fire Music. Our Mass of the Holy Family should be available this summer, Responsorial Psalms in 2008, and we will be exhibiting and performing at the National Association of Pastoral Ministers (NPM) National Convention July 9-13 in Indianapolis. If you're a Catholic church music director/liturgist, it is always a good convention to attend.

We also found out that Big Ben's and Little Ben's "Smooky Ghost Story" was just selected as a winner in AddictingClips.com's "Cash For Clips" after being viewed over 28,000 times there (plus a few thousand times on YouTube).

Happy Spring! Love the Spring - I heard two cardinals singing outside my window today...Hope they stick around awhile.

Hope you are all well - we have been crazy busy getting ready for our new lullaby cd, Stardust. We're in the studio next week, so Stardust will be out by the Fall at the latest. We're working with some top notch musicians on this - it will be beautiful. We're also making headway on our new Christmas cd too, which we decided to make available in 2008 - we will be releasing "I am a Carpenter" as a downloadable single for this Christmas, and will have sheet music available for Christmas concerts.

Speaking of Christmas concerts, we'll be putting on our first Christmas Concert along with the release of the Christmas cd in 2008. Now that my son is in school and a little older, Gene and I are able to resume performing again. We'll keep you posted.

Boy are we ever behind on news! And so much to tell! First of all, we hope you are all well, and ready for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year's and every other holiday in between. I always love this time of year - actually, I love EVERY time of year, but this always seems to be the most festive and heart warming.

We've been busy launching our new website, www.LightTheFireMusic.com, and it has been a very exciting journey! If you are in the Omaha/Lincoln Nebraska area, our Mass for the Advent Season will be used at 16 different parishes so far! Pretty cool! We will be launching Mass of the Holy Family in January.

In October and November, we held two really fun workshops that had over 200 directors, musicians, singers, and music appreciators in attendance at each event. It was truly amazing to hear what sounded like choirs of angels all coming together to meet, sing, pray, work and have fun together. Thanks to all who sponsored the event and for all of you that attended!

We're moving forward on our Lullabye cd, Stardust, and our new Christmas album, which is yet to be titled. The cd's are set to be released in 2007.

Speaking of Christmas,"Please Don't Send Me Fruitcake" from our Christmas album, Ribbons and Pine was performed by the Omaha Symphony in November with the Von Trapp Children at the Holland Performing Arts Center. It is also scheduled to be performed by the Cincinatti Symphony and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra this month. "Please Don't Send Me Fruitcake" along with "All I'll Ask This Christmas" was recorded by the The Von Trapp Children on their Christmas cd. These kids are just wonderful - not just musically, but personally. If you get a chance to see them, take it. It is a great family show. Go to www.omahasymphony.org for more information about the Omaha Symphony - and while you're on the Omaha symphony's homepage, if you click on the "Education" link, you can see a picture of Cher's 5-year-old son, Benjamin, playing the cello. :)

Cassette Blowout Sale!!!! All of our cassettes are on sale - we are liquidating our supply of cassettes - all cassettes are on sale for $1.99 a piece plus shipping and handling! Stocking Stuffers Galore! Listen to mp3 snippets of the songs, if you're not familiar with our music.

Other fun news, most of you know that my husband Ben is an animator for the show The Simpsons. He also does a lot of free-lance cartoons for American Greetings and for many other shows, animation houses and web greeting card companies. Well, our son Benjamin has taken up art, music and story telling - and came up with his own story this Halloween entitled, "A Smooky Ghost Story"- he and Daddy pooled their talents and created a one-minute cartoon short which received a lot of attention, with over 26,000 hits - if you'd like to see it, click here.

Last of all, back by popular demand is my recipe for the easiest, yummiest Christmas pie ever - I call it "Peeper Pie" also known as Sugar Cream Pie.

That about wraps it up for now! We hope you all have a blessed Christmas, New Year and Holiday season.

Hi All!! Well, Summer's about over, and Fall is on it's way ...Hope you've all enjoyed the sunshine.

We've been busy in the studio recording the "Official version" of our latest Christmas song, I am a Carpenter. We worked with some incredible singers, namely, the Light The Fire Choir, amazing musicians, and an awesome engineer in a state-of-the art studio on this ... OH-my-GOSH!!!!! It sounds amazing! But you'll have to wait a bit longer to hear it. I know, we're rotten, rotten, rotten taunting you this way :) but it'll be worth the wait, and hopefully, you'll agree. This will be available soon as a single download purchase, and then later in 2007 on our new Christmas CD! Yep, it's official, our next project will be a second Christmas CD, (along with the Lullabye CD, I keep hoping)

We also want to let you know if you are anywhere in the Omaha/Lincoln/Council Bluffs area, we'll be holding "FireSong - Gathering the Wood" - a Citywide Music Performance/Music Workshop Wednesday, October 4, 7:00PM at St. Gerald's Parish on 96th and Q in Omaha. We'll be presenting our Mass settings, "Mass foir the Advent Season " and "Mass of the Holy Family" (both USCCB and ICEL approved in '04). and also be presenting several of our Advent/Christmas Responsorial Psalms. We'll be introducing our new website, LightTheFireMusic.com, and will be addressing questions regarding the new English translations. This is open to all Catholic parish Music Directors, musicians, cantors and choir members, and remember, it's FREE!!! You'll need to RSVP at rsvp@LightTheFireMusic.com ASAP - at the latest, October 2nd (announcement and details below...) The Light the Fire Choir (formerly the MAC choir) will be backing us up and let me tell you, they ROCK!!!!!! Not only are they talented, they are all just GREAT people. We are honored to have them with us.

Okay, that about wraps it up for now. Oh, by the way, we'll be taking the "I am a Carpenter" DEMO off the website fairly soon, so if you haven't heard it yet, now is your chance - again, it's the demo, not the actual recording, but you'll get the idea.

Pastors, Music Directors, Musicians, Cantors, Choir members!

Cher & Gene Klosner

and the

“Light the Fire Choir”

in conjunction with

St. Gerald Parish

invite you to attend

FireSong

Gathering the Wood

a FREE Music Performance/Workshop

presenting the Klosners’

“Mass for the Advent Season”

“Mass of the Holy Family”

and several Advent/Christmas Responsorial Psalms

Wednesday, October 4th, 7:00 PM

St. Gerald Church

96th & Q - Omaha, NE

Cher and Gene will also introduce Light the Fire Music, a new online publishing company

created with the Music Director in mind.

Q&A, Exhibit and Social time with refreshments will follow.

The workshop is open to all Omaha Archdiocesan and surrounding area parishes. This is a great opportunity to hear new music, and also to meet, share and exchange ideas with other Catholic Church musicians from around the city.

Please RSVP by Monday, October 2nd to:

rsvp@LightTheFireMusic.com

(include your name, parish, and names of musicians from your parish planning to attend)

Special thanks to the Planning Committee:

Mary Clare Mendick (St. Gerald), Peg Lacy (St. Margaret Mary),

Kathy Hargis (St. Vincent de Paul), Karen Schrader (Holy Cross),

Kelly Barth (St. Leo), Rob Chesire (Creighton Prep Campus Ministry),

Dorothy Begley (St. Thomas More), Michael Willis (St. Patrick - Elkhorn),

Sr. Rosalie Riccobono, OSM (St. Pius X)

We are lovin' the summertime! Swimming pools, waterparks, cooking out on the grill with family and friends...it doesn't get much better than this. Hope you are all enjoying your summer as well.

We are moving so close to the launching of our latest project, LightTheFireMusic.com. It's so cool to see a project we've been working on for so many years finally see the light of day. The official debut of our Mass of the Holy Family - which is the first collection of music that will be available on LightTheFireMusic.com - took place on May 6 and the response has been tremendous.

Haven't heard Mass of the Holy Family yet? If you would like to hear sample recordings of the Mass, go to www.LightTheFireMusic.com and click on Music samples.

If you would like your church to start using this music, let your choir directors and music directors know about our site and have them sign up to be notified when it will be available in sheet music. We have begun workshops in the Omaha area to discuss copyright issues, and to bring Music Directors together to share ideas. The first of these was in June. It was a nice, informal get-together where we were able to begin addressing the questions and needs of Music Directors regarding reprint licenses, legal downloading, etc. The next one is scheduled for August 10, at St. Margaret Mary. If you'd like more information on this upcoming workshop, or would like to atttend, e-mail us at CherGene@CherAndGeneKlosner.com.

Other fun stuff...We will be going into the studio to record the fully produced version of our song, "I am A Carpenter" in August (if you'd like to hear the demo, click on the sidebar). The fully produced version will be available to download by Christmas! Also, we are planning a performance for later in the Fall. This will be a singer/songwriter night, all original music by Cher and Gene. A lot of the new music we will be playing is what is intended for our upcoming CD, "Here In the Distance." We are pretty pumped about this event! Details will follow shortly.

It’s been a very busy year for us. Our studio is up and running and we’ve recorded a bunch of new projects – not the ones we’d thought we would be doing, but as the old saying goes, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.” Stardust and Here In the Distance had to be put on hold as other projects have taken precedence. One of the projects we are most excited about is our latest Christmas song, "I Am a Carpenter." (click here, if you'd like to read the lyrics while listening) This isn't even available on CD yet, but we want to share this demo (it's a free download) with all of you who have been so supportive of our music.

Another massive project we've been working on that has kept us locked up in the studio and tied to our computers is our new website, LightTheFireMusic.com which is in the works and coming soon! All the new, contemporary music we have written for church services over the past ten years is now going to be available in sheet music and recordings. Woo-hoo!!!!! New Mass Settings, over 150 Responsorial Psalms, and many new arrangements of older hymns will finally be available at www.LightTheFireMusic.com.
We’ll announce the launching sometime in 2006 through this website, so you’ll be the first to hear about it. It is a huge undertaking, but we are so excited about this, we’re barely taking time to rest!! Be sure to sign up on the mailing list to find out about it.

We have also been asked to head up the music for the 50th Anniversary Mass for Marian High School, Cher’s alma mater in May, 2006, where we will be making the official debut of our “Mass of the Holy Family.” We’re in the process of forming an incredible choir for this event. Don’t ask us where we’re finding the time to do all this... Now, see why Stardust and Here in the Distance keep getting pushed back?!

Von Trapp Children sing "Please Don't Send Me Fruitcake" at Symphony Performances

Other fun music happenings – as most of you know, Cher’s song, Please Don’t Send Me Fruitcake from Ribbons and Pine was recorded by the Von Trapp Children a few years ago (along with Cher's, All I’ll Ask This Christmas). They are now singing with many symphonies and Please Don’t Send Me Fruitcake will be performed this year at several of these symphonic performances.

"Please Don't Send Me Fruitcake" to be Played at the "Great Fruitcake Toss"

In Manitou Springs, Colorado, Cher & Gene's Please Don't Send Me Fruitcake from Ribbons and Pine will be played for the second year at the city's 10th annual Great Fruitcake Toss January 7, 2006. The Great Fruitcake Toss gets national coverage, and sounds like a whole lot of fun! The Great Fruitcake Toss takes place in January of every year, so pack up those nasty old doorstops and head to Manitou Springs for a fun-filled vacation and a great way to end the Christmas season. We have an open invitation to come out and toss the first fruitcake! The info for the 2006 event is as follows:

11TH ANNUAL GREAT FRUITCAKE TOSS
1/7/2006 10:00 AM-2:00 PM
Manitou Springs High School Football Field
Manitou Springs, Colorado
Contact: Manitou Springs Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau 719-685-5089 1-800-642-2567

Competition begins in the morning with a fruitcake spatula relay run and continues throughout the day with a fruitcake derby, the Furthest Distance Award and the Glamour Award, which awards the most beautiful, ugliest and most creative use of a fruitcake. Check out their website for more information.

Cher & Gene provided the music for several animation shorts this year, with Cher’s hubby Ben Lane, who has become quite the celebrity in Omaha, being an Emmy-award winning The Simpsons animator! Here are a couple articles about him that appeared earlier this year, in the Omaha World-Herald and The Reader (for which he did the cover art).

The Tree Lighting Ceremony in LA was a huge success, as we sang to over 4,000 people of all ages. We’ll also be performing at Los Angeles’ Cathedral, Our Lady of the Angels for our fourth return engagement. It’s definitely been a year jam-packed with cool projects!

This year brought many blessings, mixed with sorrow. Our Dad (Jim Klosner) passed away unexpectedly in May. We’re still trying to pick up the pieces from his death, especially getting through the “firsts” – first birthday without him, first Father’s Day, first Christmas… I don’t think anything ever truly prepares us for the loss of a loved one. We miss him very much.

This year, Gene’s buddy and collaborator on Aurora, Brad Colerick, released Cottonwood, his first CD in 19 years! It’s a folk/bluegrass collection and Gene sang backup on two of the songs, joining with Dan Navarro, half of Lowen & Navarro, writers of Pat Benatar’s “We Belong” and one of Gene’s favorite duos (see the fun story with the lyrics to Brad’s “Fire On the River”). Dan also happens to be a cousin to Dave Navarro of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Brad is joined by many well-known players, like Chris Hillman, Herb Pederson and even members of Lincoln’s Stony Point Bluegrass Band. So, be sure to check out www.BradColerick.com to find out about ordering his CD and to find out about his upcoming CD release party SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11, in South Pasadena, CA, as well as some performances in CA, UT and NE, including Mick’s and the FolkHouse in Omaha, all coming up in the next few weeks.

Don’t forget, Jane Lemmers has a CD as well, Me Jane, released last year. Cher & Gene sang backup on her haunting rendition of Dylan’s Like a Rolling Stone. Visit Jane at www.MeJaneSongs.com.

Last, but not least, Cher’s PEEPER PIE recipe is here for anyone who wants to bake the yummiest, EASIEST, Christmas treat you can share with your friends, neighbors and family!! Just be prepared to be asked to bake it every year, it is THAT DELICIOUS!!!!!

Well, that wraps it up in a pretty little Christmas bow for now (I couldn’t resist – Gene just rolls his eyes and says, “Cher wrote that - NOT ME”). We hope all is well with you. ‘Til next time, have a beautiful Christmas, and holiday season!!!

Some of you may know that Gene was in Scarlet & Cream Singers, a show choir at University of Nebraska - Lincoln, for four years in college. We were recently sent a link to a clip of a performance of the song "Disco Duel (Dueling Bee Gees)." This was written by fellow "Screamer" Paul Eschliman, who is seen in the video, along with fellow tenor Steve Novak.To see this video, first go to the "Disco Duel" lyrics page, then the link there will open a separate window showing the video.

We just found out about a big fruitcake bake-off that was inspired by the song, Please Don't Send Me Fruitcake!! The bake-off, complete with a celebrity panel of judges, just took place in Bethlehem, PA at a yearly event called Christkindlmarkt. Says Christkindlmarkt's director of marketing and public relations, Sharon McCarthy, "We wanted to disprove the myth that only one fruitcake keeps being passed down from generation to generation." We always get a kick out of 'fruitcake stories' and what that song inspires, so keep the stories coming!

Keep your ears tuned in to Music Choice this Christmas season and many radio stations for cuts from Ribbons and Pine. Also, be sure to listen for our songs, "Please Don't Send Me Fruitcake" and "All I'll Ask This Christmas" performed by the Von Trapp Children on Fox News Channel and QVC. A big thank you to all of the stations who play our music, and, to you, the listeners, who call in those requests! It is very much appreciated. If our music is not being heard on your favorite station, ask them, "Why the heck aren't you playing Ribbons and Pine?" If they tell you they don't have it, tell them you'll contact us and we'll get it to them.

Lots of updating to do! Cher and Gene have been doing a lot of "commuting" to and from LA, now that Cher and hubby Ben have made a big move to the Midwest. Cher and Gene are going full force, writing, recording and performing while Ben is still working for The Simpsons but now, out of his new home studio. Quite a change from LA, but I've got to admit we are really diggin' the Fall, Winter, the change of seasons and change of scenery. Not to mention, people in the Midwest are some of the friendliest, respectful people around. They even put their shopping carts away at the grocery stores...

The Christmas season started out strong with a performance for over 4,000 people in LA.last week. We did a lot of our Christmas material, with Upon This Rock choir. Last week, our good buddy, Vince Leinen, hosted his annual Christmas caroling party with friends and acquaintances from several other bands, including some members of Supertramp, The Knack, and Sweetwater. We all went to a few different nursing homes and helped residents usher in the Christmas season. We attended Omaha's rendition of the same caroling party (also hosted by Vince) a week later and it just so happened to be on the "Second Sunday of December." Caroling at nursing homes is probably one of our favorite things to do during the Christmas season, and really brings the meaning of Christmas home to us.

Many thanks for all the orders we've already received for Ribbons and Pine, along with our other albums, Denver, Sunday and Aurora. We look so forward to adding Stardust and Here In the Distance to that list - can't wait! Looks like a second Christmas collection is lurking around the corner as well. More on that in the next issue.

Speaking of the next installment, stay tuned for the Cher and Gene trivia game - how well do you know Cher and Gene? First ten people to post the correct answerswill win an autographed Cher and Gene cd of your choice, or a gift certificate for one of our future recordings. Even if you don't win, you'll have fun playing the game.

It's already my favorite baking season again. I make chocolate liquor truffles and killer toffee which I plan to sell one of these days - anyone interested in buying my toffee online? If I get enough interest, I'll make it available for a limited time next Christmas season. Below, is my favorite Christmas recipe - Peeper Pie (Sugar Cream Pie)

Thanks to all of you who have written in - we love hearing from you. Have a blessed and safe holiday season.

Cher and Gene Klosner sang their song, "Tower of Love" in New York for the third anniversary of 9/11 at the Opening Ceremony for the "United in Memory" 9/11 Memorial Quilt.

The "United in Memory" 9/11 Memorial Quilt quilt was on display September 10-12, 2004, in Long Island, New York at Farmingdale State University Nold Hall. The Opening Ceremony and a special VIP Preview night was held for press and special guests on Thursday evening, September 9th, with guest speakers and an additional performance by Daniel Rodriguez, former NYPD officer (known as "the singing policeman"). Joining Cher & Gene Klosner on back up vocals were several members of the "Upon This Rock" choir from Los Angeles.

We are presently in the studio working on two new releases, tentatively titled, Here In the Distance and Stardust. Here In the Distance is our first collection of all original songs. We are anxious to get this one out - it's been a work in progress for eons. Stardust is a collection of original and traditional lullabies. This project is inspired by the birth of my little guy, Benjamin. Most of the songs on here are songs I sing to him before he goes to sleep.One of the songs written by "Uncle Gene", called "Dreams' Doorway (Pillow Soft and Blanket Warm)," is one of Benjamin's most requested songs... Many of these are songs my mom would sing to us when we were little 'uns, so Stardust is a real special project for both Gene and me.

Our other recordings, Ribbons and Pine, Denver, Sunday and Aurora are available here! We'll have lyrics and sound clips available here on this website soon.

Hey! We recently learned that Cher's "Please Don't Send Me Fruitcake" was played on the Dr. Demento show (Cher and Gene's version from Ribbons and Pine). Both versions also got airplay on several radio morning shows around the country. Thanks to all of you who call in and request our music, and a huge thank you to all the radio stations who play our music every Christmas!

"Please Don't Send Me Fruitcake" on The Grand Ole Opry Live! show and QVC

The Von Trapp children performed their version of Cher's song "Please Don't Send Me Fruitcake" on The Grand Ole Opry Live! on the GAC Channel Saturday eve, December 20th, and then again, on QVC's Christmas show December 24th thru the 26th, on QVC.

"Please Don't Send Me Fruitcake" and "All I'll Ask This Christmas" written by Cher Klosner, Appear on Von Trapp Children's New Christmas Album

Two songs from our Christmas album, Ribbons and Pine, have been recorded by The von Trapp Children, the great-grandchildren of Captain von Trapp (The Sound of Music). "Please Don't Send Me Fruitcake" and "All I'll Ask This Christmas," written by Cher, are among 19 brand new recordings of traditional Christmas carols along with several contemporary Christmas songs. The album is available in stores and at their website (and, by the way, not only are they talented, but they are one of the nicest families you could imagine!).

To bring you up to date, in addition to all of the Cher & Gene events we normally have going on (performing, writing, recording, etc.), we've had the good fortune of being able to get involved over the past year and a half with a tremendous project, the United in Memory 9/11 Memorial Quilt. Not only did we have the honor and privilege of doing "hands on" work with the assembly of the quilt, we were also commissioned by the United in Memory Foundation to write a song for the unveiling ceremony of the quilt. The resulting song, "Tower of Love" made its debut aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California, on the evening of August 30th, 2002. We never expected the overwhelming response that the song received. Now, after many hours, weeks and months in the studio, we are very proud to present "Tower of Love" to you. This recording is humbly, respectfully and lovingly dedicated to the memory of all the victims of the 9/11 attacks, along with their families and loved ones.

From the beginning, we've felt that "Tower of Love" is a song we simply want to share. With the help of the Internet, we are able to do just that, by offering this recording as a free download for everyone who would like to hear it (if you would like to read the story behind the creation of the song, click on the "Tower of Love" picture on the right). Please feel free to use the song in your classrooms, or for your events honoring and remembering the victims of 9/11. Lyrics and chord charts are also available for your use. Permission is granted for all personal, noncommercial use*. We can only wish that this song brings some sense of hope out of what was such a senseless tragedy .

"Tower of Love" features the choir, Upon This Rock, with drums by Joey Finger (Leanne Rimes, Prince, Jonny Lang) and guitars by Tim Kobza (Modereko on Verve Records). The project was mixed and mastered by the amazing William "B.C." Carr, whose credits are too numerous to mention. The cover art along with this entire website, was done by Cher's hubby, Ben Lane ("The Simpsons," "King of the Hill," "Free For All," "Humphrey").

To download Tower of Love, just click on the link. Please pass it on to your friends and family and to anyone you feel might enjoy listening to this song. If you encounter any difficulties downloading "Tower of Love" or other song clips, please let us know.

*Are you breaking the law for downloading 'Tower of Love' for free?" The answer is no, for this recording only. Downloading songs without the permission of the copyright holder is illegal. However, because we are the writers, publishers and copyright owners of this particular song and this particular recording, and we have granted permission for anyone to download this recording, you are not breaking a law downloading "Tower of Love." Permission is granted for all personal, non-commercial use. "Tower of Love" is NOT in the Public Domain, and all rights are reserved and protected under the Copyright Act. In other words, don't make 20 copies of "Tower of Love" and try to sell them at a local lemonade stand...big no no. :)

For information about recording this song for any other purpose, contact us through this site, or through Che-Rollin' Music, ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) ACE Website.

The United in Memory Quilt was on display from September 11-14th, 2003 at Pier 94, in New York.We performed "Tower of Love" at the United in Memory Ceremony honoring the victims, joined by three very talented vocalists, Juan Velasco, of Los Angeles, Brooke McRoberts and Kerrin Perkins, both of New York. It was very moving to meet many of the wonderful families of the 9/11 victims, and listen to the stories of how 9/11 affected their lives. We simply fell in love with the people and the city of New York, and have such a deep respect for everyone we had the honor of meeting. .

If you have the opportunity to visit any of the United in Memory Quilt displays, PLEASE don't miss it. It's very powerful. A son of one of the firefighters lost on 9/11 spoke at the cermony at Pacific Design Center. His words were, "Please keep their memory alive. Please, don't forget them."

We believe so strongly in this tremendous project, and have been greatly moved by the whole spirit of volunteerism, giving and kindness that went on behind the quilt's creation. We're putting in a heartfelt plug for United in Memory - The United in Memory Quilt relies entirely on volunteers who give so graciously of their time and talents, and relies solely on donations to be able to take it from one city to the next. It's truly a worthwhile exhibit. If you would like to donate, please go to their site, www.unitedinmemory.net. Thanks so much for your support and generosity.

If you're looking for a fun new treat for the winter months, here's a recipe that's been a tradition in the Lane family (Cher's husband) for many years. We've made these for our neighbors during the Christmas season and they always look forward to next year's pie. Try it, we guarantee you'll love it.

- We recently did a recording project here in our studio with jazz singer/songwriter and recording artist, Jane Lemmers, on her debut project, Me Jane. We sang back up on Jane's very cool rendition of Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone." Jane's been a part of our musical history for as far back as we can remember, and she sang vocals and played guitar on a few tracks on the Denver album. Cher had the honor of sittin' in on one of Jane's recent live performances in Denver, Colorado - quite a rockin' night! It's so great to be able to be a part of her first album.

Fans of Kenny Rankin, Tuck & Patti, John Pizzarelli and James Taylor will enjoy this intimate acoustic collection of standards, pop songs and originals. Me Jane is now available - info at www.mejanesongs.com.

- "Tower of Love" is being performed this year by the University of Nebraska's Scarlet & Cream Singers. Gene was a member of this show choir for four years in college and still has close ties to the ongoing "Screamers". Fellow member Brooke McRoberts performed with us in New York at the 9/11 United in Memory Quilt opening Ceremony. Several Screamers also contributed on the Aurora album, including musicians Mike Reynolds and Jill Knott Sievers, and Gene's co-writers Anna Baker Hanselmann, John Ficke and Curt Gehman.

- We've also added lots of fun stuff to this site -- shots of us on "The Simpsons," a very different remix of our award-winning song "Great Day" (from Denver), stories "behind the music" -- without the "downward spiral" :) -- Gene's music trivia Q&A, is coming soon!

We're updating our mailing list, email and snail mail. We may not have your current mailing address (even if we already have your email address), so please take a minute to update your info on our mailing list page. Please keep us advised of any changes. Thanks!

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