A Public Service Announcement From Preston Shannon

I got an email from Blues Critic Media about file sharing.

Here it is:

Just a note from a fellow Blues Lover..... Our intentions may be good...most of us don't even realize what we're doing is wrong ...but "burning" a copy of an artist's CD for our "friends" is unethical and actually illegal. Support the Blues don't help kill it. We waste more money on other things but a "real" cd is forever. The big companies aren't the ones who get hurt by piracy it's the independent, trying to make a living people who do. Want to turn someone onto an artist? Give them a taste of the CD (a song or two) but NOT the whole thing Stealing music is no different than stealing somebody's rent money or food. You wouldn't do that would you? See what an independent artist feels about us sharing his hard-earned work for free. GO HERE

I know that some of you think that this problem is just the big labels, and since I am not high on corporate music companies I have not said a whole lot about the problem. However, it is now hurting the independents who need the cash. A lot of us self produce our music, and I haven't complained when I have seen my CD (which I have only sold 50 copies) on a free download site. I am sure I could look at who bought my CD online, and figure out who the culprit is, but since I don't need the money I haven't complained. But, there are a lot of musicians who are trying to live off their music, and it doesn't help if you steal it. My good friend Bob Dorr told me a story a few months ago that really explains how bad it is. Bob has played the blues for many years and he started his independent record company back when Vinyl was around. At a gig a few months ago he was standing at the CD table during his break when a guy came up and started looking at CDs. The guy had two CDs in his hand ready to buy, when his friend came up and told him, "Don't buy that! I have them at home already, I will burn you a copy."
I have known Bob for years, and in his younger days he probably would have got in that guys face and told him off, but being older and wiser he let it go. The problem is that "The friend" had two CDs and would have paid Bob for his effort. Then that money would have paid for gas for the vehicles, perhaps a meal, and certainly helped pay for the cost of a new CD. But this guy who burns copies of a regional blues band is doing his part to put us out of business. Smart move dipstick.

Lets hear Preston Shannon


Here is what I am going to do to stop people from stealing blues music. I know I have a couple links to websites that I know are ripping songs and putting them on Rapid Share. They send me a couple hundred hits a day, and I looked the other way. Well, NO MORE. I know you mean well trying to spread around music that you love, but you are killing us out here. I have been on the web for over 10 years, and I understand that everything should be free on the net, but only as long as it does not hurt anyone. When you put on music of people who are alive and well and trying to eat, you are hurting them and their music.

If your link is missing and you want it back here on Blues Historian, then you will have to prove to me what you are doing is right and legal. Otherwise I am not sending you any more web traffic to steal from my hard working friends.

Tom