Joey Stuckey's "Alive Day" 2023

AliveDay LOGO 6TH ANNUAL 2023

Hello dear friends,

It is that time of year again! Yeah, Joey Stuckey Alive Day!

If you don't know what that is, it is the day the brain tumor that I wasn't supposed to survive was successfully removed. It was thought that I wouldn't make it, or if I did, I would never walk or talk. Though the tumor left me blind and with a host of other health challenges, I am most gloriously alive and so grateful for the life I have and for my friends, family and for the gift of music!

I have always celebrated this day with my family and friends since I was about 2 years old. However, back in 2017, we started holding a free, family-friendly concert in downtown Macon and it was a great success.

We'll also be sharing special Alive Day messages from friends, family and even a few musical/entertainment legends throughout the day.

I hope you will join us to celebrate the joy of music and of life on this day!

9/29 is "Joey Stuckey Alive Day" Officially recognized in Macon-Bibb as an Official Day Of Celebration by the Mayor:
THIS IS A FREE, FAMILY-FRIENDLY MUSIC FESTIVAL!

Here are a few Alive Day 2023 video messages:

Featuring our mistress of ceremonies, Liz Fabian:

  • 5pm - Doors open, get there early and claim your free copy of the "Joey Stuckey Alive Day CD Sampler" with music from the performing artists this year
  • 5:30pm - Screening of Joey's "Blind Man Drivin'" music video and mini-documentary "Don't Blink - A brief look at Joey's life and music"
  • 6pm - Jazz Piano from Tom Rule
  • 6:30pm - Singer-Songwriter Pam Bedwell
  • 7pm - Southern sounds from Country to Rock by Nick Malloy
  • 7:30pm - Hip-Hop by QuestionATL
  • 8pm - Progressive Americana music by The Joey Stuckey Band
Click the button below for our Spotify Playlist of this year's musical performers:


Joey Stuckey Alive Day 2023 artist photos

About Liz Fabian, event announcer

Liz Fabian

Liz Jarvis Fabian has spent more than 40 years reporting the news of Middle Georgia, and beyond. She was The Weather Channel's first female news anchor and the network's original live-reporting hurricane chaser. Liz now serves as the Civic Journalism Senior Fellow at The Macon Newsroom of the Center of the Collaborative Journalism at Mercer University. She is a watchdog reporter covering Macon-Bibb County government entities, and also enjoys writing stories of local interest.

Liz received many awards and accolades for her coverage of the Great Flood of 1994 and her reports from the 1996 Olympic Park Bombing were broadcast via satellite around the globe.
Before leaving The Telegraph in 2018, the Associated Press named Liz the state's best beat reporter for her multimedia coverage of Hurricane Irma. Liz worked at all four of Macon's television stations and still appears weekly on 13WMAZ's Monday evening newscast and hosts the interview program "Ask Mayor Miller" each month on Channel 13. While working the early morning news shift with Kenny B and Charles E, they dubbed her the Most Trusted Journalist in all of Middle Georgia.


 About Tom Rule

Tom Rule

Known for creative music and bad puns, Tom Rule is a Macon, GA musician boasting 40-plus years of music experience as an award-winning performer, artist, and sound engineer. He has produced six albums, has credits on well over a dozen others, and has been named one of Macon's top artists. Tom's album it Should Be Called CHRISTmas was named best Christmas album of 2018 by Enlightened Piano Radio.

Bands? Yes, he's played in a few – from the Grapevine to the Bob Huellemeir Big Band to his own tom&co, along with more than a few gigs over more than a few years with the Joey Stuckey Band.

Tom is happily married to his wife, has two adult kids and two daughters-in-law that he likes better than his sons. He is, of course, left-handed, and is STILL living proof that God has a sense of humor.


 About Pam Bedwell

Pamela Bedwell

Pamela, aka Pammie Kakes, grew up in North Carolina in a family of colorful characters. They were funeral directors, preachers, textile factory workers, rum runners and nurses. Each loved the art of storytelling and singing harmony. It is this family heritage that is her wellspring for crafting songs about ordinary people living extraordinary lives. Pamela's lyrics are full of sassitude and her vocals soulful.

Since beginning her songwriting journey in 2016, her songs have aired on podcasts such as Bree Noble's Women of Worth and The Hootenanny Café. She has performed at the Opelika Songwriter's Festival, Macon Georgia's Bragg Jam, Joey Stuckey Alive Day, and at the New Orlean's Folk Alliance International Annual Conference. Currently, she is working with artists in the UK and Canada on several projects.

https://pamelabedwellandpke.com/
https://www.facebook.com/StaleBurrito
https://www.youtube.com/@pamelabedwellsongwriter


 About Nick Malloy

Nick Malloy

He's a little bit country. He's a little bit rock'n'roll (Yes, some folks out there are thinking, "That's like that Donny and Marie Osmond song!"). Though with just about every song he performs, Nick Malloy makes sure to add a touch of soul, because that's where the music he creates stem's from. Whether it be an original song or a song he's covering, each song he performs he pulls from some sort of emotional feel from deep within his core. After all, his life has been filled with it's fair share of trials and tribulations, and with each performance he hopes to mimic the "rollercoaster ride" of emotions he has been on in hopes to strike a chord within the audience's soul. The high's. The low's. Everything in between.

Nick started playing guitar at the age of 12, and a few years shortly after would start playing local bars and venues around his hometown of Macon, Georgia. As time passed by, every show he would play would fuel his passion even more for both music and the stage. With influences ranging from Matchbox Twenty, Bob Dylan, Otis Redding, Will Hoge, and Dierks Bentley (just to name a few), Nick would set out to try and create a sound of his own. He would also start playing outside of Macon throughout the Southeast, and would go on to record two EPs with the help of local music pal Shane Bridges. One recorded in Macon and one recorded in Nashville, Tennessee. The years of hard work would all come to a halt in March of 2012 though when he was in a near fatal car accident that left him paralyzed and with damage to his left arm. Uncertain of whether or not he'd get back to the stage or play again, the wounds from his wreck would slowly start to heal and therapists encouraged him to try picking up the guitar again. It was a slow process (especially trying to regain strength back in his left arm), but with time he would get back out and go on to playing small gigs here and there opening up for people. Just in the past two years alone he has finally started back doing his own solo shows like the ones he would play before his wreck. He would also go on to sharing stages with said Dierks Bentley and Will Hoge, along with Miranda Lambert, Commodores founder, Thomas McClary, and a few other notable worldwide musicians. With all he has battled through, he still has the same dreams and aspirations of the kid that first picked up the guitar as a 12 year old. His passion and love for creating and performing only continues to keep growing more and more. He likes to relate everything he has been through in life to that old cliché, "Go big or go home." Nick likes to think in 2012 it wasn't his time to "go home", so he feels like there's only one option left, to "go big"!


 About QuestionATL

QuestionATL

QuestionATL is a blind Rap Artist & Producer from Atlanta. He is self-taught on several instruments, began freestyling at 5 and making beats at 12. He has won over 20 beat battles and began producing for several artists. QuestionATL recently traveled to NYC to shoot a video and performed at the Made in America Festival in Philadelphia with Tristan Jantz as part of the backing band for Becca Hannah. He recently released his debut project, The Dream, on all streaming platforms. He also leads a collective of other blind Artists & Producers from the US, Canada & UK named Blind and Famous who collaborate often. QuestionATL was featured in an article by the Recording Academy on Grammy.com and is a founding member of the musical professionals coalition RAMP'D, Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities. He is also a member of the non-profit Soulfood Cypher that teaches youth communication through the art of freestyle rap.

A Special 'Thank You' To Our Alive Day 2023 Sponsors:

  • Creek FM
  • Macon Arts Alliance
  • Mojave Audio
  • Shadow Sound Studio
  • Visit Macon
  • 13WMAZ
  • Boyles Guitars
  • BWH Music Group
  • Fatty’s Pizza
  • Glass Onyon PR
  • Greenspoon Marder
  • Doug Nurnberger Photography
  • Skin Care Physicians of Georgia
  • Sweetwater

 

AliveDay LOGO 4THANNUAL 2021

Online event: Sept. 29, 2021

Hello dear friends,

It is that time of year again! Yeah, Joey Stuckey Alive Day!

If you don't know what that is, it is the day the brain tumor that I wasn't supposed to survive was successfully removed. It was thought that I wouldn't make it, or if I did, I would never walk or talk. Though the tumor left me blind and with a host of other health challenges, I am most gloriously alive and so grateful for the life I have and for my friends, family and for the gift of music!

I have always celebrated this day with my family and friends since I was about 2 years old. However, back in 2017, we started holding a free, family-friendly concert in downtown Macon and it was a great success. In 2019, due to having a shoulder replacement and being on a very heavy touring schedule I didn't hold the festival, but we did it last year virtually because of COVID and this year, we are doing it that way again.

Originally, I was going to bring you Alive Day from Mississippi from the Music Cities Conference with a host of international guests, but that conference has been postponed as a result of the rising Delta variant. So now, I along with my friend Charles Arnold will be bringing you about an hour of music and conversation from my recording studio at 7pm on 9/29, which is officially "Joey Stuckey Alive Day" in Macon-Bibb.

We'll also be sharing special Alive Day messages from friends, family and even a few musical/entertainment legends throughout the day.

I hope you will join us to celebrate the joy of music and of life on this day!

www.facebook.com/joeystuckey

Joey Stuckey Alive Day 2021 Messages (a playlist of 10 videos)


Mayoral Proclamation


Special Alive Day message from Sir Alan Parsons

 

Alive Day 2020

Tuesday 9/29 2020, from 6pm until 10pm EDT

Facebook Event Page - https://www.facebook.com/events/752378935555321
More about ALIVE DAY 2020: We've created a special page for it. It has a countdown timer, an RSVP button, and will automatically trigger email reminders 24-hours and 30-minutes ahead of the event start time.
https://joeystuckey.streamlink.to/aliveday2020
3rd Annual Joey Stuckey Alive Day 2020 Performers (YouTube Playlist)

 

Alive Day 2019 Info:

Dear friends, family and music lovers,

I have enjoyed sharing my story of living a successful life as a blind, brain tumor survivor and all the wonderful music from outstanding musicians from all across the great state of Georgia. Our first two Alive Day events (2017 and 2018) were truly amazing and the feedback we have received from our Middle Georgia community, our sponsors and the bands and artists that participated have been very positive. So, we will bring the "Joey Stuckey Alive Day Festival" back!

However, we won't be holding one this year, in 2019.

This is mostly because of health challenges in my family, my mom and I both have had major surgery, but also because my band is touring hard promoting our new album "In The Shadow Of The Sun" and we are going to be on the road quite a bit. If that weren't enough, we have big plans for my new recording studio coming late 2019 or early 2020.

So, we'll see you at Alive Day 2020.

The best is yet to come!

Joey Stuckey

 

Joey Stuckey Alive Day 2018 Thank You!!

Joey Stuckey Alive Day 2018 30-second WGXA PSA

Alive Day 2018 Promo


Joey Stuckey's 'Alive Day' 2018

Joey Stuckey is excited to announce the 2nd Annual "Alive Day" Festival!

To be held in historic downtown Macon, Georgia on 9/29/18
It all takes place at the gorgeous Third Street Park from 2:30pm until 10pm
This celebration is a FREE Family-Friendly Concert featuring bands and artists from all across the great state of Georgia!

Joey Stuckey Joey Stuckey stick figure man logo

So, what is Alive Day?

It is the day Joey's life was saved from a brain tumor. While this day has been celebrated by the Stuckey family and friends since Joey was 2-years old, this year, "I just felt like I needed to give back something special to my community and gather people together to celebrate the joy of life and music!" says Stuckey.


10% of net proceeds will benefit:

GRRS


Special thanks to all of our sponsors below!

2018 Alive Day Sponsors

The Official Artist/Band Performance Line-up for ALIVE DAY 2018 is as follows:

The MC's for the evening will be:
-From 2:30PM-4PM will be Cam Gaskins, sports anchor at FOX24/WGXA News.
-From 4PM-5:30PM will be Victoria De Cardenas, morning anchor at FOX24/WGXA News.
-From 6:30PM-9:30PM will be Tiffany Thompson, from FOX24/WGXA News.
-And then from 2:20PM-7PM co-hosting with all of those listed above will be AJ The DJ.

Artists/Bands:

More fun stuff on-site:

King of Pops

Shiver Shack


Joey Stuckey's Alive Day 2018 Poster


Band Quotes About Playing 'Alive Day'

Tom Rule
I'm thrilled to be opening up Alive Day for the 2nd year. It's such a great celebration of good things that happen and a great break from the everyday doom and gloom we get bombarded with….. and a good time as well. Third Street in Macon, GA will be THE place to be on Sept. 29th - come on down!

Howard Middle School Choir
Once the clamor subsided, and students were able to contain their excitement at being part of "Alive Day", comments and questions began to arise. At the end of rehearsal, it was the common consensus that Joey's story is one we can all claim. As one 6th grader so succinctly put it, "Somehow, I now feel like I can be whatever I want.

Roger "Hurricane" Wilson
Roger and Joey go back to having shows on Macon's IQ Radio in the 90's, and are great friends with a mutual respect for each other's talent. Roger is appearing to celebrate Joey on the Second Annual Alive Day to show his appreciation to Joey for all he has done for music and his community.

Sue Wilkinson
Cannot WAIT to RAWK Joey Stuckey Alive Day Celebration on September 29th! This festival is truly all about the MUSIC and the immense contribution that Joey Stuckey has made to this fine city. I'm so blessed to be part of this community of musicians in the GREAT state of GEORGIA!!!

Big Murder
We're glad to be a part of Alive Day. Nothing is more important than celebrating life, and making a difference to the people within our sphere of influence. Big Murder, as a band, holds this to be true, and individually we all endeavor to be a positive force in this world. Thank you Joey for including us in this important celebration!

Zale
Lead singer, Hannah Zale, from Warner Robins has been hugely inspired by Joey Stuckey since the first time she met him in her Bonaire Middle School band class. Joey was a speaker and Hannah remembers sitting in the front row with her oboe, clinging to every word. This was the first time she had met someone working in the music industry and it made her big dreams seem possible! She is excited to return back to Middle Georgia and honor one of her hometown heroes.

Unbreakable Bloodline
"From the moment I first met Joey I knew that he had an extra special appreciation for life. It's a privilege to be a part of the first annual Alive Day Celebration in Joey's honor. We are excited to rock out with the good people of Macon, Ga. & share some positive vibes!" —Jon Smith, Unbreakable Bloodline

Great White Lion Snake
We love Joey Stuckey and are very excited to participate in his very special Alive Day! Everything he has overcome in his life to be the awesome musician he is and the way he has helped other musicians along the way is a testament to the great guy he is! We tell him this all the time, but unfortunately he will never be able to hear us say it first hand seeing that he is blind.


It's My Alive Day Once Again - Let's Talk About Dreams!

By Joey Stuckey

Every year on this day, September 29th, I celebrate my "Alive Day". That is the day my brain tumor was removed and prayers were answered for my family!

As a very young child, at first I was too sick to care about this day in my personal history. Later, we started having parties and small gifts--what kid doesn't love toys? Still later, it turned into a more dignified dinner with family and friends but for the past several years, I have written a blog post about what the day means to me and how it can serve as a source of inspiration for you and your family.

After I was born, my Mom and Dad began to feel that something wasn't quite right with me. They couldn't really put their finger on it, but they became concerned about my growth and health. At first, the doctors told them that they were just being overprotective. But shortly thereafter, they were proved right in a rather dramatic fashion. My dad had put me down and let go of my hand for a second--I was about 18 months old—and I promptly walked off a flight of about 30 stairs. As it would turn out, I was going blind from a brain tumor. Eventually after tests, tests and more tests it was decided my only option was surgery. The doctor told my parents that it was extremely risky, but it was my only chance for survival. He told them the surgery would be very complicated and would take about 7 or 8 hours and if he came out before that to be prepared that I hadn't made it.

Imagine my folk's dismay when he came out about 3 hours later. However, he said that he didn't understand it, but, it was like a higher power had taken control of his hands and he just lifted the brain tumor out. How about that?

While I have never been shy about talking about my blindness, I have been a little more reticent about discussing the full ramifications of the brain tumor and what it did to me physically.

Of course, as most of you know I am blind, but, there is much more to the story of how the tumor wrecked my body.

I will not bore you with the details and all the medical info, but, besides being blind, a challenging condition, I also have no sense of smell and I have no endocrine function.

In over simplified terms, I have no bio feedback for many of my glands, like adrenal glands, which normally would tell my body when I was tired or sick or stressed to make more adrenaline to help me cope. Therefore, while I don't get sick more then the average person, I can get sicker very quickly and end up in serious condition and in the hospital. I also have no thyroid--You get the picture?

So, not only do I have to deal with working in a very sight driven society and deal with transportation issues and needing sighted folks to read things to me from time to time, but, I also have to watch very carefully how tired I get and make sure I am drinking lots of fluids, eat and take my medicines on time, etc.

Honestly there are days I feel so bad I can hardly move or stand, but, 90% of the time I manage to get the job done with a smile. Add to these health difficulties the metal hip I had to get when I was in my late twenties and the 6 months or so I spent in a wheelchair which did some interesting things to my back and neck and you begin to understand that being in the music business, a field that is crazy to begin with and with insane schedules, you can see, pun intended, that sometimes it is tricky being me and doing all the things I do.

Just some of the things I am responsible for include a TV and radio show, producing albums, running a recording studio, performing with my band, teaching at Mercer University and doing master classes all over the world along with doing my inspirational talks and mentoring other musicians.

But, don't get the wrong idea, this is not a pity party or even a "wow look at me" article, it is a "wow, Joey can do it, so can I" article!

Just hearing the medical side of my story would you have expected me to do things like perform in front of 10,000 people when opening for Ted Nugent and Bad Company? Working 16 hour days for weeks in a row so I could complete projects like the "Macon Music CD V-1" on time? Or how about recording with Georgia music legends like Randal Bramblett and Jimmy Hall? How about doing a 10 day whirlwind tour of the UK where every moment was filled with things to do like a Korean documentary, speaking and performing at the University College of London and launching my new single "Blind Man Drivin'" at the historic Ivey House? Not to mention filming my first music video?

Well I have done all that and more! And most importantly, you can do it to!

That's right--stop saying "no" to your dreams--they are in reach and more obtainable than you might think at first.

Who would have thought that a blind guy would have been hired to direct a musical at Macon State--well I was. How about a blind recording engineer doing dialog replacement for film, yep, I did. Not only that, I teach sighted students how to read music, even though I can't see to do it myself! If I can do these things you to can reach those dreams that might at first glance seem to be too lofty!

Remember, anything that makes you feel positive and let's your natural talent shine is worth pursuing! Also remember to set what some might consider silly dreams for yourself as a way to renew your spirit and energy. For example, one of mine is to experience a MLB game at every stadium in North America. So far I have done Turner field, Chase Field and AT&T Park-- lots to go

But, I digress. If you want to be a famous musician like Elvis that is not a silly dream, however, reaching that status overnight is. Point here is that yes, if you can dream it, you can do it, but, you have to have a plan of action. That plan will require soul searching, thought and honest reflection, but while you must work hard and set small steps to reaching the big dream, you should never say "I can't". Remember to give yourself some grace. To use an expression that is old and over used, Rome wasn't built in a day. Trite perhaps, but also true. So maybe you can't go from working full time at your day job to being a full time musician, but, you can make that change over time. You have to be patient and believe. I will admit I am not the best on the patient part, but I work on it. Also, while you do need to come up with a plan of action, remember to be flexible, every plan doesn't work as first envisioned and that is okay and the natural state of the universe. Just because your plan didn't work 100% like you first thought, doesn't make it a bad plan and it doesn't mean you won't reach your goal.

So what am I really saying? Just this. Despite almost dying many times and some people in my life saying you can't do this or you shouldn't do that, I have lived a life worth living and reached so many dreams and I know you can. I believe my life was saved for a reason; one of those reasons is to be a facilitator for others. I am meant to share ideas and stories and through that communication to inspire and help everyone I come in contact with to have a better life! That is my big dream!

I have reached that dream and am still reaching it! So today on this day that means so much to the Stuckey family, make a pledge to start living the life you want and to start reaching for and achieving those dreams you once thought out of reach. I believe you can!

Below for your inspiration or entertainment (either is fine) are just a few of the dreams I have reached and a few left to go.

By the way, I do believe you should write your dreams down and talk about them as much as possible.

Dreams reached:

  1. Touring the UK. https://youtu.be/qvipyykwLY8
  2. Touring Hawaii
  3. Working with and learning from Alan Parsons.
  4. Performing at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame Awards twice--first with Trisha Yearwood and B52's on the main stage for the concert and TV broadcast and the second time for the red carpet and governor's reception.
  5. Performing and recording with Southern rock star Jimmy Hall. https://youtu.be/zoGpvJehxmg
  6. Representing my hometown of Macon, Georgia, as its official music ambassador
  7. Working with two UK universities on technology that will improve the lives of blind musician's. https://youtu.be/z-qOvmg-RYI
  8. Receiving the key to the City of Green Cove Springs where I was born.
  9. Producing my first real music video for my single "Blind Man Drivin'" All that running around and stuff is harder than you think if you can't see where you are going. www.blind-man-drivin.com
  10. Recording an album showcasing the talent of new artists for my hometown of Macon, Georgia. www.newtownmacon.com/music
  11. Becoming an official Gibson endorsed artist.
  12. Having my first jazz album "Mixture" reach #9 on the CMJ top 40 jazz charts.
  13. Being a student at Mercer University and then being asked to be professor of music technology at that same college.
  14. Being a camper at Midsummer Macon, an arts summer camp held at Wesleyan College and then returning to be an instructor at that same camp that gave me my first real musical and social success.
  15. Being the youngest person inducted in to the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame for my work in education and that same year also having my studio inducted.

Dreams still reaching for:

  1. Recording with Neal Finn.
  2. Recording with Spiro Gyra.
  3. Getting a Neve recording console.
  4. Performing at Carnegie Hall.
  5. Performing with Jeff Lorber.
  6. Recording at Abbey Road.
  7. Buying a beach house.
  8. Seeing a baseball game in every stadium in North America and singing the national anthem at many of them!
  9. Being a Georgia Music Hall of Fame inductee.
  10. Writing a book about my story so far.
  11. Working for Apple as a beta tester for their screen reading software Voice over.
  12. Having a vintage LA-2A.
  13. Getting a DW drum kit.
  14. Being on the late show with Steven Colbert.
  15. Getting a Google car so I can go anywhere!

Media






Showcase Tracks
Select favorites from some of Joey's top albums, plus a bonus tribute to Joey.
"When I was about 12 years old, I became a fan of public radio and the classic and modern radio shows they broadcast, not to mention the amazing music and news programs that are at the heart of public radio. I was very sick as a child as the result of a brain tumor which is also the reason I am blind. One of my favorite shows was made by the company ZPPR out of New York. George Zar one of the founders and I became friends. I called George once, at the age of 12 or 13 and told him I was a fan. I got letters from the cast of the ZPPR productions wishing me well and to get better and then they even named a character of the show after me. Here is a clip where that character was featured." —Joey
Album Record

Runnin'
Album Record

Still Me, Sane And Free
Album Record

Take A Walk In The Shadows
Album Record

Truth Is A Misty Mountain
Album Record

We'll See
Album Record

ZPPR Tribute to Joey