I dedicate today’s song to David Rendell from Cardigan, Ceredigion.
Today’s song is ‘Hero’. This is a song by Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias from his second English-language studio album ‘Escape’ (2001). It was written by Iglesias, Paul Barry and Mark Taylor. Iglesias released the song to radio on August 14, 2001, to a positive critical and commercial reception. To the date the single has sold over 8 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time.
After the September 11th attacks on the ‘World Trade Centre’, which took place eight days after the song's release on CD, it was one of the few songs chosen by radio DJs in New York City to be remixed with audio from police, firefighters, civilians at Ground Zero, and politicians commenting on the attacks. Iglesias was asked to sing the song live at ‘America: A Tribute to Heroes’
‘Hero’ has a meaning of love and assurance with a desire to be a hero for the love of a woman. Iglesias stated that his high school days were the inspiration for the song. During a 2013 radio interview with Ryan Seacrest, he stated, "I went back to when I was 17 in high school, and this might be cheesy, but I thought about what the song would be I want to slow dance to with my prom date. When I wrote it, it felt good and I thought I know there is something special in this song."
‘Hero’ topped many charts in the US including the ‘Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart’ for fifteen weeks. On the latter, the song would re-enter the top ten a year later, the first song ever to do so. The song peaked at Number 3 on the ‘Billboard Hot 100’ chart, though it is his most played song on the chart, outdoing prior singles, ‘Bailamos’ and ‘Be with You’, both of which went to Number 1 on the chart
In January 2002, the song was released in the UK, where it debuted at Number 86 before jumping 85 places to Number 1, where it remained for four weeks. Up to this point, Iglesias had already had two hits in the UK (‘Bailamos’ and ‘Could I Have This Kiss Forever’) but was largely unknown. ‘Hero’ became his breakthrough in the UK, and it became the third best-selling single of 2002 here, whilst ‘Escape’ was also the third best-selling album of the year. With sales of 836,500, ‘Hero’ was the 17th best-selling single of the 2000s in the UK. In April 2015, it was announced that the song had sold one million copies in the UK.
In Australia, the song reached Number 1 on the ‘ARIA Chart’ becoming his first Number 1 in that country. The song also topped the charts in Spain, Switzerland, the Philippines, Romania, Ireland and Canada. This is one of Iglesias' best-selling singles and has sold 8 million copies worldwide.
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Released into the New Millennium, ‘Hero’ was soon to make its mark on the music industry. Whoever we are, whatever we do and wherever we live, most of us have heroes. They may be either fictitious or factual, but each possesses qualities and values; each has characters which we would like to emulate. Even the most superficial of us will idolise pop celebrity in some measure.
I have never idolised any human, nor have I ever placed much store upon any person who has not a significant impact on my daily life; the way I perceive it, what I strongly believe in and in all that I say and do. As an avid book reader for most of my life, my literary heroes are too numerous to mention here, with few exceptions. Ignoring fictitious characters in literature for the moment, and remaining instead with humans who helped to change the world and who left a distinct impression on my value range, I would have to include Mahatma Ghandi, Nelson Mandela and Jesus Christ in my ‘Top Three’. I admire Ghandi, who taught the world how to protest peacefully. I admire Mandela for his capacity to change from a violent protester in his younger days to becoming a national leader who turned his weapons into ploughs and useful tools. As a man, Jesus Christ was the perfect living example of peace and love and forgiveness to all; something that all three of my heroes stood for.
Staying with literature, the three authors who have had the greatest impact on my life have been Victor Hugo, Thomas Hardy and Norman Vincent Peale.
Victor Hugo’s novel, ’Les Misérables’ was to introduce me to the concept and worth of ‘Second Chances’ in our lives and it helped turn my life around, changing me from poacher to gamekeeper (Thief to Probation Officer). The theme of ‘Second Chances’ was also the theme I used in one of my two most popular of children’s books that sold in their tens of thousands, ‘Sleezy the Fox’.
Thomas Hardy is an author whose writing style taught me how to make the minor characters in one's novels more important within the overall story and more meaningful to it and influential within it. It was the actions of Hardy's minor characters of a book who keep the pages of life turning. It is the smallest of their actions which inadvertently produce the most major of consequences. Hardy vicariously taught me that it is the more common people who are the unsung heroes of any good story plot, of anyone's life in the round.
Norman Vincent Peale was an American minister and author who has remained an important factor in every aspect of my life ever since I first read his famous book, ‘The Power of Positive Thinking’ at the age of 17 years. Indeed; I’d have to say that the prime things being of positive thought has given me, have been hope and happiness. 'Positive Thinking' has shaped my attitude towards people and life events. It has helped me to remain happy this past ten years, despite harbouring a terminal blood cancer within me that is ready to strike again when least expected.
Moving away from literature and returning to all those bread and butter issues that matter most to ordinary people, I have learned that the precious pearls of mankind are those people who quietly go about their daily lives without comment or self-cheer. They are all the unassuming people we do not consciously focus as being there; those who make up the vast tapestry of our life though they are most often found on its borders. They are the humans we daily pass in the street, sit next to on the bus, work alongside in the factory or office and hardly ever give a second thought to. They are the ones who staff our volunteer services, who use their Christmas Days serving meals to the Homeless or driving lorry loads of food and clothing supplies to the danger zones of war-torn countries. They are the hundreds of thousands of good and honest people whose concern for others and the ‘under-dog’ will always remain above that of themselves. They are the people who are our true heroes! They are the people who deserve the greatest recognition society has to offer; not the bankers, politicians, high-ranking civil servants, pop stars and athletic champions who receive knighthoods and other meritorious gongs in the annual ‘New Year’s Honours List’: it should be them who are honoured!
As a beneficiary of such an honour for my years of service to the Yorkshire Community, my literary contribution and my charitable work, I have never worn my medal, and indeed, initially planned to decline it when first offered to me in 1995. It was only after my good friend, the television gardener, the late Geoffrey Smith said, ’Take it, Bill. If not for yourself, accept it on behalf of those hundreds and thousands of people who have helped you over a dozen years with all your charitable ventures that raised over £200,000 for charity through the profits on your book sales and other ventures.”
The more I thought about it, the more I realised that Geoffrey was so right. I remembered once telling a radio or television presenter who was interviewing me that, given the objective of having to raise £1000 for some charitable cause that I would rather engage in a promotional programme where 1000 people gave me £1 each instead of having a donation of £1000 from one wealthy donor. The reason for this preference I explained, wasn't that I received the required amount of money, but that I also had the ongoing support of 1000 people in the project alongside me, instead of just one donor.
The next time you are making up a list of heroes, never forget that those who shout out their own praise the loudest should be the least of your consideration and placed at the back of the queue. As someone who can never be honestly described as hiding my laurels behind a bush, I have always found ‘modesty’ to be a characteristic in short supply. I am pleased to remind myself, however, that my late father was the most modest of men I ever knew, so, however badly I fail in this direction, I know I would have been infinitely worse if I’d never had my father’s influence and example in my life.
I dedicate my song today to my Facebook friend, David Rendell from Cardigan, Ceredigion. Any quick observation of David’s Facebook page going back years will identify him as being someone who stands up for the disabled, deprived and disestablished citizen in society. If ever you wanted to find a suitable champion of the ‘underdog’, there is no need ever to look any farther than David, and his daily Facebook entries make the most interesting of reads. Thank you, David, for being my Facebook friend and one of the world's unsung heroes. Bill
Love and peace Bill xxx
Today’s song is ‘Hero’. This is a song by Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias from his second English-language studio album ‘Escape’ (2001). It was written by Iglesias, Paul Barry and Mark Taylor. Iglesias released the song to radio on August 14, 2001, to a positive critical and commercial reception. To the date the single has sold over 8 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time.
After the September 11th attacks on the ‘World Trade Centre’, which took place eight days after the song's release on CD, it was one of the few songs chosen by radio DJs in New York City to be remixed with audio from police, firefighters, civilians at Ground Zero, and politicians commenting on the attacks. Iglesias was asked to sing the song live at ‘America: A Tribute to Heroes’
‘Hero’ has a meaning of love and assurance with a desire to be a hero for the love of a woman. Iglesias stated that his high school days were the inspiration for the song. During a 2013 radio interview with Ryan Seacrest, he stated, "I went back to when I was 17 in high school, and this might be cheesy, but I thought about what the song would be I want to slow dance to with my prom date. When I wrote it, it felt good and I thought I know there is something special in this song."
‘Hero’ topped many charts in the US including the ‘Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart’ for fifteen weeks. On the latter, the song would re-enter the top ten a year later, the first song ever to do so. The song peaked at Number 3 on the ‘Billboard Hot 100’ chart, though it is his most played song on the chart, outdoing prior singles, ‘Bailamos’ and ‘Be with You’, both of which went to Number 1 on the chart
In January 2002, the song was released in the UK, where it debuted at Number 86 before jumping 85 places to Number 1, where it remained for four weeks. Up to this point, Iglesias had already had two hits in the UK (‘Bailamos’ and ‘Could I Have This Kiss Forever’) but was largely unknown. ‘Hero’ became his breakthrough in the UK, and it became the third best-selling single of 2002 here, whilst ‘Escape’ was also the third best-selling album of the year. With sales of 836,500, ‘Hero’ was the 17th best-selling single of the 2000s in the UK. In April 2015, it was announced that the song had sold one million copies in the UK.
In Australia, the song reached Number 1 on the ‘ARIA Chart’ becoming his first Number 1 in that country. The song also topped the charts in Spain, Switzerland, the Philippines, Romania, Ireland and Canada. This is one of Iglesias' best-selling singles and has sold 8 million copies worldwide.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Released into the New Millennium, ‘Hero’ was soon to make its mark on the music industry. Whoever we are, whatever we do and wherever we live, most of us have heroes. They may be either fictitious or factual, but each possesses qualities and values; each has characters which we would like to emulate. Even the most superficial of us will idolise pop celebrity in some measure.
I have never idolised any human, nor have I ever placed much store upon any person who has not a significant impact on my daily life; the way I perceive it, what I strongly believe in and in all that I say and do. As an avid book reader for most of my life, my literary heroes are too numerous to mention here, with few exceptions. Ignoring fictitious characters in literature for the moment, and remaining instead with humans who helped to change the world and who left a distinct impression on my value range, I would have to include Mahatma Ghandi, Nelson Mandela and Jesus Christ in my ‘Top Three’. I admire Ghandi, who taught the world how to protest peacefully. I admire Mandela for his capacity to change from a violent protester in his younger days to becoming a national leader who turned his weapons into ploughs and useful tools. As a man, Jesus Christ was the perfect living example of peace and love and forgiveness to all; something that all three of my heroes stood for.
Staying with literature, the three authors who have had the greatest impact on my life have been Victor Hugo, Thomas Hardy and Norman Vincent Peale.
Victor Hugo’s novel, ’Les Misérables’ was to introduce me to the concept and worth of ‘Second Chances’ in our lives and it helped turn my life around, changing me from poacher to gamekeeper (Thief to Probation Officer). The theme of ‘Second Chances’ was also the theme I used in one of my two most popular of children’s books that sold in their tens of thousands, ‘Sleezy the Fox’.
Thomas Hardy is an author whose writing style taught me how to make the minor characters in one's novels more important within the overall story and more meaningful to it and influential within it. It was the actions of Hardy's minor characters of a book who keep the pages of life turning. It is the smallest of their actions which inadvertently produce the most major of consequences. Hardy vicariously taught me that it is the more common people who are the unsung heroes of any good story plot, of anyone's life in the round.
Norman Vincent Peale was an American minister and author who has remained an important factor in every aspect of my life ever since I first read his famous book, ‘The Power of Positive Thinking’ at the age of 17 years. Indeed; I’d have to say that the prime things being of positive thought has given me, have been hope and happiness. 'Positive Thinking' has shaped my attitude towards people and life events. It has helped me to remain happy this past ten years, despite harbouring a terminal blood cancer within me that is ready to strike again when least expected.
Moving away from literature and returning to all those bread and butter issues that matter most to ordinary people, I have learned that the precious pearls of mankind are those people who quietly go about their daily lives without comment or self-cheer. They are all the unassuming people we do not consciously focus as being there; those who make up the vast tapestry of our life though they are most often found on its borders. They are the humans we daily pass in the street, sit next to on the bus, work alongside in the factory or office and hardly ever give a second thought to. They are the ones who staff our volunteer services, who use their Christmas Days serving meals to the Homeless or driving lorry loads of food and clothing supplies to the danger zones of war-torn countries. They are the hundreds of thousands of good and honest people whose concern for others and the ‘under-dog’ will always remain above that of themselves. They are the people who are our true heroes! They are the people who deserve the greatest recognition society has to offer; not the bankers, politicians, high-ranking civil servants, pop stars and athletic champions who receive knighthoods and other meritorious gongs in the annual ‘New Year’s Honours List’: it should be them who are honoured!
As a beneficiary of such an honour for my years of service to the Yorkshire Community, my literary contribution and my charitable work, I have never worn my medal, and indeed, initially planned to decline it when first offered to me in 1995. It was only after my good friend, the television gardener, the late Geoffrey Smith said, ’Take it, Bill. If not for yourself, accept it on behalf of those hundreds and thousands of people who have helped you over a dozen years with all your charitable ventures that raised over £200,000 for charity through the profits on your book sales and other ventures.”
The more I thought about it, the more I realised that Geoffrey was so right. I remembered once telling a radio or television presenter who was interviewing me that, given the objective of having to raise £1000 for some charitable cause that I would rather engage in a promotional programme where 1000 people gave me £1 each instead of having a donation of £1000 from one wealthy donor. The reason for this preference I explained, wasn't that I received the required amount of money, but that I also had the ongoing support of 1000 people in the project alongside me, instead of just one donor.
The next time you are making up a list of heroes, never forget that those who shout out their own praise the loudest should be the least of your consideration and placed at the back of the queue. As someone who can never be honestly described as hiding my laurels behind a bush, I have always found ‘modesty’ to be a characteristic in short supply. I am pleased to remind myself, however, that my late father was the most modest of men I ever knew, so, however badly I fail in this direction, I know I would have been infinitely worse if I’d never had my father’s influence and example in my life.
I dedicate my song today to my Facebook friend, David Rendell from Cardigan, Ceredigion. Any quick observation of David’s Facebook page going back years will identify him as being someone who stands up for the disabled, deprived and disestablished citizen in society. If ever you wanted to find a suitable champion of the ‘underdog’, there is no need ever to look any farther than David, and his daily Facebook entries make the most interesting of reads. Thank you, David, for being my Facebook friend and one of the world's unsung heroes. Bill
Love and peace Bill xxx
