On October 27, 2010, I found out I had aggressive cancer. In an instant, everything in my happy-music universe imploded. It was like Jaws was savagely eating me from the inside out. My biopsy showed that I had to make some important decisions... fast. After consulting with numerous doctors, I decided to have radical surgery to try and remove the cancer in its entirety. I told only a handful of people because I didn't want to worry anyone, especially, my family around the holidays. I did everything as usual - as best I could - until one day I couldn't. My hand had sudden muscle loss and a number of stressful events followed. I've just returned home from the hospital and want to explain my recent disappearance to everybody and share my appreciation of life, music and people.

Part of the living room in my NYC apartment

I spent yesterday night in my NYC apartment - but I had to get back to Connecticut for an early morning session. While walking through Grand Central Terminal to get the commuter train, I grabbed one of the many free newspapers they offer. This is something I never do because I get my news online.

What are the odds of the only newspaper I've ever taken at that station having these two stories exactly one page apart?

The first story was on Adam Lambert's new album Trespassing - and the article highlighted "Shady," a song that I'd worked on. The second story on the following page was on a new Diana Ross DVD, and it highlighted "I'm Coming Out," another song that I'd worked on. In fact, I co-wrote, orchestrated, co-produced, and played on it. It's from the album Diana, which happens to be the biggest selling album of her career.

I ask you once again, "What are the odds of these two songs being highlighted, in back-to-back articles about Adam Lambert and Diana Ross?

 

Walking through Grand Central Terminal to get the commuter train

What are the odds of the only newspaper I've ever taken at that station having these two stories exactly one page apart?

The first story was on Adam Lambert's new album Trespassing - and the article highlighted "Shady," a song that I'd worked on

The second story on the following page was on a new Diana Ross DVD, and it highlighted "I'm Coming Out"

The biggest selling album of her career - Diana

Adam Lambert

And Diana Ross

 

I was relaxing in my Chinese bed just before shooting a promo video message for an upcoming festival

I was relaxing in my Chinese bed just before shooting a promo video message for an upcoming festival. I got a call from my doctor's office and I knew it was my post-op cancer results. I felt good but I was also mentally prepared for bad news. I nervously answered the phone. The nurse said to me, "Your blood work results came in and it was The Best It Could Be."

I thanked her and hung up the phone. Then, for some strange reason a crazy situation popped into my head. A few months ago we did a corporate gig in Switzerland, and the agents who'd booked us were preparing us for bad news. Before our show they told us not to take it personally because it's a very corporate Swiss crowd and they don't dance at these concerts.

I told the agents, "The music we play makes people dance!"

The video's sound perspective changes because my guitar tech is walking throughout the room. Our very corporate Swiss crowd was dancing - and that result was The Best It Could Be.

 

The music we play makes people dance!

The music we play makes people dance!

The music we play makes people dance!

The music we play makes people dance!

The music we play makes people dance!

 

Part of my pre and post cancer operation therapy is walking

Part of my pre and post cancer operation therapy is walking. Walking has many benefits for most people, but for me it not only exercises my body - it exercises my mind. I sing to myself based on things I see and feel and I never carry a music player. Walk with me and you'll see what I mean.

I'm so eager to get going today that I forget my trademark bandana on my "Hair." As I walk away I turn around so I sing, "Turn Around 5,4,3,2,1" by Flo Rida. This sets the tempo of my walk very fast.

When I reached the corner I see bamboo that I've never noticed before. I instinctively start singing Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie - Bamboo." A few hundred yards beyond the bamboo I reach the Saugatuck Harbor Yacht Club, but what grabs my attention is a rabbit running across the road. I start singing "Running Away" by Roy Ayers.

I make many friends on my walks and the first new friend I made today was a dog. "1, 2, 3, and to the 4, Snoop Doggie Dog and Dr. Dre is at the door." I start singing "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" for a very long time - past the newest house on the street - past our little private bridge, and past an early morning fisherman.

I sing this song for about ten minutes until I started paying attention to the neighborhood houses. I start singing various house music songs with similar types of grooves, "Move Your Body," Pump Up The Jam," and "Can You Party" by Royal House until I finally get back to my own house. You've just taken A Typical Walk on Planet C.

 

I'm so eager to get going today that I forget my trademark bandana on my "Hair."

As I walk away, I turn around so I sing, "Turn Around 5,4,3,2,1" by Flo Rida

I instinctively start singing Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie - Bamboo."

A rabbit running across the road grabs my attention and I started singing "Running Away" by Roy Ayers

The first new friend I made today was a dog

The newest house on the street

Our Saugatuck Island bridge

A fisherman out, trying to make an early morning catch

A house I've seen a hundred times before today started my internal DJ pumping house music songs into my head

Another neighborhood house that had me singing house music songs

And another neighborhood house that had me singing house music songs

Finally I get back to my own house

 

Me and mom - she was 14 and I was a few months old

Today is Mother's Day in America. My mother and I have always been close, but since I was attacked by cancer we speak to each other almost every day. We're also very close in age because Mom got pregnant with me at 13 years old. I'm the first of her five boys. Because we're so close in age, we have so many things in common - including our senses of humor.

She married my stepfather Bobby when I was seven years old. They were cool beatniks and treated me more like a peer than a child, which is probably why I'm so independent. Now that I'm older, I appreciate that.

My parents are two of the funniest people I've ever known. Bobby died not too long ago. He was as funny as Lenny Bruce and mom is just as hysterical. She just called me and thanked me for her Mother's Day present, and then we laughed the entire time.

At the the end of the conversation, I hung up the phone and thought about how much I love, respect, and understand her. She's beautiful, unorthodox, intellectual, wacky, and unique - "A Real Mother For Ya!"

 

My mom back in the day between the beatnik and hippie epochs

My aunt Midge and her brother Bobby a couple months after he'd married my mom, who took this picture

My Stepdad Bobby with our dog

All of Bev's boys

My mother and Chris Tucker on the set of Rush Hour 2

Mom lead by Honor Guard at my stepfather Bobby's funeral

Bobby's Honor Guard at his flag ceremony for his military service - His ashes are in the box

Lionel Richie, Mom (she loves her animal prints), and me - A Real Mother For Ya

 

Me and Anita Baker - The Real Deal

Every since I showed the Adam Lambert behind-the-scenes videos, I realized that I take greatness for granted. I'm lucky enough to work with mostly great people. I want to share a little more of what my world is like. It's easy to appreciate a performer when their show is choreographed and they're made up, dressed up and the sound mix is perfect.

You know an artist is the "real deal" when they don't have any of the aforementioned benefits and it's just the raw artist. Here is Anita Baker learning CHIC's song "I Want Your Love." All hell is breaking loose around her, but you can tell that This Is the Real Deal.

 

Click on images to enlarge - Use your arrows to navigate

 

"Everybody Dance" 12" single cover

The first song I ever wrote for CHIC was called "Everybody Dance." It cost 10 dollars to record. It was that song that would change my entire life.

A few months after that song was recorded, my partner Bernard Edwards and I would solidify our concept of The CHIC Organization. The success of my first song would put me on a path where the rest of my life I'd interact with glamorous superstars and mega-projects.

There's something ironically wonderful about playing this life changing song wearing street clothes In An Empty Room.

 

Me and Seal

Me and Rod Stewart

Me and Eddie Murphy

Me, Fonzie, and Luther Vandross

Me and Slash

Mikhail Gorbachev, Mary J. Blige and Me

Me and Grace Jones

Dominic Chianese, me, John Oates, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Timbaland, Ruben Blades, Daryl Hall

Catherine Deneuve and me

Me and Cher

Paul Simon and me

Me and Elton John

1983 Photo with David Bowie, Coco Schwab, me and Rick James

 

May 10, 2012 - Update by: @NileRodgers
Yesterday my tech team Casey, D, and me were working all night and I didn't post all of the different languages until late last night. I want the Adam fans around the world to see the Process, so I'm keeping this post up another day. But, I'm adding NEW CLIPS for the folks who've already seen it. It will give you more insight into "THE PROCESS."

Without ever meeting each other, Adam and I booked a studio and decided to Trust the Process

Adam Lambert's new album Trespassing has leaked out. Most of you have already heard the song that I played on called "Shady." What you don't know is the Process. It started with a tweet to me from Adam and Sam Sparro asking me to play on this funky track.

After chatting a bit we realized that there was only one way this could happen. Without ever meeting each other, Adam and I booked a studio - and as John Taylor from Duran Duran would say, we decided to Trust the Process.

 

Adam was professional and focused but he also allowed me to interpret the song my way

This smile of Adam Lambert says it all - This is why I play music

Me and my geek-squad (Casey Bollinger and Diego Sánchez

 

After I sent out my blog yesterday I went out for my early morning walk

After I sent out my blog yesterday I went out for my early morning walk. I left by the back door to take some pictures when I saw it was a really low spring tide. It was the lowest tide I've seen all year (-1.29 feet). I couldn't resist walking out as far as I could.

The bottom was so soft that once I cleared the rocky area I stepped on what felt like a thicker version of quick sand. Adrenaline started rushing through me as my primal defenses kicked in. I got scared as I started to sink but made my way under the boardwalk to take some interesting pictures.

Even though my shoes were wet and muddy I went walking in them. It's been far too long since my last therapeutic walk. It didn't take me long to get back in the groove. The weather was perfect.

As soon as I left my backyard I sang the lyric, "Every day I'm shufflin'... Shuffle-in Shuffle-in" from LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem." I started whistling the distinctive synth riff that follows. I only walked about two miles because I had a deep-tissue shiatsu massage scheduled for 6:30 AM.

I happened to be singing the song "CHIC Cheer" as I rounded the corner that leads back to my house. I reached my driveway and I saw something that looked like garbage in front of my house. When I focused the camera on what I thought was garbage I was singing the lyric "CHIC CHIC." This Is 100% True.

 

It was the lowest tide I've seen all year (-1.29 feet)

Under the boardwalk to my dock at low tide

As soon as I left my backyard I sang the lyric, "Every day I'm shufflin'... Shuffle-in Shuffle-in" from LMFAO's "Party Rock"

My shiatsu master arriving at six-thirty AM

As I neared my driveway I saw something that looked like garbage in front of my house

When I focused the camera on what I thought was garbage I was still singing CHIC Cheer's lyric "CHIC CHIC" - I don't know how this landed in front of my house at that moment

LMFAO

Under the boardwalk

When I arrive home I go into the front yard

This is me arriving back home

 

Early yesterday morning I returned to a positive daily routine

Early yesterday morning, I returned to the positive routine that used to be like a religion when I was first attacked by cancer over a year ago. The doctors put me on an exercise routine that mainly consisted of walking a few miles daily. It was therapeutic on so many levels.

I was very concerned with living through each night and waking up the next morning. Walking took my mind off of worrying about dying and helped me celebrate life. Once the general fear of dying nightly left I started becoming a little complacent. Soon I stopped my routine.

When I was on the road with Seal a few months ago, he worked out all the time. He'd said that he wanted to be able to perform at that level for as long as possible.

When it comes to performing, I'll always give 100 percent. I've always relied on will-power, love of music, and my commitment to hard work. I don't feel any different when I'm running and jumping up and down on stage as I did at 17 years old. But I'm smart enough to know that I need to get back into shape.

Life is hard, but it's also beautiful and I want the quality of my life to stay as beautiful as possible. I'm going to redouble my efforts to get back to tip top Mental, Physical, and Spiritual Shape.

 

I own a treadmill so I can walk everyday regardless of weather - There's no excuse for me to not workout

Walking took my mind off of worrying about dying and helped me celebrate life - Here I'm walking in Tokyo

He'd said that he wanted to be able to perform at that level for as long as possible

When it comes to performing, I'll always give 100 percent

I've always relied on will-power, love of music, and my commitment to hard work

I don't feel any different when I'm on stage as I did at 17 years old, although I was 26 in this photo

This is me playing The Bitter End a few weeks ago, BUT I ALSO played here when I was 17 years old!

Life is hard, but it's also beautiful and today in my backyard was beautiful

I'm going to redouble my efforts to get back to tip-top Mental, Physical, and Spiritual Shape