The first (of what I hope will be many) "Byrd for Birds" holiday food drive is now complete. The total donations should be calculated and available to me by early next week and I will relay the results to you as soon as they come in. If you were unable to get by the Merchandise Mart on Tuesday with a donation, but would still like to contribute a frozen turkey, non-perishable food item or simply to donate some money to have these items purchased in your name, you can contact the Greater Chicago Food Depository directly at 773-247-FOOD or log onto www.chicagosfoodbank.org. I would like to personally thank the numerous people who assisted me in making "Byrd for Birds" a reality. Much appreciation to my fellow Loop on-air personalities who lent their enthusiasm and support during my fast and live broadcast. Johnny B and his crew, Erin Carmen, Zakk Tyler and Jane, Crazy Ray and Crystal were all invaluable in getting the word out and encouraging me. Many thanks also go out to Tim, Bill, AJ, Jimi, Tommy, Guy, Dan, Kevyn, Phil, Chris, Pat and Lisa from the Loop who helped me set this up and kept it running smoothly. Thanks to Karla from the Merchandise Mart, and Sue and Keith from the GCFB for bringing the Radio City Rockettes and various school choirs and bands to the live broadcast and working out some of the logistics. Kudos to Potbelly Sandwiches and Eli's Cheesecake for treating the donators to free food. Special thanks to Mayor Daley and his office, the Chicago Sun-Times, Fox TV and WGN-TV for their support and coverage of "Byrd for Birds." Last, but not least, a HUGE thank you to all the wonderful Loyal Loopers who made the effort to donate and cheer me on. Loyal Loopers are simply (hands down) the best and most loyal listeners I have ever had the privilege of performing in front of. You guys (and gals) ROCK!

The holiday season is almost upon us... family gatherings, love, laughter, good food, friends, gifts and good times are all ahead for most of us. Under these circumstances, it's pretty easy to forget about those who are less fortunate than you and I. For the many people who have been laid off at work, are single parents struggling to make ends meet, or those who are just having a rough year for whatever reason, even having the traditional holiday meal is a luxury they may not be able to enjoy this year. That just doesn't seem right. If nothing else, THAT is something you and I can do something about. This Tuesday, November 21st from 8am to 7pm, I will be launching "Byrd for Birds" and collecting donations of frozen turkeys and non-perishable food items in the south lobby (facing the Chicago River) of the Merchandise Mart in River North (where the Loop studios are now located) and donate them to the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Each turkey will ensure that an average sized family will at least be able to have that traditional dinner that most people take for granted. In addition, starting at 7pm the previous day (Monday, November 20), I will begin a 24 hour hunger-strike in honor of those we are trying to help. I am asking for your help in spreading the word to your friends, family and co-workers, so that we can make this a joyous holiday for ALL. In my estimation, Thanksgiving should really be two words, instead of just one. Thanks for our good fortune, and Giving to those who are less fortunate than you and I this year. That's what "Byrd for Birds" is all about... and who knows, maybe next year will be OUR time of need. We never know.

Earlier this week, Paul Stanley of KISS played at the House of Blues in support of his new solo disc (only his second, the first being released in the late '70's) "Live To Win." Before the show, I took 10 Loop listeners (who had won the prize during my show) along with me to Paul's sound-check. Paul and his band ran through a private mini-concert of 4 or 5 songs from his new CD for us while the sound and light guys tweaked their settings for the show later that evening. Paul was in a jovial mood, bantering back and forth with us between songs. After the sound-check I brought all the winners around to meet Paul. He signed autographs, posed for pictures and chatted with each excited winner. Their beaming faces said it all. To cap off the evening, each winner and a guest got to attend Paul's concert later that night. If you are a KISS fan (and even if you aren't), I highly recommend picking up the just released "KISSOLOGY Vol. 1 1974-1977" DVD set. Nearly 7 hours worth of previously unreleased live performances from the band's formative years have been restored, remastered and presented in a very handsome package. Gene Simmons is a huge Beatles fan (he saw them on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 and it changed his life) and told me he wanted to create a "hard-rock Beatles" with KISS. When you see this early footage, you will be struck with how much he indeed studied and carefully employed the Beatles as a template for their songs and stage presentation. Then they added Japanese Kabuki theatre make-up, wild costuming, lots of pyro and Marshall stacks, and voila! A legend was born. KISSOLOGY Vol. 2 and 3 will follow shortly.

On November 14th, Paul McCartney's new concert DVD "The Space Within Us" hits stores. It's the documentation of Paul's 11 week, 34 show, sold-out 2005 tour of the USA which passed through Chicago last October 18th and 19th. Directed by Cameron Crowe, it was shot using 25 HD cameras and will include 35 minutes of bonus footage not seen in last week's A&E special presentation. Former president Bill Clinton, Evanston native Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, Tony Bennett and more all appear in the DVD citing their appreciation for Paul's music and impressions of seeing the tour. Having attended the show on the 19th at the United Center, I can tell you it was a moving experience. Paul played several Beatles songs that had never before been rendered live in front of an audience. He can even still sing them in the same key! This latest tour was not quite as mystical and magical a tour as the previous one was (that one was so incredible, I went three times!), but was amazing in it's own right. Seeing people of all ages (and children, too), races, creeds, cultures and musical genres once again joyously singing along and openly weeping at the show was a sight to behold. The only other performer I have ever seen that could elicit such a powerful emotional reaction from a crowd was Frank Sinatra. We're talking about a very rare caliber of artist that can achieve that. Seen in attendance at various dates on the tour, Steven Tyler, Bono, Lenny Kravitz, Jennifer Aniston, Eva Longoria, Billy Joel, Paul Stanley, Jay Z, Steve Carell, Quincy Jones, Keith Urban, Nicole Kidman , Stevie Wonder, James Taylor , Greg Kinnear, Beyonce, Jack Nicholson, Faith Hill, Ellen DeGeneres, Alec Baldwin, John Cusack, and many more. One of my favorite memories of all time is chatting with Paul about music (in addition to meeting Ringo... his hands are as big as baseball mitts!). I asked Paul if there was any song he wished HE had written, instead of the original artist. His face lit up, he immediately said yes, and he then proceeded to sing a few lines for me of an obscure song he was fond of as a boy. I must admit that when he asked me after he was done if I knew it, I had to say that I was not familiar with it. He grinned and told me that any song from Buddy Holly would also fit the bill. No wonder Paul bought Buddy Holly's catalogue of songs a few years back and holds Buddy Holly appreciation gatherings. Also, on November 21st (one week after Paul's DVD release), a "brand new" Beatles CD will hit the stands. It will be called "Love" in honor of the new Cirque du Soleil Las Vegas show of the same name. The Beatles producer George Martin went back into the Beatles master tapes and has put together a stunning CD of new, experimental mixes of famous Beatles songs. I was given an advance 4 song preview of the new CD, and hearing it blew my mind. The version of "Strawberry Fields Forever" (among others) uses several unreleased studio takes of the song to great effect. George Martin used these pieces to build completely new and different versions of many Beatle classics. In addition to the standard stereo, the CD will also be available in 5.1 surround sound. I was invited to the premiere of "Love" in Las Vegas (where Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison's wife Olivia and son Dhani and Yoko Ono were in attendance), but regretfully I could not make it. However, the reviews on it are terrific, so if you are planning a trip to Las Vegas, make an attempt to catch it.