"Everyone who's anyone is here!" Alexandra Bradford
whispered to herself while sitting in the front row of the historic
Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. Although it was
presently Friday, December 1, 2017, she clearly remembered
saying those very same words in the very same coliseum, some
twenty-two years ago. Turning around, Alexandra looked up
several rows to where she had sat that time long ago and began
reliving the seventy-minute event as if it had occurred only
yesterday...
On Monday, January 2, 1995, Alexandra carefully observed the
crowd considered both talented and powerful in the music and
entertainment industry. She noticed only an occasional exception
among the multitude of celebrated personalities and certainly
considered herself one of the very few.
Nevertheless, many considered the forty-two-year-old Alexandra
Bradford an entertaining novelist, although she didn't feel like
one on that particular day. In fact, she felt like an outsider
completely out of her element in the crowd she regarded as
famed, foreign and totally removed from the simple life she
shared with her fourteen-year-old daughter, Jacqueline.
On that sunny southern California afternoon, Alexandra
recognized several popular musical groups, literally ranging
from A to Z. There was the well-liked Swedish Ace of Base, the
incomparable Aerosmith, the more recently popular Counting
Crows, and the wholesome and harmonious Boyz II Men. Even
Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, two original members of the
legendary rock band Led Zeppelin from the late sixties and
seventies were there.
Next, Alexandra identified the award-winning music producer,
David Foster, noticing his smooth fair-skinned face, glancing at
his dark brown hair that had a touch of gray. She also saw the
acclaimed entertainment producer, Quincy Jones, and recalled
many of his original musical compositions.
The occasion, to her surprise, reminded Alexandra of a Grammy
Awards gala, which she vividly remembered watching on
television, and many of the motley mass were dressed colorfully
as if they were attending the highly prized extravaganza. But
when Alexandra eyed Aretha Franklin and Carole King's
conservative black dresses, and looked at the two notable
singers' somber faces, reality surfaced as to why everyone had
gathered—the memorial service for Sean Adams.
Sean Adams had been one of England's most talented
songwriters and successful contemporary pop singers, but
Alexandra also knew he was considered every woman's fantasy
lover. Scanning several large photographs of him on-stage, she
eyed Sean's curly hair, long and blond, which hung down loose
and slightly wild, admiring his extraordinary handsomeness
while focusing on his creamy complexion and dazzling blue
eyes. All at once, Alexandra understood why many women were
completely captivated by him.
As the service progressed, Alexandra smiled warmly as she
listened to Sean's music playing softly in the back-ground. But
suddenly, she became oddly upset when his twenty-one-year-old
son, Eric Adams, walked towards the stage. She gasped in
disbelief as if she were seeing a ghost and instantly tears
streamed uncontrollably down her dark brown face. It must have
been Eric's uncanny resemblance to his father that made her
think of the devastating car accident that had caused Sean
Adams's premature death at age forty-four.
On-stage, Eric spoke emotionally about his father's love of
music, then paused for several seconds and lowered his head. As
a watchful silence enveloped the auditorium, he raised his head,
cleared his throat and gathered his thoughts. Then, as
enthusiastically as possible, he started speaking again. He
mentioned how much his father had looked forward to playing
the leading man in the upcoming Vision Films motion picture,
Kiss of Life.
Shortly thereafter, the memorial service ended.