“It is not the dates of your birth and death that matter,
but how you spend the DASH in between”
– blessings for the year ahead to all of our September Babies!
Welcome to the new JDuo newsletter ~ What a summer we have had!
We have created this page to stay in touch with you all and keep you updated on the monthly happenings. Your input regarding this new idea is greatly appreciated. We are going to do some catching up here so expect that future letters will be more brief.
Since our relocation here from PA last August, we have really enjoyed our new HOME. THANKS to Jim Ross for introducing us to the Ponte Vedra area after 9 years of visiting St Augustine. We have fared well through the short stint of summer heat and TS Fay and sincerely hope that all of our Florida neighbors can say the same. We deeply miss our family/friends and our Cactus Fridays up North in PA and NJ, but we all agree here that this is where we belong.
Mom/Peg, Kurt and I want to send a special thanks for all of your support since the loss of Kurts Dad, Johnny and Aunt Mary last Fall and then my Dad back in March.
Dave “Dad” Woodbury loved his move here to Florida and expressed his joy to us all on a regular basis. We were blessed to share 7 months of daily beach visits and evenings of music and then watch him enjoy months of new friends in Final Table Poker before his peaceful passing at age 81. His life was honored by your comfort and embrace of our family through this past summer.
A special shout out to Virna and our neighbors here in SEASIDE who sent meals and desserts for MONTHS after our loss and continue to check in on Mom. You have truly WELCOMED this family to your community. To our friends locally and all around the country who sent food-fruit-flowers, we send long distance hugs and gratitude for your continued connection. Our waterfall garden in the back yard is filled with beautiful tributes to Dad.
After the unexpected closing of one of our primary gig venues, we have spent a bit of time restructuring our performance schedule. We are really ENJOYING the new directions our life has taken. The schedule was FULL UP within just a few weeks of the change.
We found the PERFECT FIT this past Spring as our new FAMILY at Casa Marina Hotel has welcomed us with open arms. We are enjoying a major beach party in the courtyard every Wed night. If you haven’t had the chance to be there yet ----- join us and hundreds of our friends as we dance the night away at oceans edge! Starting this month we are adding a Tuesday night acoustic Duo performance in the Penthouse Lounge. We are anxious to show you all a different side of our music. It will be like the “Good Ol Sumney Tavern Days”!
We found a new church home earlier this year when the Chalmers Family introduced us to Ponte Vedra Presbyterian Church. We love and miss our friends at Sawgrass Chapel, but that AMAZING sunrise service is a tough follow up for late night Saturday gigs. We will visit as often as we can! Kurt has thoroughly enjoyed working at PVPC under the leadership of Music Director, Dawn Hopkins and her wonderful musicians.
He looks forward to many years of Christian service and Music Ministry at PVPC.
Another PERFECT fit was found when Kurt and I started working with Jim Stafford and Krista at Eclipse Studios in St Augustine. Jim has brought Kurt an entirely new client base so that he is able to use his multi-instrumental talents and wonderful songwriting/production abilities on a weekly basis. Bringing us to new friends in the Bluegrass circuit sends us both into music heaven and we look forward to Kurts upcoming gig later this month with Lis & Lon in GA.
New Johnston Duo CD’s will be out by years end!! We plan to start production on “U Asked 4 It 2” within a few weeks and a Debrann vocal CD of old standards will immediately follow. That PIANO bar stuff you guys keep asking me to record is almost here!
New Tshirts, hats, visors, beach bags – etc are coming your way with the help of our graphic artist Jami Childers and product research/help from our friend Nancy! THANKS LADIES!
We welcomed Jami’s son Robert Kotlinski on board as JDuo roadie this summer and he has decided to stay on for as long as he can through the school year. Thanks for your hard work Robert and bring that beautiful twin sister of yours, Kalyn out to play cello with us ANY TIME……What a wonderful family Auntie LehAna and her girls Dy Ana, Dayna and Danielle have brought to our lives ~ We love you ALL!
One of the BEST advantages we have discovered to our relocation is the opportunity to work with Those Guys and The Hackers on a regular basis. We have been following Those Guys for the 9+years that we have been coming to the area and their ability to entertain still thrills us every time! Welcoming Kurt into the Hackers performance at the end of each month is a true blessing.
If you have not had the opportunity to catch a Hackers performance yet --- DONT MISS THIS! Some of the BEST musicians in the area have formed a jam band and the talents of Walt, Dave, and Woody from Those Guys - combined with Greg and Frankie from Mr. Natural and the musical stylings of Chris is a combination beyond description. You have to see this to believe it ----- WHAT FUN!!!
We are happy to tell you that we had a fairly extensive visit with Kurts sons this summer and could not be more proud of their recent accomplishments. We experienced the BEST 4th of July EVER by having dinner on the water and watching the JAX fireworks from the Chalmers boat with the boys. Thanks to Eddie - Kurt and I and the guys can now do all of the best dance steps and “cast the net” with the best of them. Rachel and Stacey gave us a special bunny rabbit dance show to remember for ALWAYS - we will laugh for years to come just thinking about it!!!
Dan is now back as a sophomore at IUP in Pittsburgh. Eric has his own apartment, is studying directly under the Dean at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in NYC and working as Assistant to the Director for the school. We look forward to seeing Erics “camp” in October and having them both back over the holidays.
We continue to have our friends visit from around the country and encourage those of you who have not been here to try to make a trip to us over the upcoming year. We are planning a trip up North ourselves with Mom in early October to the PA and NY areas and then to VA to celebrate our lovely friend Marie Buggs Family Reunion so keep us in your thoughts and prayer for safekeeping. We will be spending the holiday season in Florida – so plan accordingly.
Wishing you health and happiness in the upcoming month ~
Debrann