JD Fortune news

Fortune serves up rock star performance in school cafeteria




The News

Rocker JD Fortune left the students cheering and the walls vibrating when he shot portions of his new music video, White-Knuckle Flyer, in the cafeteria at West Pictou Consolidated. Jennifer Vardy Little – The News

By Jennifer Vardy Little
The News
Lyons Brook – Performing on Rock Star: INXS and stages across the world didn’t come close to comparing to the rush JD Fortune got from singing in his old school cafeteria.
Fortune, who played an impromptu concert for the 400 cheering kids and their parents that packed the cafeteria at West Pictou Consolidated Friday afternoon, filmed a portion of his new music video at the school.
“This is probably the most joyful day I’ve had since I went to school here,” Fortune said. “Me being on Rock Star is an exciting thing to be involved in, because it’s about music. But working with kids is a lot more important than just being on TV. It’s not just emotional, it’s spiritual.”
Fortune’s vision for the video will feature about 100 of the kids singing the chorus of White-Knuckle Flyer with him. For the past week, he’s worked with the kids and music teacher Sara Gunning to get them ready for the performance.
“It’s nice to hear such pure voices without any baggage,” he said. “This event surpassed anything I could’ve expected. Those kids were shining in there. You couldn’t help but feel it.”
Now, he’ll take the footage shot Friday and bring it back to Ontario, where he’ll sit down with Jagori Tanna, the main writer/guitarist with I Mother Earth, who is producing the new record Death of a Motivational Speaker.
“Now it’s our goal to make it honest and make it hurt,” said Fortune.
The album is Fortune’s first solo attempt, done while on a 14-month hiatus from Australian band INXS. Since joining the group three years ago after winning the reality show Rock Star: INXS, Fortune’s toured the world with the band.
In January, he’ll do it on his own when he begins his world tour for his new album in Europe, likely in Amsterdam. He’s planning to make a stop back in his old stomping grounds with a concert here in Pictou County.
“I’ll be here with a full band, right here at the school,” Fortune promised. “Maybe I’ll do an outdoor show in the winter.”
Leaning against the brick walls behind West Pictou, Fortune clicked a bottle against a pipe.
“That’s where I was beat up for the first time – right there,” he said, rapping it with his bottle. “Cheers – I’ve come a long way, baby.”
04/10/08

JD fortune to film new music video
at West Pictou! ! !

As you may be aware, former West Pictou
student JD Fortune has been touring as
the lead singer of INXS over the past couple
of years. JD was by the school a couple
of times last Spring. He attended our
Musical GREASE, and came by on another
occasion to see staff. He met with school
administration this past week and brought
an idea that we think will be a lot of fun.
JD is currently finishing up his solo album,
and will be releasing his first single called
“White Knuckle Flyer” later this year. He
wants to film part of the video for this
single at our school. This segment of the
video would see him amidst a large group
of students, singing the chorus of the
song. The video will be released both
nationally and internationally to stations
such as MuchMusic and MTV.
The video filming will take pace in two
parts. JD will be by on October 1st to

practice the chorus with interested students
in the gym after lunch. On Friday,
October 3rd, the video crews, along with
a live band, will come by for the actual
shoot.
Please keep in mind that
student participation in
this event is only with
parental permission.
Our school has been in
touch with Public Relations
staff for the School Board,
and they are drafting a
waiver parents must sign if
they wish their children to
participate.
This should be a really exciting
time for WPC!!! JD is
very excited about the
video, and we are more than
happy to help him out. More information,
along with the waiver, will be coming
home shortly.

http://schools.ccrsb.ednet.ns.ca/wpc/wpc/n...mber%202008.pdf

I cannot wait to see the video! Please bring links if you find any! How exciting for JD and those kids!

I know, can you imagine having a rock star come to your school and being asked to be in the video?? How cool.

I KNOW! Things like that sure didn't happen at my HS

He finally has his site up and running.........not much there though. I'm not sure what he plans to do...

http://thedeathofamotivationalspeaker.com/

UGH!! JD!! Where are the pretty pictures???!!! :x Does he not know how important his face is to us???!!

I cannot wait to hear this CD!! Love this man's voice!

The website looks good so far.

ET Canada has been previewing a story about JD Fortune, to be shown on Monday...........

Here are some links of those previews. It doesn't look good and possibly that JD and INXS parted ways and he wasn't 'in on it'. I'll hold any more remarks until the entire show is shown on Monday.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=BF2CZTOF

The last 23 sec. of the preview..........

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=4G166CA0

Thanks for the download.

Oh goodness! That looks like it is going to be a horribly sad interview He looks really bad - the hair is awful and soooo many tattoos He looks so defeated and heartbroken.

I was very fearful that JD would get messed-up. We all know his history of drinking, drug abuse, wild living etc. Not only was I afraid he would blow his success - but all the money too. I so hope he is not completely broke I look forward to his CD - but I just do not know if he has enough fans left to get enough sales for his CD or solo concert to keep him in the biz. Poor guy. I will be hopeful that the preview only showed the sad parts and that maybe there is something positive they will also show!

I guess I saw it differently. I think it looks as though INXS very rudely bid him farewell, without even a warning. I'm actually thinking INXS held him until their Anniversary celebration, got more money, and then told JD "bye bye".

Don't get me wrong, he isn't perfect and I do think he had a problem with alcohol and possibly drugs as part of his Rock Star lifestyle.

He looks distraught, but I don't think he looks bad.........yeah he has some more tattoos. Have you seen any of his little vids he's been posting? He's just so cute in them..........

Here's his YouTube Channel page..............

https://www.youtube.com/user/jdfortuneTV

Thanks for the link. I watched the Angel Wings ones - though I never saw the one where they actually made the painted angel wings :scratch:

He is cute in the vids! He is a very fun and adorable guy. I just really hate his hair in that ET Canada promo and I do not like so many tattoos. He is a stunning man with an amazing body and I hate to see it so covered in ink. Just my opinion. I am sure many females find it very attractive though.

I agree that INXS may have rudely let him go - and that is terrible, but I still get the impression that he lost his $$$ etc. - at least from the promo. I hope I am wrong.

So is he living back in Canada? Is he with his Mom?

Firecracker wrote:

Thanks for the link. I watched the Angel Wings ones - though I never saw the one where they actually made the painted angel wings :scratch:

He is cute in the vids! He is a very fun and adorable guy. I just really hate his hair in that ET Canada promo and I do not like so many tattoos. He is a stunning man with an amazing body and I hate to see it so covered in ink. Just my opinion. I am sure many females find it very attractive though.

I agree that INXS may have rudely let him go - and that is terrible, but I still get the impression that he lost his $$$ etc. - at least from the promo. I hope I am wrong.

So is he living back in Canada? Is he with his Mom?

Ha! He never made the last vid of the actual angel wings. His hair changes so much, I agree, it didn't look so good in the interview. I'm not one that is attracted to tattoos either, at least not ones that cover so much of the body.

He has been living in Canada since the end of the tour. I don't know where or if it was by himself or with his Mother or Grandmother, but in New Glasgow. He has spent a bit of time in Toronto as well getting his CD together. I don't know WHEN or IF the CD will materialize though.

Thanks for all the info. I sure hope his CD comes out. Even thought I do not really follow him anymore - like at his boards or anything - I still really like him and I hope that he will be OK and that he can have a career in the music biz.

I don't follow him, intentionally, anymore either. I just happen to chat with friends on a JD forum. I don't feel comfortable saying anything negative about him there. My interest waned when I saw him take on the 'look at me, I'm a rockstar, living the life of a rockstar' stage. If he puts out a CD, it would have to be really good for me to buy it. He has an amazing voice and I would hate it if he wasted it on rap or something silly.

Oh that is right - he likes to rap

The title of the CD is strange too.

I hope there are samples to listen to somewhere.

Here is the segment shown today with more to follow......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw6Cu6CSJU4

Oh noz! It is even worse than I feared. I had a bad feeling from that promo - but I never thought he would actually be back to living in his car That is so sad. I can't believe they just dumped him like that. I wonder what their reasons really were? We may never know. I think JD is awesome in a lot of ways - but I also knew his lifestyle was going to get him in trouble again.

I will pray it all works out for him some how.

But damn, that is one horrid hairstyle!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know, couldn't someone comb his hair??? Tomorrow's show will clear up more, I'm sure. I didn't think it was that bad either, but the drug use, does not surprise me. I knew that was happening just by how his appearance started to change and no one knowing where he was when he returned to Canada......he was getting clean....again. INXS fulfilled their contract, but I'd like to hear both sides to the story. I wonder who the friend was who took her own life.

I remember when Leanne, Muse and I were so worried when he got so skinny on tour. We were sure he was using. I always feared this would happen to him. That he would lose everything :( I just so hoped that he would have had someone invest money for him so he would be OK. I really thought the band loved him and that they wouldn't let him be homeless I thought he was like a brother to them. So sad. I know there are two sides and that is my fear. That JD turned into real trouble for them and that is why they let him go and aren't helping him. Or maybe they are asses? All I know is JD was the perfect frontman for their return to the concert stage and he helped them make a lot of money for 23 months and wrote them a hit song so I wish they would at least get him out of his car and into an apartment.

Why doesn't he go live with his mom or sis? Isn't it really cold in Canada right now?

Sometimes, JD talks a good story......... I hope the show tonight clarifies things more. I don't know for sure if INXS and JD aren't still together. For sure this new interview has got the fan boards talking!!!! He said his family didn't know how bad things are.

I know he said that they didn't know - and I understand he probably didn't want them to know, but geez JD go to mom for help! That is what we moms are for!! I'd have a fit if I found out one of my boys was living out of his car instead of coming to me for help. Even if she doesn't have money I know she would let him come home to live with her. I know they love each other very much - sis too - so JD get your cute little behind out of that cold car and in mom's house!

I am dying for part two of this interview!! Please post a link ASAP!!

I'll post the link when someone gets it up. In the meantime...go here and listen to some of his new music...

http://www.myspace.com/jdfortune448

I love his voice and I like HIS songs. First word out is he will sell them on MySpace.............?

Oh thanks!! I will listen to the songs after AI!