|
Spring 2001 from the Langley Advance:
SHEEP heading to Toronto
for World Youth Day
By Erin McKay -
emckay@langleyadvance.com
Advance News
Local singer-songwriter
James O'Neill and his band Sheep have released their first CD, and are taking
their alternative praise music to youth in Toronto.
James
O'Neill always knew he wanted to play music.
But it
wasn't until a close friend passed away and he saw how his songs touched
others and gave them comfort that he started to take his talent seriously.
This
summer, O'Neill and his band Sheep will take their message to a crowd of
thousands as they play the World Youth Day festival in Toronto, July 17 to 29.
"When
we sent them our CD, we never thought we had a chance," said O'Neill.
"They picked 150 bands from all over the world."
O'Neill,
who lives (lived) on the Langley/Cloverdale border, attended Holy
Cross, and graduated from Mountain
Secondary School in
1995.
While
in school, he participated in drama and choir, and his first attempt at song
writing came during his involvement with the youth group at St. Joseph's Church.
It was
a rap song called "Christ is a Lifestyle."
"It
was so cheesy," laughed O'Neill.
But it
was a start.
"I
really wanted to do Christian music, but there was no place for it,"
said O'Neill. When he realized he was getting nowhere with the band he was
in, he turned his attention to musical theatre.
Still,
he was drawn to creating his own music.
"I
still have a love for musical theatre, but this is me," the
singer/songwriter said. "These are my stories."
After
performing with various musicians and recording songs in Toronto
and New York,
O'Neill formed Sheep with Joe Sorenson, Ed Dela
Luna, Kevin Eng, James Sanders, and his wife Ellen, who manages the band.
The
name ofthe group is taken from a Bible verse that
refers to Jesus as being the good shepherd.
Sheep,
which calls its style of music "alternative praise," had been playing
youth nights at local churches, but started heading in a different direction
when O'Neill's long-time friend Christopher Doty passed away.
"Chris
was a big supporter of us," O'Neill recalled. "It was such a
life-changing event for him to die so suddenly."
During
Chris's funeral, Sheep performed its song "Go To Sleep."
"It
was kind of a turning point," said O'Neill, as the song affected those
who heard it, and helped them cope with Chris's death. As well, the loss of
his friend "was a kick in the butt about how precious life actually
is."
Sheep
decided to take its music to the next level, and started recording at Ear Art
Studios.
The
result is the CD Supernatural Love, which is (was) available the
House of James and Celebration Christian stores, and at HMV in Willowbrook Shopping Centre.
Sheep's
website is at http://sheeptheband.8m.com.
Article copied from The Langley Advance; Web
Page Design Copyright James O’Neill 2006 all rights reserved World wide
|
