It is included on Ben’s album.ĭolan’s perspective has changed in the years since. One of Dolan’s early songs, “Your Choice,” written and recorded within a year of Ben’s death, delves into the heartbreak and anger she felt at the time. “Just knowing that my brother’s music is still thriving and reaching people - keeping his memory and spirit alive in the world - it’s a really healing thing to have,” Dolan said. They performed “One Sweet Love” by Sara Bareilles. One of her first public performances was alongside Ben at a coffee shop just three days before his death. Hayley Schwartzman, now 30-year-old Hayley Dolan, is living in Portland, where she performs solo and in bands on the weekends. It’s an upbeat tempo, but the lyrics are bleak. Ben used to call his father “Big Man,” though the song seems to also refer to God. One of the songs on his album, “Big Man,” was written in part to placate his father’s push for something more upbeat, Schwartzman remembers. “I would say to Ben, you’ve got to lighten it up for your audience because everything is too heavy for them,” Schwartzman said. His cover song choices were also steeped in melancholy - “Creep” by Radiohead, The Beatles’ “Yesterday.” There is a paradoxical sweetness to his voice, as he sings out lyrics that are anything but sweet. The Blue Room Café in Highland was a favorite spot.Īs such, his music has a distinct coffee shop/acoustic singer-songwriter vibe. Uncle Tommy came through, and by 15 or 16, Ben was playing open mics at coffee shops. “I just saw a note in here from his Uncle Tommy, who says at age 12, Ben asked him to teach him some chords on his guitar,” Schwartzman said. When asked about Ben’s interest in music, his father reaches back into the bag. To listen to my son’s music without crying? That’s a win.”Īccording to his family, Ben Schwartzman and his younger sister, Hayley, had happy childhoods in northwest Indiana.īen graduated from Lake Central High School in 2007 and attended what is now Purdue University Northwest. “If nothing else, that just allows me to feel good. For 14 years, I’d be brokenhearted,” Schwartzman said, his voice breaking up as he pushes the words out. “Now when I hear his music, I feel optimistic. He’s hoping for a Grammy, Schwartzman is not ashamed to say, but he’ll settle for the feelings Ben’s newly released songs give him as he hums along in his car. But he also hopes Ben’s story will spread awareness about mental health and suicide prevention.Īll proceeds from the release will go to Centerstone, a nonprofit mental health provider. Schwartzman hopes people enjoy the music. 12, “Falling Star” was released in several-song chunks through streaming services and a new website. 15, the anniversary of Ben’s death, and ending Nov. He’s too competitive.After Ben died, his father made it a personal mission to share this music - some of the most tangible proof that Ben was here.Īfter 14 years of cold calls and failed celebrity run-ins help from a few of his fellow Hoosiers have given Schwartzman his chance.īeginning on Oct. “If a Rolling Stone says that they wrote a song about me, he’s not to be left behind. “You know, David will not be outdone by a Rolling Stone,” she commented. Lennear also discussed the fact that David Bowie wrote his 1973 song “Lady Grinning Soul” about her during a period when the pair were dating. She explained that she’d delivered her vocals “from a professional standpoint.” She only appeared on one Stones song herself, 1973’s “Star Star,” and admitted she didn’t like the lyrics, which explored the relationship between rock musicians and groupies. When I hear it, my first thought is, ‘Long live the Rolling Stones.’” Keith Richards plays those first two notes, everyone is on their feet, everybody’s clapping, dancing, singing. “I’m sensitive, but when it comes to poetic license, I let go. “When do we learn to understand history without getting upset? Right now we’re not really in that space,” she added. In a new interview with Spin, backing singer Lennear – who was dating frontman Mick Jagger around the time “Brown Sugar” was written – said audiences were “missing out on a great part of rock ’n’ roll history” via its absence.
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