On my most recent flight to the United Kingdom in May to give a couple of talks in London, as I was settling into my seat for the 6 hour flight, a young girl came up behind me and said that she had with window seat. She was out of breath, carrying a guitar case and mentioned she had run from the gate after arriving late from Nashville.
I didn’t think much of it but she had a style and air about her. Black hat, unique blouse and vest, black pants and stylish boots. She was busy responding to text messages, checking her Instagram feed and calling home to say she was on her way to London. She had rings on several fingers except those that normally contain rings.
We started talking a bit as we taxied out to the runway. Her parents were country music musicians and she grew up “on the road” or “on the bus” as she put it. She said her name was Alyssa and her parents were Kathie Baillie and Michael Bonagura. I didn’t recognize either name or the name of their group, Baillie and The Boys.
Alyssa said she was in a band of her own with someone named Ruby. Ruby Stewart. Now that name I recognized. I asked as in “Rod Stewart”? To which she responded yes. The two met through some friends while working solo and bonded immediately.
After seeing Rod Stewart perform he told them “You two should start a band.” And they did and now she was flying to London to play in a musical festival in Brighton before touring Europe with Rod Stewart, opening for him across Europe as I recall before he was going to play Las Vegas during August.
Taking a flight to London to open for Rod Stewart with his daughter just a little bit cooler than digital pathology talks…
