| "Someone is Missing at Christmas" | ||
| Performed by Anne Cochran | ||
| Written by John C. Chaffee Jr. | ||
| Produced and engineered by Randy Harper | ||
| Guitar David Baker | ||
| Song lyrics are included in the CD booklet | ||
| LISTEN TO SAMPLE | ||
| TO PURCHASE CD |  |
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I am the oldest of six, very close siblings. We were born in less than seven years; watched out for each other through the most difficult times. To ever be separated was just unthinkable. In September of 2003, my sister Lyn, a 21-year breast cancer survivor, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. In one month, on October 26th, two days after her 62nd birthday, she was gone. With Christmas just two months away, we knew the heartache would be overwhelming. We would be "missing her at Christmas". And I felt we should say this in song. As the words poured out, I found they didn't focus on death, but on memories, not only of my sister, but my mom and dad, and friends and loved ones who were missed, even more during the holidays.
We recorded a sample CD in time to play it at our family gathering, and it gave great comfort. In August of the following year, Randy Harper, producer of "Someone is Missing at Christmas", lost his wife Hilary, at the age of 40, after a four year battle with breast cancer. It was then we felt we needed to get this song to others dealing with loss or separation. And our first thought was to approach Anne Cochran. We knew of all her early commercial work in our hometown of Cleveland, loved her singing, especially her Top Five single, "After All These Years", and had followed her through her touring years with Jim Brickman, which come to a jubilant climax each year with the Christmas tour. Anne graciously accepted our offer to perform it, and the song was released, by me, in November of 2004. The response has been heartwarming. During the next holiday season, the song was played on over a hundred all-Christmas-music stations, and reached #11 on the Billboard AC chart. To this day, several hundred radio stations feature the song, and a portion of the proceeds from sales of the single CD go to the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance, and Susan G. Komen for the cure. My family thanks you, and every day feels Lyn, "right here in our hearts".
John Chaffee
We recorded a sample CD in time to play it at our family gathering, and it gave great comfort. In August of the following year, Randy Harper, producer of "Someone is Missing at Christmas", lost his wife Hilary, at the age of 40, after a four year battle with breast cancer. It was then we felt we needed to get this song to others dealing with loss or separation. And our first thought was to approach Anne Cochran. We knew of all her early commercial work in our hometown of Cleveland, loved her singing, especially her Top Five single, "After All These Years", and had followed her through her touring years with Jim Brickman, which come to a jubilant climax each year with the Christmas tour. Anne graciously accepted our offer to perform it, and the song was released, by me, in November of 2004. The response has been heartwarming. During the next holiday season, the song was played on over a hundred all-Christmas-music stations, and reached #11 on the Billboard AC chart. To this day, several hundred radio stations feature the song, and a portion of the proceeds from sales of the single CD go to the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance, and Susan G. Komen for the cure. My family thanks you, and every day feels Lyn, "right here in our hearts".
John Chaffee
Anne Cochran confesses to little-girl rehearsals perched on her parents' bathroom sink, a 3-way mirror reflecting the chanteuse-to-be. You can imagine her stealing the scene in school talent shows and musicals. But can you see her as the bluesy lead vocalist of rowdy bands like the Hash Brown Band, Timmy and the Tuxedos or Nitebridge, playing Rick's Café and the Sly Fox?
Now picture budding composers (including a baby-faced Jim Brickman) snapping her up for demos, which lead to commercial recordings, and packing control, range and emotion into 30/60-second jingles. Theater and Voice at CWRU and a first CD are followed by a wedding to seal her love-match with her greatest fan, favorite attorney and business partner, Ed.
Rock dates are squeezed into weekends when a first baby arrives and Anne pursues a less physically demanding career as the voice of over 500 commercials, with national campaigns for GE, 7-Up, Hyatt Resorts… More CDs, such as "Thinking of You", follow regularly, to try new songwriters for size.
Please visit Anne Cochran's official Website
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Now picture budding composers (including a baby-faced Jim Brickman) snapping her up for demos, which lead to commercial recordings, and packing control, range and emotion into 30/60-second jingles. Theater and Voice at CWRU and a first CD are followed by a wedding to seal her love-match with her greatest fan, favorite attorney and business partner, Ed.
Rock dates are squeezed into weekends when a first baby arrives and Anne pursues a less physically demanding career as the voice of over 500 commercials, with national campaigns for GE, 7-Up, Hyatt Resorts… More CDs, such as "Thinking of You", follow regularly, to try new songwriters for size.
Please visit Anne Cochran's official Website
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