Dennis Chandler aka Piano Man / Guitar Man… Cleveland's Musical Chameleon

In honor of Hoon Park. He passed in March of 2023. Dennis’ ONCOLOGIST. The man who helped heal Dennis … ironically died of Cancer. But his memory is a Blessing. We again … thank him here … in God’s Cyberspace. Now … dear DR. PARK … is … now … dear ANGEL PARK.  

1990 Photos & Art … for 2024 … Publishing of Stories …  (TBC).

1990 National Leukemia Telethon aka Televent.

That’s where we met Steve Allen and his wife Jayne Meadows. Who? For the uninformed … go to …

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Allen

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jayne_Meadows

They were two people we both always considered to be the quintessential creative couple. Why? From when we both were very young … we grew up admiring these two. They were … songwriters, authors, stars of … radio, stage, screen and television. They were people we enjoyed ... reading, listening and watching … from afar. Now … here is how we got to … meet and greet them … live and in person. Plus Dennis and Steve played together. 

What better place to meet these two pioneers of media … than out … in Hollywood? It was on a studio sound stage … Paramount, (pun intended). Pianist-Dennis was playing on a grand piano … it was a grand meeting. (Referencing that TV series of Steve Allen’s titled “Meeting of the Minds”) … go to  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meeting_of_Minds

So alongside us comes Mr. and Mrs. Allen … the aforementioned host-couple. Then … beside Pianist-Dennis … sets down … Pianist-Steve. It was awesome for we always perceived Allen to be … the Pianist-prototypical … (meaning of that word = representing the usual or quintessential version of something). 

We expected to be held sway by Steve’s playing … he being in his obvious preponderant role. But the ever gracious host … made his guest play. Dennis told Steve … a-mentor-to-many … how SA informed DC’s ability to become versatile. Allen asked Dennis do some improvising. He did. Predominantly Blues. That made Steve join him. What fun to watch these two virtuosos jamin’. It was a Blessing. 

The Allens were considered by many to be archetypal exemplars of paragon virtue. We were told beforehand that they would be serving as hosts … for the Leukemia Society of America’s national telethon (aka Televent). We both said, “Yes, of course!” … when LSA asked us to travel to California … to meet them.

Back story is … at the time … we were serving as local Trustees of the Northern Ohio Chapter of LSA. As such we were often asked to address audiences at local  charity affairs. And about adversity … as in … what happens when people have to handle health hurdles. What do I mean? Well, for the uninformed … back then, to use the word cancer was taboo. “The C-word” was the term used to tell … about someone being diagnosed with cancer (as in “he / she has …”) !

Thus … the times were a’changing. So was composer-musician-Steve’s request. As one of the national hosts … he wanted music to be part of this interview. Chandler-the-cancer-survivor aka another fellow-composer-musician … was to be that year’s only featured adult leukemia survivor. Steve said that music would make it special. It did. 

I never thought back then … that one day I’d have the wherewithal of time, mind and spirit  … to finally do what Steve said to do … “Write!” Especially to put into words … “our journey through affliction … as we came to call … Dennis’ battle with LEUKEMIA – Type AML.

Here’s the back story … Steve wanted Dennis to write a book … and even offered to show him how. But, Dennis shared, “I realize there are many things I have yet to do … with my life … particularly through music. So maybe one day … I will.” That’s when Steve said to Dennis, “God brought you back for a reason. I’d like to hear what music you will write now”. As for … writing books … Steve turned to me and told me, “You do it. Write about this time.” I answered, “I wouldn’t know where to begin.” Steve said, “Just start. You’ll be given the words“. Well here goes … my start.  Signed, Liz Chandler … aka …”Mrs. Dennis”… aka … Archivist.

But … BEFORE … MY WORDS … MY PICTURES

For as ’tis said, “A picture is worth 10,000 words”. My ten thousand words follow … way down below … so you can skip and scroll first … if you like. Thank you in advance for taking the time … any time. It is Precious, I know.

Allow me to share … this part of our JOURNEY. The battle and victory over Cancer was one LONG chapter in our Life. But acute Leukemia? The Lord  lent us … his Hand. He got us over those health hurdles. Plus …as a certain song says, “with a little help from our friends” … like … Hoon Park. Today it’s with God’s good Grace … that we are still here. May we continue to pay Him back … and Hoon Park, too. Thus we pay it forward. As I like to put it … also … play it forward.    

1987 … 32 DAYS in Huron Road Hospital.

“Company!”  Yes, they came with news … from the ‘hood …  our then-next door neighbor and still dear friend … Dr. Ben Schechter. Plus updates … from Solonite Sandy Feko. Frank … her hubby had my hubby … talkin’ their language … Lionel Trains. We laughed about how akin grown men can get over … over their toys. Speaking of toys … serious ones … musical ones.

That is famed violinist Stephen Majeske at far right. During Dennis’ 32 days in Huron Road Hospital … Stephen would stop on his way to “work”. Where was it that he worked? “Severance Hall”. A majestic-setting-of-a-concert-venue. There he joined his father … another majestic-member-of-a-famed family … (named “The Majeskes”). On many of those visits … staff said they saw Stephen reading a little Scripture to Patient Dennis. Other times … they said they heard Stephen make a little Night Music.Those sounds seemed to be even more special because Stephen played them on a Stradivarius made in 1718. That instrument was graciously given to Stephen to play those days … by his dear Dad … Daniel Majeske. (He was for a record 24 years … the Concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra). It is important for me to note … all the members of that famed family told me … they believed strongly in the power of Prayer. After a few weeks they shared good vibrations via various prayer groups. More about that later. But, who was first? Who was that masked man? Stephen Majeske … in white tie and tails … reading Scripture … playing a 1781 Stradivarius … with gloves on. Priceless. The power of Notes from Above.

1987

            NO LOVE LOST … JUST IN TIME … SO LET’S HAVE A LITTLE CAKE 
Dennis’ birthday was back in OCTOBER. That’s when he first felt fatigued. So much so … that we really did not celebrate … per se … no cake, et all. It was in NOVEMBER that he did NOT want to go to the ER (he said he did not want to ruin my birthday). After 32 days hospitalized … here we were in DECEMBER … insisting he have his cake and eat it, too.
Bless Ben. He was one of the Angels who bambuzzled him into staying in the ER …    to get checked out. And then … checked in … (read: admitted). 

1987

1988 Photo: Speaking of deft handling. Below  is Stephen Majeske … this time with no mask. Squire-Stephen was holding up Patient-Dennis. This was upon his return home (from Huron Road Hospital). Why that look on DC’s face? Organist-Dennis was stunned at seeing something new in his home Music Studio. Well, actually it was NOT new … but old. Awaiting him was a VINTAGE LESLIE SPEAKER … he was speechless. 

1988

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Henderson

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Jones

A Journey:  Dennis Beats AML Leukemia 

by Liz Chandler

November 1987:  Dennis had severe symptoms of fatigue and shortness of breath. They were so bad that … for the first time in 10 years … he stopped his daily-six-mile jog. His feeling so fatigued really frightened me. When I asked him how he felt … he was very vague with his answers. He was much too quiet. I found myself thinking that something was seriously wrong. I prayed to be lead… what to do next. Like an answered prayer, I heard Dennis wonder aloud … (albeit in feeble voice) … “What was the doctor’s name … the Palmerios gave us?”  Who were they? They’re the dear folks from whom we bought our home. I say dear … because of all the bidders they had to choose from … they chose us. Or did they? The Palmerios said they … “were lead to do so“. That was in September of 1986.

Back to Dennis referring to one of the conversations we had with them at the time of title transfer. They were making suggestions about resources, people, places and things, etc. Then they said if we would have need for a good doctor … Dr. C.W. Lee … was a “gifted diagnostician”.

That was back in September of 1986. Now this night of November 20, 1987 … Dennis and I were thinking about that … and … at the same time. Such synchronicity was not unusual for the two of us. Why? Ever since meeting Dennis in 1965 … I often felt things didn’t just happen fortuitously for us. Here were were in our eighteenth year of marriage … and still tuned in into one another, (happily it seemed). But this moment-of-synchronicity had such somber overtones. Little did I know it would be the beginning of his long lengthy battle with cancer. Leukemia – Type AML. (We are victorious now and as I look back from where I sit, so to speak, … it makes me just marvel how God has His hand on us, still). But back to … serendipity.  

For example … fortuitous findings. When I called to get an appointment with that doctor … there was no opening. So I tried naming-dropping … as in our mutual friends, Bob & Bobbi Palmerio. That found favor with the doctor’s receptionist. She said she would try to squeeze us in … at the end of that day. She did. That’s how we met Dr. C.W. Lee … when he chose to let us in, so to speak.

Looking at Dennis’ drawn face … he quickly completed his vitals. Then he drew from Dennis some blood to be spent to a lab. But, he said, since it was a Friday … he would NOT get the results until Monday. Why? Because the courier had already made his rounds (or so he thought). We went home to wait out the weekend … (or so we thought.) Fortunately, a freakish snowstorm … delayed that courier. The doctor’s receptionist was able to include Dennis’ blood sample to be sent for testing!

Then the terrible news: Dennis had leukemia! The lab called Dr. Lee at home immediately upon analyzing Dennis’ blood work. They instructed him to get his patient “to an emergency room as soon as possible!” It was then that Dr. Lee called me on the telephone to confer with an oncologist. It was dear Dr. Hoon Park. He suggested what I had to do next. He told me not to tell Dennis that it was leukemia! They were concerned about the complications of trauma … added to his already fatigued condition. I remember praying, “Lord, make me an actress.” It was the most awful moment of my life and that’s what I remember. When I hung up, I didn’t think I was strong enough to play out the planned subterfuge but with the sheer grace of God, I did.

The scheme was that we would NOT tell Dennis it was cancer … but that it was anemia. Anemia or not, Dennis felt going to the hospital that night was NOT a priority since the next day was my birthday … and he “didn’t want to ruin it by being in some hospital”. He refused to go.

That night was the most awful night of my life. I pretended to sleep but my crying jags made me physically sick. My restlessness disturbed Dennis. He asked why I was so upset. I answered that I couldn’t bear the thought of him being sick. He said he wasn’t sick just tired and it was probably nothing to be so concerned about. He became so fatigued, he finally fell into a deep sleep. I was able to smother the sounds of my crying with my pillow. As the long night grew into day, I knew Dennis had to be taken to the hospital as early as possible that morning. Dr. Park had told me, “Tell him it might be pernicious anemia … so as to get him to go to the hospital. It would not be morally or ethically responsible … to delay further”. The doctors were concerned that any trauma could cause “bleeding in the blood / brain barrier!” I think hearing that … is what did the trick for me … to continue my “Acting”.   

Thankfully Bill Gorse, a dear friend of the family whom I had called … pretended to drop by … for my birthday. It was he who convinced Dennis to get checked out. Bill said, “Oh, do it for Liz … and give her a little peace of mind … for her birthday.” He continued the ruse by even offering to drive, saying he could tell we both were tired and that it was a long ride to East Cleveland. Besides, he told Dennis, he’d blocked out time for a catch up visit with him, too. It worked and we went to the hospital. Dr. Park directed us to take him to Meridia Huron. He said, “that if Dennis makes it thru this night … and if he makes it thru the necessary aggressive chemos treatments … he will need a lot of bed care. This teaching hospital can provide the kind of care that will be needed.”

In the waiting room of the emergency room, Bill, an engaging conversationalist, was able to distract Dennis with chitchat. I stole away to telephone for help from another emotionally strong stalwart, Ben Schechter. We were close friends, (literally for he, his wife Holly and dear sons Benji and Harry were our next door neighbors for 13 years. Plus he was also our dentist. It was my thinking that with Ben being a doctor … Dennis wouldn’t think twice if we serendipitously appeared to “run into Ben” at the hospital. I needed him …  to help keep Dennis there. He kept wanting to leave, saying he didn’t think we should bother emergency room staff. Symtoms of anemia? Next week, “OK. I’ll go to the doctor’s office, maybe”.  

It was agonizing … waiting to be processed. Then one of the clerks was handed a telephone message slip from the doctor. It had only one word written beside the name of Chandler … “Leukemia”. For a moment I panicked because Dennis almost read it. To explain … he has always been able to read things upside down … a  habit honed from his days as a bank-teller-trainee. Just then … “Gentle Ben” … our afore-mentioned dentist and next-door-neighbor … walked. Now he is the main actor … acting surprised to see us. Recall that was going to be our ruse?  Fortunately, that healthworker picked up on … what was going down … (my jaw dropping). That moment of panic passed as she nonchalantly pretended to discard the message slip. Then she promptly processed us.

The emergency doctors drew Dennis’ blood sample. They told him he’d feel less fatigued … if they transfused him … right away. The three of us were told to stay with him and to keep him calm. It worked. Dennis was preoccupied chatting with Ben, who successfully avoided answering his many questions about anemia.

Dennis received several transfusions. He did feel better and that was thanks to … close-family-friend-Bill and next-door-neighbor-Ben. Then gentle-Ben-the-dentist … put Patient-Dennis at ease … answering his questions (about the hospital setting, possible upcoming scenarios, etc.) He set him up for what was to come.

Once stabilized, Dennis was told the truth … that it was NOT ANEMIA but LEUKEMIA. It took awhile to sink in … that he … might not make it thru the night. Cavalier in nature, Dennis always seemed to face tough times with great emotional strength. But, facing mortality was something else. He turned to me in a flood of emotions and said, “Oh, I never got do MY music!”

In that instant, I felt some of the same sick-missed-opportunity feelings … that he was expressing. I also felt bewildered.

That was 1987 … I hear this song in my head. I forget about it. Then on June 15, 2023 … the good Lord brought back into our lives … a past collaborator… and still … “Brother” … Tom Schuck! Our world has changed … again … for the better. (Thank you, Diane Schuck and Willie Bailey). Begs questions, I know. Why? How? Where? But that’s a story for another webpage).

Here’s the 1977 demo done by Dennis with him on piano and Tom singing … “BUT WILL WE HAVE THE TIME TO LOVE AGAIN”  

TIME TO LOVE AGAIN

Back in time to 1987. I felt I had missed signals about how important music was to Dennis. I thought I could not have been more caring about his playing. Even Dennis’ fellow band members, when once asked if all the spouses were supportive of music, said, “No, but Liz’s one to know enough to chase Dennis out of the house to go play somewhere. That’s where a musician’s most happiest; making music for people.” But, his exclamation about not doing his own music really troubled me. It’s hard to describe the feeling but it was way beyond any hit-in-the-solar-plexus feeling. I was truly sick at heart. With the gravity of the situation, all I could think was Dennis’ state of physical health. I told him, we’d work on his state of psychological health when he got over this first hurdle. Then I told myself that, to paraphrase Scarlet O’Hara, I’d “think about it tomorrow”.

Fortunately, he made it through the night. The next morning we met the oncologist who had schemed with Dr. Lee and me over the telephone on how to handle Dennis’ situation.

I’ll never forget Dr. Hoon Park coming into the hospital room, reading the chart and exclaiming incredulously to Dennis … “Oh, you should have been dead … with a 1.47  RED BLOOD COUNT”. 

Other mind-boggling numbers? His hemo: 5.1 vs. normal 14 to 15, his hemato: 16% vs. normal: 45-55%, his differential count: 20% vs. 13%, his platelets: 39,000 vs. normal 150,000 to 500,000, and his white blood count: 1,940 vs. normal 5,000 to 10,000!

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Thanksgiving Day ’87, another day I’ll never forget. It was 5 days since he had been admitted, stabilized with blood transfusions. Doctors anxiously awaited test results from his bone marrow. They wanted to classify what type leukemia so chemotherapy treatments could be prepared. Type AML was diagnosed and it was determined treatment was to begin immediately that day, Thanksgiving Day or not. Chemos were blended and along with the turkey dinner Dennis ordered; he got his first chemo (and proceeded to lose his dinner, so to speak.)

For the next several weeks Dennis underwent chemo treatments. Then “Our Miracle” happened! While withstanding the rigors and ravages of the chemos and their many side effects, he was “Spoken” to.

To recall that first near-death experience of Dennis’ … the good Lord told him … “Go back, my son … your calling is on Earth, not in Heaven”. The second time … Dennis was spoken to again … He said ”I will heal you completely … you believe in me”. Bone marrow was taken and tested … he was in remission. And 32 days after being admitted, Dennis was sent home. It was the night before Christmas Eve.That was 1987. 

Home for the holidays, indeed. Months passed. Dennis was very slow to rebound from the first chemos. He rode the roller coaster of side effects. He craved certain foods only to be repulsed when he tasted them. Thank God for the food supplement, Ensure. One nurse started to tell Dennis, “Some people react to the drink by …” but he cut her off saying, “that’s some people. I’m going to love it and please don’t tell me otherwise!”    He did love it and it helped save his life.

As for the other side effects: Mouth-sores were managed with medication. Photo and hearing sensitivity were adjusted to. Hair loss was expected and accepted. Weight loss and the degree of physical change were not. Although we adjusted, others were frightened by his appearance. That took some adjusting to and we did: I shut the world out.

Germs can’t be shut out and infections prove to be of great danger to leukemia patients. One of the times Dennis landed back in the hospital was because of his body’s lack of ability to fight off infections. His body also had difficulty controlling temperature. He’d have chills so we’d try heat. Then he’d have fevers so we’d try ice packs. And always, the night sweats. Until his body re-adjusted, we seem to be playing a version of musical chairs … musical beds.

Another time Dennis’ fever was particularly high and wouldn’t break, so he was re-admitted. Dennis sent me home for a little break but then the hospital called for me to come back. They wanted me to be there before they administered a certain antibiotic.    I was told they preferred family to be there, since this antibiotic sometimes is known to give cardiac problems! Later I learned it was called Amphaterecin, an old reliable antibiotic that fell out of favor … because of its roughness. Nurses have nicknamed it “Ampha-Terrible” but it is known “to do the trick” and it did, thank God. (The nurses told me that night …he had a record fever, 106.1!)
I think that was the night of the BIG shake. Shakes were his body’s reaction to transfusions of blood platelets. After some of them, he’d joke about rock’n’rollin’ through it. But, not so funny was the one time we witnessed him being packed in ice again. The nurses readied a machine for a “code blue”. Then just as he shook so much he seemed to be ready to levitate off the bed, he calmly told us all not to worry and to remember he was made a promise to be healed.

Another harried rush to the emergency room (for transfusions) was when his blood wouldn’t clot properly. That night, Divine discernment again led me. This time it was to come home to find him bleeding profusely. To explain, Dennis insisted he was well enough to be left alone and that I should go to where his dear friend B.B.King was performing. The blues legend, who offered to serve as a father figure to Dennis always preferred to visit with us, in person. For the past twenty years, he would always send for us to come to where he was performing … often on the road. Well, this road trour brought him close to us. He happened to be at the Front Row Theatre where we knew everyone. So Dennis said, “It’ll be an easy in, an easy out” … and that I should … “Just go!” Reluctantly, I left home. After visiting B.B. at the Front Row, backstage manager and driver Jim Kendzierski pulled up the limo and all of a sudden … WE HAD THIS TERRIBLE FEELING TO GET BACK TO DENNIS. We jumped into the limo. Being as it was so late and no one was on the road, we sped all the way. We got home to Solon quickly and safely. But only to find he had been bleeding profusely … all the time I was away! Another race to the hospital, this time a bloody one that landed him in the Intensive Care Unit for 3 days. (All those days the dear Palmerios stayed with me in the Solarium. Once stabilized he again remained in Reverse Isolation.

On the subject of isolation:  It is said that an only child will learn to live in the room of his mind. For Dennis that skill came to again serve him well. But, was Dennis ever really alone? Perhaps another time I will write of the tales told me … of how Dennis and I came to mind …  in either thought or in the dreams … of many different people.

But for now … I must tell one striking story told me by a then stranger to us, Alma, a doctor’s office receptionist. Long before Dennis went to the aforementioned Dr. C.W. Lee, I took him to another doctor because he was suffering with a sore throat, or so we thought.

Remember the above-mentioned friend, Jimmy Kendzierski, who worked at the Front Row Theater? He told me he often would take ailing stars to Eye, Nose and Throat specialist Dr. Charles Cassady. He chaufferred them either to his office or to his home.  Well, his home is in this community called North Hill, here in Solon. JK suggested I take DC to him. Well, when I called his office requesting an immediate appointment, a lady named Alma answered. She said that it was already too late in the day. I offered that we were neighbors. Did he … would he … make a house call? We thought it might be a simple case of laryngitis … similar to the singers he treated. She said no, but since she knew how long it takes the doctor to get there from his North Hill home to his office … if I could I make it there in the time left, she’d squeeze us in. I sped all the way there … daylight traffic and all. 

I’ll never forget what happened when we entered that office. After I said, “I hope we made it in time to see the doctor. I called. I’m the neighbor. I’m Liz.” She answered, “Hi, I’m Alma.” And poked her head out of the little receptionist window and said “Oh, and this must be the patient? He said, “How could you tell?” Alma answered, “You don’t look so good!” Dennis retorted, “Well, I don’t feel so good either!” Then Alma blurted out something I never forgot… “Well, you ain’t dead, yet!” We all laughed and we proceeded in to see Dr. Cassady. (Dennis did have laryngitis and he prescribed some medicine and we went home.)

That happened weeks before that fateful night in the hospital when Dennis had his near-death experience (of being spoken to “Go back, my son, your calling is on earth, not in heaven”, etc.). Not too long after that night, I answered the phone at home and a lady said, “Hi, I don’t know if you remember me from when you and your husband came to Dr. Cassady’s office, but my name is …” and I interrupted her with “I know, I remember you. Your name is Alma.” She exclaimed “Yes, that’s right. I’m glad you remembered but I have to ask … how is your husband doing? (I didn’t know what she meant.) She said she didn’t know where to begin to explain why she was calling. I could tell she was apprehensive. I told her nothing would surprise me at this point. (She didn’t know what I meant.) So I explained how Dennis was all right now but that he was still in the hospital being treated for leukemia. Alma screamed “Oh, that explains everything! I was awakened from a deep sleep and felt forced to pray for this man named Dennis, someone I barely remember meeting. But, I did stay in fervent prayer on my knees the whole night until I exhausted myself.” I was stunned but not too surprised because this wasn’t the only such incident that was told to us … by someone we barely knew. 

Years passed but I never forgot and I often wondered what happened to “that lady, Alma”. Then during the summer of 1998, the mayor of Eastlake stopped Dennis and me, as we were walking around their new Classic Car Cruise that had just begun the previous week. Mayor Dan DiLiberto said to Dennis, “I understand that you have a band and that if I had you play here you would draw more cruisers.” Dennis asked who told him that? He answered with the name of “Alma”.

Neither Dennis nor myself made the connection that this classic car cruiser named Alma … was one and the same. Dennis played for the whole summer there at that cruise and still we didn’t make the connection. The crazier part of the story is that we both got recruited by Mayor D to sell raffle tickets. Because she was an officer of the car club and me being with the band … we often shared the same picnic table. There we were weekly sharing space, food, friends and always bopping to the beat of the band. But never, ever did we figure out we knew one another before. Not until spring of ’99. That’s when she called us with the following info. 

Alma left a message that said she was cleaning out an old telephone book and noticed my name in it. But, it was a different number than the one the mayor had for us. She tried the old number, and as soon as she heard my voice on the outgoing message, something clicked about us having had a phone chat, a long time ago. The machine recorded her astonished tone and as she tried to explain, she concluded with, “What a time to remember such a Blessing. The start of Holy Week.“ (Passover and Easter!)

I figured out why I had a mental block about Alma. Up and until meeting this Alma, I never knew anybody else with that name except for someone from high school. So whenever I wondered about … Alma-the-nurse, my brain kept recalling … Alma-the-classmate (from John Adams High). But, that day when I heard … Alma-the-cruiser’s voice on our answering machine? My ears became unclogged. My brain pulled from it’s back burners to the front ones … the memory. Scales from my eyes were removed enough for me to see her face. It was clearly the face of the woman who stuck her head out the receptionist window. The above-mentioned nurse … to repeat … the one who said to Dennis, “Oh, you must be the patient. You don’t look so good!” And my ears seemed to become unplugged because there was that voice. The one that quipped in retort to Dennis’ saying, “I don’t feel so good either” when she said that shocking comment, “Well, you ain’t dead yet!” It shows you that the Lord can use anybody in any way He chooses. To mind again comes that saying, “What awesome God we serve!” 

To understand why Dennis particuarly enjoys performing music for cruisin’ audiences, let me explain further. During chemo treatments he looked forward to rebounding in time to play these summer gigs with his band. He lived to play these gigs. Why? A big major reason was he felt safe playing outdoors. He had been told to control his environment i.e., the air around him whenever possible. They said to avoid secondhand smoke! (Known to cause leukemia because benzene exists in secondhand smoke.) At first we thought not be able to play anywhere? What a BIG price to pay. Or did Dennis almost pay the price because of all the years playing (since his teens) in so many smokey places? But, that was then, this was now. Where was he going to play? Fortunately, for Dennis, love of classic cars and classic music proved to be important to baby boomer types, too. Hence demand for his renditions of classic car cruisin’ music (roots rock and blues) hit big, too, fortunately.

Determination to make his playing engagements gave Dennis quick and clear thinking when it came time to make one hard choice. It was back when Dennis decided to take the option of a round of what they called “consolidation chemos”. A treatment that was used to “blow out the bone marrow so as to insure there would not be a missed cancer cell hidden somewhere”, was how it was explained to us. We both felt confident spiritually and we felt success would come if the good Lord willed it. He did. We were blessed. Dennis made it (and all the dates on that calendar). Talk about a musical mindset.

Now that we have come far, far out of the woods, so to speak, other survivors tell us to do the things we never got to do. To do the things we always wanted to do. To do the things we enjoy. I see that inspiration can come from reflecting on past missed- opportunities, too. From where I sit, I see that such shouda-woulda-coulda feelings can be healthy motivators. It is often said, “Each day is a gift”. We’ve come to believe maybe each day is a mini-lifetime and as the good Lord leads, we follow and that’s all that matters.

Dennis and I both are grateful to all those folks who prayed for us. To all the ministers, priests and rabbis who prayed, from the shores of Cleveland to the Western Wall in Jerusalem … thank you. May the good Lord bless you back, ten thousand fold.

Liz Chandler

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Read below … what I call our … “Special Valentine Sent from Above”…

via …  Angel Lou Kassouf, (of Blessed Memory). What a Light.

AS YOU PRAY IN THE SPIRIT

YOUR EAR IS TRAINED TO HEAR

WHAT THE LORD WOULD SAY AND DO

AS HE SHARES HIS ABILITY WITH YOU

RECORDING SESSIONS WILL BE A BREEZE

A BROAD SPECTRUM OF STYLE

HONING THE WORD TO A FINE POINT

MUSIC IN A NEW SUPERNATURAL DIMENSION

WHY?

BECAUSE I CAN TRUST YOU

I KNOW YOUR HEART

INNOVATIVE, FREE FLOWING AND EAR-CATCHING

WITH A WIDE, VARYING APPEAL

EXTRAORDINARY, FAR ABOVE YOUR PEERS

WHY?

BECAUSE I TRUST YOU, THAT’S WHY

A NEW PIONEER MUSIC

A NEW STYLE

CAPTIVATING MINDS & HEARTS

MUSIC WITH INTRICATE NUANCES

YET SO SIMPLE

A STYLE ALL YOUR OWN

NONE LIKE IT BEFORE

A BIT OF HEAVEN’S CREATIVITY

TO BRING THOSE ON EARTH TO ME

ELEVATING THEIR HEARTS AND MINDS

SETTING THEM FREE

FROM INNER STRIFE UNITING THEIR HEARTS WITH MINE

WHY?

BECAUSE THERE IS A HARVEST TO BRING IN

AND YOU I TRUST

TO DO IT

YOU I TRUST

THERE’S A VAST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A JET

AND A SPACESHIP

YET THE NEW TECHNOLOGY IS HONED IN THE PAST

INTO A NEW DIMENSION

SOME FOR SALE

SOME ARE NOT

COMMERCIAL SONGS YOU’LL SELL

MINE YOU’LL SOW INTO THE HARVEST

AND I’LL BE YOUR REWARD

(Signed) “Dennis, the above came to me after you left” Lou Kassouf

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The Backstory … about the above “fleshed out” by Writer Liz

So when Lou and her husband invited us to that “gathering” at their home … we both thought at the very least … “we should show up”. When Pianist-Dennis spotted Lou’s living room piano … he felt moved to make music … a Joyful noise, (if you will). It was!  

It’s interesting to note that  … although Lou would daily drive pass our home … on the way to her home … she chose to mail her letter. Luckily for us … Lou did that. Why?  As one can see it was postmarked … and the date? VALENTINE’s DAY, 1989. When Dennis went to our mailbox … he picked it out … opened it … and read it. Later, he told me he thought it was a Valentine poem (from Neighbor Lou). He brought it in … set it down. Unbeknownst to us … someone placed it with our other Valentines.

To explain … I have many vintage Valentines from my dear late mother-in-law … who kept her childhood ones. (We feel Blessed to be curators of vintage sheet music, too).

Somehow all the V-Day 1989 stuff was placed in the bench of the piano that we had at the time … a BABY GRAND. Then in 1991 … came … our BIG CONCERT GRAND. It’s A 9 FT.  CONCERT GRAND … SOHMER PIANO made in 1904 … (and everyone feels the good vibrations that “she” still makes). Well, while moving the contents of the BABY GRAND’s bench … to the BIG CONCERT GRAND … we found the 1989 Prophecy. 

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NOW … ABOUT … 2024 … and … HOW THE BEST IS YET TO BE … WE BELIEVE  …

Thank you for taking the time to read this website.

It is humbling to learn that it has helped others. It is a Blessing. 

The following printed bookmark was given to us during “The Journey”.

“I ASKED GOD”

I asked God for strength,
that I might achieve,
I was made weak
to humbly obey.

I asked for health,
that I might do greater things,
I was given infirmity
that I might do better things.

I asked for riches,
that I might be happy,
I was given poverty,
that I might be wise.

I asked for power,
that I might have
the praise of men,
I was given weakness,
that I might feel
the need of God.

I asked for all things,
that I might enjoy life,
I was given life,
that I might
enjoy all things.

I got nothing
that I asked for-
but everything
I had hoped for.

Almost despite myself,
my unspoken prayers
were answered.
I am among all men
most richly blessed.

-Author Unknown

Liz Chandler aka “Mrs. Dennis”