The connection with Wallace Bridges was pure magic, like the pulling a rabbit out of the hat magic. In the end, it would have never happened without the help of The Magic Hour community. The Thursday before the first weekend of Jazz Fest, I received a phone call an hour before leaving my home to film The Magic Hour at SoBou. The guest I had scheduled to interview had an emergency and would not be able to be meet for filming or lunch. As we hung up the phone, I tried to think of a replacement guest. I then remembered that William Scott from episode three had shared he was going to introduce a cousin who was in town for Jazz Fest. At the same moment, a post appeared on my Facebook feed of William with his cousin hanging out in his apartment. I immediately dialed William to see if his cousin Wallace would want to be the guest on the show, as I knew Wallace had roots in New Orleans. Wallace agreed, and I was excited to have quickly filled the hole in the schedule. At this point in time, I did not know was that Wallace was the father of Leon Bridges, who was performing the next day at Jazz Fest. The same two-time Grammy nominated Leon Bridges who has been taking the music world by storm and bringing a legendary soul sound back to the forefront.
This connection was magic for multiple reasons. First off, Wallace was definitely the person who was supposed to be interviewed that day. I thought we had a plan in place, however the universe intervened. This never would have happened without the relationship William Scott and I have formed, and his support of The Magic Hour. His desire to share the blog with his father, William Sr., and his cousin Wallace speaks volumes.
Wallace shared with me the message that having mentors in life are important to establish positive relationships that help challenge and support you to become the best version of yourself. Wallace is the consummate mentor. He continues this noble work in his role as a Case Manager for the Homeless Outreach Project Experience in Fort Worth, Texas. Finally, our connection was magic for the day all of us shared together watching Leon Bridges perform at Jazz Fest. It was incredibly powerful to watch Leon onstage, while standing next to William in the audience, and see Wallace and William Sr. backstage. Wallace was dancing as proud as a father could possibly be and William had the largest smile on his face. Leon crushed the show and the energy at the Gentilly stage was something I will never forget. The magic then continued as William invited me to join the family that evening at Café Reconcile in New Orleans. This was human connection working at all levels.
Just as student ambassadors never know who could show up on their tours, I had no idea who would show up to be the guest on The Magic Hour that day. However, the recipe for unfolding the magic is embracing the connections around you, believing in your gut instincts, and listening to the stories of those who are brought into your life at that rare moment in time.