A Midnight Train FROM Georgia: A Pip's Journey
William Guest & Lady Dhyana Ziegler, PhD (Branden Books)
It started as a simple book party, a celebration of sorts, to honor book author/musician "Pip" William Guest, and his co-author Lady Dhyana Ziegler. It grew into a major event that will be remembered as part of Second Life history.
Let's start with a short machinima that wraps up the events on
YouTube -
A Pip's Journey.
The video captures only some moments! The biggest event of Second Life is over. As I said, it was a once in a Second Lifetime event. An original pip came into Second Life. Do you know how rare that is? We made history! William Guest of Gladys Knight & The Pips came into Second Life to share his experiences about an era, about Motown, and so much more.
All that to say, the band's stature is comparable to "Royalty" (to
quote DJ Miles Eleventhauer) in the record industry. Miles opened the
show with his well-informed DJ set that paid homage to those great times
with his personal stories and historical context.
* * *
I had the good fortune to meet Lady Dhyana in the 1990s. (Yes, she was knighted; alas that is another story.) My initial impression of her was she was fabulously intense and a go-getter. Beautiful and poised, and you might say, if I knew Second Life back then, she would have been the ideal avatar - someone you would want your avatar to be like. All to say, she is larger than life. I am teasing, well mostly. The real Dhyana is one of a kind, as is her brother-in-law and steadfast business partner/mentor - Pip William Guest. I was pleased to create her avatar, an amazing replica (as close as one can get in a few days) of what she looks like in real life, and her graceful stances and walks model her style. Belinda Barnes made all the Pips and Gladys Knight, with only minimal assistance from me. Belinda told me you need to create Dhyana - you know her personality and mannerisms. When I met her, she was already well known in the academic circles. Yet she didn't let on how famous her family is to most of us. She was so modest; she simply said, "I come from a show biz family." If that is not the understatement of the century.
Lady Dhyana and William Guest go way back. William became part of her family when he married her sister, and at the time Dhyana was a little girl. She used to follow him around, as well as "Pip" Edward. All were close friends. William was cousin to Gladys Knight and Pip Bubba. So yesterday was history in the making. Guest wrote "Midnight Train FROM Georgia: A Pip's Journey," a book with his "lil" sis Dhyana, and through her help as a professional journalist/educator, he recounted life back then, and even announced an upcoming solo project. The book is a honest account of "A Pip's Journey." He is a grand storyteller, and the more than 50 avatars (12-1: 46; 1-2: 53; 2-3: 40) that attended became aware, if they hadn't been already, that a legend was in their midst. He was now among them within the virtual realm. William Guest is part of the SL community. That is history!
Thanks also to Definitive Rock Concerts and especially Luv2 Brandi (pictured above in the sassy hot pink gown). She choreographed the Gladys Knight and The Pips Tribute Concert, complete with lighting and animations. This event was produced by SoNice Productions, RingMyBel Productions, & Lowe Runo Productions. Also it is important to note that this event was held at the co-partnered sim, Virlantis (Southern Illinois University & University of Western Australia). Thank you to UWA's Jayjay Zifanwe for his hospitality, and being there to support us. And special thanks to blogger Kara Trapdoor for helping out in so so many ways!
I would like to thank all those who attended. It was a special event. Dhyana had flown
back to Detroit to be with William and all the other pips and pipettes, for their family is large, fun, accomplished and never dull. Now the little girl has grown up to command great respect from her nephews, nieces, cousins, and so many others. They look up to her as she has looked up to William, once as that little girl and now as a seasoned journalist and successful business woman and scholar. But to them she is Auntie, a wonderfully delightful mentor with stories of her own. Her road, like William, has been long but successful.
"A Pip's Journey"is available at all major outlets, Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com, as well as its publisher,
Branden Books. We hope you read the book to get to know the family better. The intimacy that they share is refreshing. And William is the master storyteller! We also hope you got your "framed" autographed book cover. And now that William has an avatar, we really hope he comes back soon. There were mentions that he would, and that a theatrical production of their book was in the works already. Our deepest thanks to William Guest for coming into Second Life to share his real life. We are honored!
Excerpts from his speech will be hopefully posted this week.
All that to say, the band's stature is comparable to "Royalty" (to
quote DJ Miles Eleventhauer) in the record industry. Miles opened the
show with his well-informed DJ set that paid homage to those great times
with his personal stories and historical context. 
RL singer/musician William Guest makes his first appearance in our virtual world, Second Life.
Coming back live....Sonicity Radio. This blog connects you to SL music, performers and personalities.
Plus this Saturday, a tribute concert featuring William Guest of Gladys Knight and The Pips.
Mr. Pip will be in SL in person, along with his co-author LadyDhyana, talking a bit about his new book, Midnight Train FROM Georgia, A Pip's Journey.
_004.jpg)
_007.jpg)
_009.jpg)
_010.jpg)
_012.jpg)
_013.jpg)
_023.jpg)
The sound installation was funded by a summer course development grant awarded by my university. To learn about this project, attend the VWBPE Conference session, Sonic Immersion Part I: Hearing is Believing, Case Study: Sound Studies in Second Life, Friday, July 26, 8:05-8:55 AM SLT, Builder's Brewery Auditorium. Part II will be held at Virlantis during VWBPE's MOOC post-conference, with times to be announced soon. Admission is free. 
