Dark Angel: Rising from the Ashes

One evening we were relaxing at home. I was playing with the kids outside and Reyna was sitting in a lounger under a tree in the shade, working on some new songs.

A car pulled into the driveway and a well dressed woman got out of a very expensive car and approached Reyna. "Sorry to intrude." She said. "I got your address from one of your bandmates. Are you Reyna, the lead singer of Phoenix?"

I had walked over as she spoke, curious, and a bit cautious about this stranger.

"I am." She answered.

"I'm Carla Yeager." She said.

"With Sunspot Records." Reyna finished. "I've heard of you."

She smiled nervously. "I hope good things."

"Nothing bad." She nodded. "So far, at least." She bristled a bit at her presence. I understood why. It was people like these that made her time as 'Dark Angel' so miserable. "What, exactly, can I do for you Ms. Yeager?"

"I'm here to try to persuade you and your bandmates to join our label." She said.

"Why are you talking to me and not them?" She asked.

"I did speak with them." She admitted. "They said I should talk to you and that they'd be OK with whatever you decided. They seem to have a great deal of faith in you."

"Give me a minute if you please." Reyna asked. "I'd like to confirm what you said." She stepped away and called someone, probably Jeff as he was the de facto head of the band. I couldn't hear what she said, but did see her nod several times.

"OK." She said, returning to Ms. Yeager. "That checks out. You may proceed."

"Well." She started. "I've seen your internet videos, and I personally attended your last concert. Honestly, I'm impressed. You have a very unique voice and it seems quite a few people think so as well. The fact that you have original songs, of course, is a very big plus, and a completed album. Who wrote them, if I may ask?"

"That would be me." Reyna said proudly. "I have enough now to do a second album as well."

"That's...unexpected." She stuttered. "Seems you are far more talented than I first thought."

"Not just a pretty face." She scowled. "Is that what you mean?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend." She apologized. "It feels like you've had some less than satisfactory dealings with people like me before, believe me, I get it, that's why I started Sunspot. I wanted to give female performers their shot without having to deal with the sleaze that seems to be so prevalent in this industry."

"A long time ago." She confirmed. "And before you ask, No I won't tell you any details. What can you do for us?"

"Promotion, bookings, advertising, the usual stuff." She offered. "We have a studio, of course. We need to get your music out there, sooner than later. Strike while the iron is hot, so to speak. We have writers, if you want, or they can help polish what you're working on."

"Will I retain all rights to my work?" Reyna asked.

"Yes." She answered. "Unless we help, then it would be co-owned, 50/50."

"That won't happen." She scowled.

I was impressed. She grilled this gal for better than an hour, clarifying, explaining or questioning a variety of points.

"One last issue." Reyna said. "I have two small children and a husband that need me. Regardless of the level of success we achieve, anything like a full concert tour will never happen. I've been through that before and I'm not willing to sacrifice my personal life to that extent again."

"I think it might be premature to think that far ahead." She deflected.

"Please don't patronize me." Reyna spat. "You wouldn't be here if you didn't see dollar signs. It's still all about the money. If we don't perform to your expectations, you'll cut us loose. As you should. But if we manage to hit it big, regardless of the odds against it, you'll push for more and more to generate all the income you can. I want it made perfectly clear just where the lines are so there are no misunderstandings. Are we clear?"

"Crystal." She sighed. "You are one hell of a negotiator."

"I've had SOME practice." She grinned.

"Talk with your bandmates and call me if you want to move forward." She stated, handing Reyna her card. "I don't see anything here that I would consider a deal breaker. I look forward to hearing from you. Good day."

Ms. Yeager got in her car and drove away.

"That was intense." I admitted. "You are very intimidating."

"I was the one that negotiated all the contracts with Mass Mayhem." She frowned. "My bandmates were all too busy getting drunk or high or chasing pussy. It was me and usually 2-3 guys in a room, 'negotiating'. You can imagine how that went."

I hugged her and to my shock, she was shaking. "You sure you want to do this? Seems it's awfully uncomfortable for you."

"As long as at least you, or one of the guys is with me, I'm good." She said. "I'm pretty sure they'd seriously mess up anybody that tried anything."

"I'm pretty sure they'd bury the bodies." I observed. "They're a good bunch."

"That they are." She grinned.

The whole band met with Ms. Yeager a few weeks later and after a lot of rather tense debate a deal was struck. Reyna tried to explain it all to me, but as I hadn't spent any time in the 'industry' and didn't speak lawyerese, it was all over my head. As long as she was happy, I was happy for her.

The band's first concert under the Sunspot label was a benefit for battered and abused women. It would be at the Hollywood Bowl in LA, and would be an all day affair with something like a dozen bands taking part. None of them very well known, but tickets would sell well, for the cause if nothing else. Most attending could probably care less about the music, or the cause for that matter, but the tax deduction and positive publicity were nearly priceless.

Reyna was thrilled with the choice of charity, for obvious reasons, and threw her heart into it, writing a new song specially for the event. It was called 'Rising From the Ashes'. It was still brash and in your face, but carried the message of hope and healing.

There was still buzz about Reyna's past, fueled by one self proclaimed 'geek nutjob' that speculated that she just 'might' be 'Dark Angel' and went so far as running her through facial recognition software. He only got a 63% positive owing in part to Reyna always appearing in public in character back then. Her heavy makeup, and wigs very effectively masking her identity. She also wore boots with varying heel heights and lifts, so her exact height was at best a 5-6 inch range. Later, the crowd would prove more than a few believed him.

We'd brought the kids and Reyna's parents with us when we went, keeping the kids in line by promising a trip to Disneyland before we went home. The label paid to fly all the band, and the families to California. Reyna didn't even have to threaten them.

The band would have to be at the Bowl by noon and spend all day there waiting their turn on stage. Tom Petty said it best. "The waiting is the hardest part."

Phoenix would take the stage around 6PM if the schedule held, so all we could do was pace, vegetate or listen to the other bands. The guys sat together talking, trying, with some success, to calm their nerves.

Reyna and I had sat off by ourselves most of the day, talking. I was trying to keep her calm and focused, plus we discussed something she wanted to do tonight. Something I was unsure of, but I understood why she wanted to do it.

"Phoenix on deck." The stage manager called out.

Finally, they took the stage. The band started the first song, then Reyna slowly walked to the front of the stage and sang. Damn, they sounded good. The band was killing it and Reyna was positively on fire. Her voice flowed over the crowd like a sonic tsunami, drowning them with her vocal power. Song after song, she pummeled them, each one more intense than the last. Before the last song, Reyna asked for quiet as she wanted to address the audience.

"We, the members of Phoenix, would like to thank all of you for attending." She spoke. "We also thank you for supporting this wonderful charity, especially since I have personally been effected. Once many years ago, I was someone most of you might remember, but after being victimized more times than I could endure, I withdrew from my first love, music. I could no longer bear the abuse and control being forced on me. Over time, and with the love of my wonderful husband, I healed and moved on, finally developing the strength to return to what I love most, being on this stage."

A hush fell over the crowd as she spoke.

She paused, briefly, gathering her thoughts. "This last song, 'Rising From the Ashes' is my attempt to convey my transition from who I was to who I am now."

She waived one of the camera guys over. "Close up on my eyes please." She instructed. "You see, I was once someone else."

She turned away, removing her contacts, then turned back into the camera, her eyes blazing like spotlights on all the monitors. Many in the crowd gasped, recognizing the trademark, piercing white eyes of a woman, dead now for just over 10 years.

"I was 'Dark Angel' and this is my story."

The song recounted the abuse, her despair and suicidal thoughts, but also the hope found in true love and the healing it can bring if allowed to happen. How she truly was a phoenix, risen from the ashes to live again.

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Epilogue

After the last song, the crowd went berserk, screaming and cheering, chanting 'Dark Angel'. Reyna was floored, sobbing openly at the love pouring from the audience. By then I'd run onto the stage and held her as she tried, once again to quiet the crowd.

"Thank you all for that." She sniffled. "But 'Dark Angel' is dead, I'm Reyna, pleased to meet you all."

Her triumphant return was fodder for the media for weeks to come. True to her word, she and the band turned down a world tour, but did settle on an eight city US tour, playing three consecutive nights in each, one set of concerts a month. It allowed the band to be well rested and pretty much assured sell outs, as fans could attend in multiple cities. A surprising number of Mass Mayhem fans followed her, seemingly the change in her musical style wasn't a problem, still, seeing Death Metal fans at the concerts was, well, somewhat comical. Reyna donated all of her part of the proceeds to women's programs in each of the respective cities, setting up legal and financial help for the victims. They will do it again next year, if there's demand. I'm pretty sure there will be.

She coaches the guys on how to handle the fame and money, reminding them that many have fallen to the siren song of celebrity. Yes, they could tour more and get rich in a hurry, but she reminds them they will become financially independent, just be patient. It will mean so much more if it's worked for and appreciated. Fame is fleeting, play the long game. She serves as a perfect example to that mindset.

Disneyland with the family was surreal. While many people recognized Reyna, especially as she hadn't worn her contacts since the show, only a few approached her. I guess with the proximity to Hollywood, celebrity sightings are fairly common. I was impressed and relieved they allowed us to enjoy our private time.

The real icing on the cake was when Reyna found out what happened to her old manager when she was with Mass Mayhem. Apparently he decided to fuck the wrong girl. Her daddy was quite wealthy and with the help of a stellar legal team, got him tossed in prison for a variety of disgusting and deviant acts and permanently branded as a sex offender. It didn't hurt that she testified at that same trial, recounting all the horrors he put her through all those years ago. He died while incarcerated from a ruptured colon. Who knew so many convicted felons were fans. Poetic justice as far as I was concerned.