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| Pittsburgh Post-Gazette TV and Radio (Adapted From) Owen: Ed Sullivan will return to television on WQED Thursday, September 6, 2001 — Good things are happening for Gathering Field lead singer, acoustic guitarist and song writer Bill Deasy. He and his song, "Good Things Are Happening," were tapped last month for a new promotional campaign for ABC's "Good Morning America." Deasy had co-written the song and performed it and planned to pitch it to country artists. "GMA" executive producer Shelley Ross stumbled upon it during a search through hundreds of songs for just the right sound. "In the past we had gone with great songs by Shania Twain and Sting, and this time we just wanted something that wasn't connected to anything else, that didn't have its own history," Ross said. "We were looking for an original song." And one that would wear well, since promotions air daily for weeks, months, sometimes even years. So Ross played Deasy's song over and over, and she never tired of it. "It was positive, it made me feel good," Ross said. Ross said Deasy's original song was a little slower, and a few words were changed ("stars are shining" became "sun is shining") to make it better complement the morning news show. The spots, which air frequently on ABC, feature Deasy in front of a screen with giant images of "GMA" hosts Charlie Gibson and Diane Sawyer on it. Deasy may be invited to perform the song on "GMA" in the future. Though some artists turn up their noses at commercialism, Deasy said the way the "GMA" folks pitched the promotional concept made it palatable. "At this point, I can't be too choosy. Someone more like Bruce Springsteen can afford that luxury of having options," Deasy said. "The way they pitched it to me, they really loved that it was a real song and I was a real singer. ... They really tried to make me very comfortable-looking. They really deferred to what was most natural to me." Deasy said the Gathering Field will continue to play in Pittsburgh, but not as frequently. "It's not like we're breaking up. We'll always play," he said. "I'll just pursue a solo career more." |
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