Last Thursday, I got to speak to Anjelia Pelay for the first time in a long time. She had told me that she wanted to sit down and plan out a "comeback" tour. I was introduced personally (she was a facebook friend before this) to Anjelia by Paul Galiszewski, who was playing percussion behind her, a few years ago. At that point, she needed someone to take care of her management duties as an artist. The meeting went well, but things never materialized as I would have hoped. I didn't present a contract to her at that time because she was dealing with many illnesses that she needed to address. In addition, she had other people assisting her with some of the necessary duties, presenting a conflict with the direction she needed to be headed in.
Either way, I booked her in a few shows and the amazing thing was no matter how she felt she always managed to put on a great show. She had recently just returned from the west coast and she was anxious to reintroduce herself to an east coast crowd. We always had a mutual respect for each other, therefore, I was happy to hear last Thursday that she was feeling better and was ready to move forward with her career.
Anjelia had previously shared the stage with Rachel Platten, Jeffery Gaines, Billy Ray Cyrus and Nicole Atkins, among others. When I first met her, she was promoting the single "Heart Of Gold," which she wrote as a tribute to her father. Her father was a big influence on her becoming an artist. She was also an actress, appearing on many television shows and in movies. She had to turn down numerous gigs when she wasn't feeling well.
In addition to her planned return, she gave me a phone number to call on her behalf, verifying her appearance at the Stone Pony the following evening. I left a message for a member of the headlining band. On Friday morning, I was stunned when I received word that Anjelia has passed. I can only speculate as to what could have happened, but the fact of the matter is the world will never get to witness Anjelia reach her full potential. I was sad, and then mad, that someone so young (age 34) had to leave us. She had so much more to say! She was working on new material! She told me that she was feeling a lot better now!
This Thursday, I went to the Mastapeter Memorial Home in Bayville, New Jersey, to pay my respects. I was impressed by the number of people that came out to show their love. Tears welled up in my eyes as her best friend spoke. A new song was then played in which the video never had a chance to be finished. It appears that anyone who has ever met Anjelia was touched by her soul. I may never get the answers as to why she left us so young, but now all we can do is celebrate her memory.
