From MY MYSPACE BLOG

Tue 6/3/08

HEY EVERYBODY, I WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT I LOVE AND CHERISH EACH ONE OF YOUR FRIENDSHIPS. AND I WISH I COULD SIT HERE ALL DAY AND ANSWER EVERY SINGLE EMAIL AND EVERY SINGLE COMMENT, BUT SOMETIMES IT'S TOTALLY IMPOSSIBLE!
I WAS RECENTLY MADE AWARE OF SOME OF YOU WHO FEEL LEFT OUT, OR LIKE I AM PURPOSEFULLY AVOIDING YOU AND CATERING TO OTHERS. I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT IS NOT THE CASE AT ALL. THIS MYSPACE PAGE HAS GROWN FROM 400 FRIENDS 4 WEEKS AGO TO ALMOST 1900 AS OF TODAY AND THEY KEEP COMING IN! THAT IS A GOOD THING! MOST OF THEM ARE NEW FANS WHICH WE/I WELCOME WITH OPEN ARMS!
I DO GIVE THEM A LITTLE MORE ATTENTION TO GIVE THEM THE CHANCE TO GET TO KNOW ME-AND I THEM- AND HOPEFULLY GET THEM ONBOARD AND INVOLVED WITH ME, MY MUSIC, AND CAREER, AS YOU ALREADY ARE.
PLEASE...DON'T THINK FOR ONE SECOND THAT I AM TRYING TO REPLACE ONE SINGLE ONE OF YOU WITH SOMEBODY NEW! THAT IS NOT THE CASE AT ALL!
I TALKED WITH ANOTHER ARTIST FRIEND OF MINE TONIGHT, DANIELLE PECK, WHO IS LIKE ME AND DOESN'T WANT ANYONE ELSE ANSWERING EMAIL OR SPEAKING AS HER OR FOR HER, AND WHO'S MYSPACE PAGE HAS OVER 50,000 FRIENDS!!! SHE LIKE ME GETS VERY FAR BEHIND SOMETIMES, ESPECIALLY ON THE ROAD, AND PEOPLE GET THEIR FEELINGS HURT.
I KNOW IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE, OR UNDERSTAND, BUT MY DAY USUALLY BEGINS VERY EARLY (LIKE MOST OF YOU I'M SURE) AND ENDS RIGHT AROUND 1AM -2AM IN THE MORNING.
I HAVE VERY FEW CLOSE FRIENDSHIPS, BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE TIME TO MAINTAIN THEM. BUT THE ONES I HAVE UNDERSTAND ME AND KNOW HOW TIME CONSUMING BEING A RECORDING ARTIST AND SONGWRITER AND PERFORMING ENTERTAINER IS.
I USUALLY WAKE UP TO COFFEE AND THE INTERNET, AS SOON AS I'M AWKE I HAVE RADIO AND NEWSPAPER INTERVIEWS TO PROMOTE SHOWS, THEN IF I'M IN NASHVILLE, I HAVE SONG WRITING APPOINTMENTS, STUDIO, BUSINESS E-MAILS AND PHONE CALLS TO MAKE AND TOP OF TRYING TO GET IN A WORKOUT AT THE GYM. THEN THERE'S FREQUENT STOPS BY THE LABEL TO SIGN PROMOTIONAL ITEMS FOR THEM TO SHIP TO RADIO AND VENUES WHERE WE WILL BE PLAYING, WORKTAPES TO GET READY TO TURN IN TO MY PUBLISHER, BUSINESS MEETINGS TO ATTEND, WHAT FEW CHARITABLE EVENTS I CAN SQUEEZE IN, AND SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THAT I TRY TO FIND A LITTLE KELLY/YOGI TIME, AND WHILE SHE WATCHES HER FAVORITE TV PROGRAMS AT NIGHT AND UNWINDS, I AM BACK ONLINE TRYING TO ANSWER EMAILS UNTIL BED TIME. AND THAT'S WHEN I'M HOME.
ON THE ROAD IS MORE OF THE SAME, EXCEPT THERE'S MORE PHONE CALLS THAN NORMAL, THERE'S RADIO STATION VISITS, AND SONGWRITING STILL HAS TO HAPPEN BECAUSE I GET PAID TO WRITE SONGS, AND BECAUSE MY SLEEPING HOURS ARE VERY IRREGULAR, HAVE TO SQUEEZE NAPS IN WHEN I CAN BECAUSE SLEEP IS THE ONLY THING THAT KEEPS MY VOICE WORKING...MAYBE A JOG HERE AND THERE, MEET AND GREETS BEFORE THE SHOW...ETC....YOU GET THE PICTURE.
PLEASE DON'T TAKE ME THE WRONG WAY, I LOVE WHAT I DO. IT'S A LIFETIME DREAM OF MINE AND MY MAMA'S COME TRUE. AND I WOULDN'T TRADE IT FOR NOTHING ELSE IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!! NOTHING, UNLESS I THOUGHT QUITTING WOULD SAVE KELLY'S LIFE OR MY MAMA'S LIFE!
I JUST ASK YOU ALL TO BE PATIENT WITH ME, AND GIVE ME TIME TO EXPAND AND GROW THIS MYSPACE AND JEFFBATES.NET.
YOU'LL START SEEING LESS AND LESS PERSONAL COMMENTS FROM ME AND MORE BLOGGING WHICH TO ME IS A LITTLE MORE FUN BECAUSE IT'S DIRECT COMMUNICATION WITH YOU ALL WITH OUT HAVING TO JUMP THROUGH CAPTCHA HOOPS! (I HATE THOSE HINGS! LOL). I'M NOT SAYING I WON'T ANSWER EMAIL, BUT I AM SAYING BE PATIENT WITH ME AND DON'T GET YOUR FEELINGS HURT AND TAKE IT PERSONAL.
IF ANY ONE COMING HERE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THAT THEN I HUMBLY APPOLOGIZE, AND KINDLY CHALLENGE THEM TO GO TO ANY OTHER ARTISTS WEBSITE, MYSPACE, OR EVEN CONCERT AND SEE IF THEY SPEND AS MUCH PERSONAL TIME WITH TEM AS I DO.
I LOVE YOU ALL, AND THANKS FOR READING THIS. YOU ARE A BLESSING TO ME, AND I HOPE TO BE ONE TO YOU.
JEFF

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