It was released Dec. 15th 2011 and is selling on CD Universe, Amazon.com, i-tunes, and other places. It's been widely publicized in most if not all of the local newspapers. This album was produced by Leon Forest, engineered by Leon Forest who is the owner of Leon Forest Productions and Harbinger Northwest Records as well as the keyboardist on the same album, written by Lee Gray, me and other artists on other instruments.
Today, I called Forest at his studio to inquire why he would commit plagiarism against me. He lied and blamed it all on Lee Gray,
even when it's his name on the album too. He had the nerve to tell me
that the playing on this album is not mine. BULLSHIT! LIAR! I HAVE EVIDENCE! LOTS and LOTS of EVIDENCE AGAINST LEE GRAY AND LEON FOREST!Yo Leon! Did you forget that you gave me a copy of my recorded work in your studio? I still have that copy with my background vocals also and Carl sounds nothing like me. My copy of my harp playing, is exactly what you put on the finished product and WRONGLY AND WITH FULL INTENTION TO DEFRAUD ME AND THE PUBLIC, PLAGIARIZED MY WORK, and titled Carl Popham as the author and player on those parts. You fool! Did you think you would get away with this? There are four harp parts in this song. Mine a parts one, two and four. Carl's is part three. Other's can tell the difference you liar. THAT IS ME on Way My Baby Does Me, and I can prove it with the original recording from the studio which was marked by Forest, with my name. If one would stand Carl and I together to play it, you would tell that Carl IS NOT ME! I doubt he has my signature sound, which I am known for!
Lee Gray and Leon Forest are THIEVES AND SCUM BAGS, LIARS AND MANIPULATORS as well as PLAGIARISTS!
Two days ago one of my new neighbors asked me if I knew Lee Gray. He handed me his album, Box Wine Woman and told me the story of how he met them and what he thought. He then told me that my playing is on this album, after he heard me on Silvertooth Slim's cuts. He could tell the difference in a real blues artist with talent and this crap, but he definitely noticed that the harp sounds are completely different and that mine stands out to him, especially after he heard me on Slims songs. He gave me the album and told me that he "didn't want it, because it sucks." Really? Well then, let me see if Lee Gray headed my warning when I told him not to use my harp parts after he ripped me off and embarrassed the crap out of me when he attacked me at the Cruise Inn, in front of everyone there!
"The only thing I hear on this that is good, Teressa, is you!" said my neighbor, who's name is protected. I had never seen it, or heard the finished product until just the other day, nor did I know that Lee and Leon had committed plagiarism, fraud, stolen from me. I thought all I had to get over was Lee's malicious lies and horrible treatment and loss of income. I knew that a libel, slander and defamation case was iffy IF I could find a lawyer to take it. I thought I would just let it blow over. WRONG! It's worse than all the emotional pain inflicted, the damage I've suffered is horrible.
Today's conversation reveals more. Obviously Lee and Leon are in on this bullshit together. SCUM BAGS! But I only today, just found out how bad this really is. Now they credited another harp player who does not sound anything like me or my signature sound for my work. Carl Popham is going to get caught in the cross fire because of you two. HIS NAME IS ON MY WORK! MY HARP PLAYING, MY GROWL, MY SOUND. MY HARP playing IS BRIGHTER AND DIRTIER SOUNDING THAN CARL'S, YOU PLAGIARISTS and THIEVES! LIARS AND MANIPULATORS! Neither of you would recognize integrity, if it slapped you across the face, which is exactly what I would like to do at this moment, to say the least! You SCOUNDRELS! The entire blues world will know what you have done to me, at the very least! THIS WILL NOT be looked upon lightly.
At the Cruise Inn, Lee Gray ripped me off on pay and then horribly attacked me there in front of everyone present, just when we were setting up for that night's gig, because I refused to lay down with him or sign the form stating he paid me. My name was on the marque with Lee's and he thought nothing of the position he placed me in then or the effects of his abuse. I don't sleep with the guys I play with. I'm not a tramp. GET IT!
Just the idea of laying down with Lee Gray, was repulsive to me. He's dirty, nasty and downright manipulative and deceptive, not to mention very creepy. My working with him was a complete embarrassment because he can't play or sing worth crap. His timing is always off and he's tone deaf, not to mention the fact that his lyrics are superficial and disgusting and he forgets where he is in the song and stops right in the middle, which was extremely embarrassing for me.
Later, many people came to my dwelling, including my other neighbor and her friends, (these reports were recorded), to tell me that Lee Gray (who's real name is not Lee Gray), was going all around town telling everyone who would listen that I stole his music. I don't even like his nasty music, let alone would I play it alone or with anyone else. Nor do I sing or write songs about eating road kill cats and dogs. Not only would I not play it, I wouldn't steal it. I would never steal another artists music. But he did steal mine. He's damaged my reputation all the way to Newport.
I have not worked in my own community since then. I cried over 8 months about this. I've been verbally assaulted by Lee's friends and his band members. Called a bitch and terrorized.
Now, I learn after I told him not to use any of the recordings I played on in Leon Forest's studio, at Harbinger Northwest Records, that Leon is in on this too. I talked to Leon today and recorded the conversation. He denied that the harp playing is me and I have the original sessions we did. LIAR! Carl Popham, DOES NOT HAVE MY SIGNATURE LICK OR GROWL! MY PLAYING AND COMPOSITION IS MINE! NOT YOURS TO STEAL!
You can hear the difference in the two of us. NO TWO HARP PLAYERS SOUND ALIKE! It's impossible. Our mouths are like finger prints in that no two are alike and harmonica is an extremely personal instrument. The tone you get from one, depends not only on your ability to play it, but also on the shape of your mouth and throat and how you use that in your technique.
Lee's ulterior motive were obvious to me when I worked with him, was to lay me down. When I refused, this is what he did to me! This creep is not only a piece of shit person, he weaves his hair into the berets he knits, casting spells on all who wear them. He told me so. His identity as Lee Gray is a FAKE IDENTITY! His real last name is Gonzales. He fled CA and lived in a cave to avoid prosecution. The Wild Gourmet is a fraud who has mold infesting everything in his house which he uses for his "gourmet" cooking. Sickening, and it made me very ill. He gets his bread he caters to weddings from the food bank. Makes a small fortune with this scam.
LEON FOREST AND LEE GRAY BLUES BAND, YOU ARE SCUM BAGS, LIARS, THIEVES AND SCAMMERS.
You've ruined my piece of mind, trashed my reputation with your malicious lies and now stolen from me. My people come to my home and tell me of all you've done and it tortures me emotionally and has for nearly a year!
TRUTH is an absolute defense for libel, just in case you are considering suing me for this article. Your defamation, slander and libel broke my heart and kept me out of the public eye for almost a year, and has cost me income and extreme depression. Now I learn that you stole from me not once, but many times.
May the wrath of God befall you both and anyone else who is involved in this!
To all other blues artists: Consider yourself warned. The original tracks will be sent to the CBA to prove your plagiarism. Blues Societies were founded to stop just this sort of abuse of blues artists. Whether or not I ever get a day in court against you, you have now been exposed to those within the industry whose respect you have now lost, IF you ever deserved any at all. They will eventually also be posted here for others to hear the comparison and I'll prove my case right here. The court of public opinion will find you guilty!
SCUMBAGS!
