In The Wings -- Jennifer K Mahal

Behind the driving beat and the rough-edged voice of Phoenix

Henderson’s CD “Freedom Calling” are a slew of messages. But the impact

of the Costa Mesa resident’s words doesn’t hit right away. Instead, you

find yourself tapping your toes and swaying your body to the vocals.

Then you start singing along, and you realize that these are not your

ordinary rock ‘n’ roll songs. “Even though your eyes are shot and you’re

toxic from the pot, you tell me that you’re fine when it’s obvious you’re

dying,” Phoenix wails in “Addiction.”.

These are songs of recovery from drug addiction and about “God’s

saving grace,” born of this 43-year-old woman’s 12 years of being clean.

The singer will share some of her personal songs when she opens Friday

for the Kelly Bowlin Band at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano.

Phoenix’s interest in music predates her days on the drug scene. As a

child, she would sneak into her older brother’s room and pull out all of

his albums, especially Three Dog Night. Her brother was often bedridden

because he had Hodgkin’s disease.

“Our quality time together was when we would listen to music,” she

said, reminiscing about Paul Revere and the Raiders and Jimi Hendrix. “I

developed such a love for music.”

Phoenix remembers sitting in front of a radio for four hours just to

hear a song by Diana Ross and the Supremes come up twice on the rotation.

Her mother used to tell her to go out and get some fresh air.

She started her college career at Cal State Chico, and there joined

her first working rock band, Onyx. The band dressed all in black. Those

were good times, Phoenix remembered, but they led to days on the drug

scene. Eventually she dropped out of the rock ‘n’ roll life.

“You name it, we did it,” the Buena Park Junior High special education

teacher and mother frankly admits about her past.

She eventually graduated from Cal State Fullerton with a degree in

theater arts.

After the birth of her daughter in 1986, Phoenix got the yen to start

singing again and began to start drifting in and out of different groups.

The drug use also returned.

Then the current aerobic and dance instructor at Irvine Valley College

met someone who was clean and sober. For a month, she was inspired to

give up drugs.

“At the end of 30 days, at the stroke of midnight, I smoked a joint to

celebrate,” she laughed. “But I didn’t like it anymore.”

Another turning point happened when her drug dealer, whom she said was

her best friend, had a heart attack, survived and got clean. One night,

out with friends who were drinking and drugging, she called her former

dealer and asked him what she should do.

“I’ll never forget what he said to me,” Phoenix said. “He said, ‘Go

back in there, get your purse, walk out the door and don’t look back.’ It

was Christmas Eve 1989.”

Three years later, she and a partner started writing the songs that

became her CD, “Freedom Calling.” The partnership broke up, but for years

Phoenix had the songs on tape. She started working with her cover band,

Wired for Sound, which plays regularly across the Southland and in Palm

Springs.

“It’s my most successful project to date,” she said of the band that

plays music from the ‘60s, ‘70s and more. “I attribute it to my

sobriety.”

Her solo album was completed two years ago and has sold fairly well,

considering it’s only available at her gigs and on her Web site,

www.phoenixrox.com.

“I didn’t produce the album to be a rock star,” she said, blue eyes

shining. “I have such a need for people to understand that you don’t have

to die [from drug use].”

Though her ultimate dream is to play the Harvest Crusade, a yearly

Christian event, she said she doesn’t want people to think they can’t

listen to her music because it deals with God. “I don’t want anyone who

doesn’t consider themselves Christian to think they won’t enjoy the

album,” she said.

Phoenix will play Friday at the Coach House, 33157 Camino Capistrano,

San Juan Capistrano. For tickets or information call (949) 291-8427 or

check out www.phoenixrox.com.

* * *

Do you know a local artist, writer, painter, singer, filmmaker, etc.,

who deserves to get noticed? Send your nominee to In The Wings, Daily

Pilot, 330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627, by fax to (949) 646-4170 or

by e-mail to o7 jennifer.mahal@latimes.com.f7

* JENNIFER MAHAL is features editor of the Daily Pilot.