‘Sparkle Star’ is born

Claudia Peschiutta

GLENDALE -- Frustration led to inspiration and brought a local couple

one step closer to fame.

Musicians Share and Bam Ross, as they are known by their fans, had

tired of writing songs for somebody else to perform. In 1999, they

decided to create something to call their own.

That’s when “Sparkle Star” was born.

The rock ballad made it onto the first album released by Bubble, the

band made up by Share, Bam and Brent Muscat, formerly of the 1980s speed

metal band Faster Pussycat.

But Share and Bam never expected “Sparkle Star” to earn them one of 12

grand-prize spots in the 2000 John Lennon Songwriting Contest.

“[I] just really couldn’t believe it,” Share said. “We’ve always been

sort of more in the background.”

As grand prize winners in the international contest, Share and Bam

were awarded $2,000 in cash and $5,000 to spend on Yamaha recording

equipment. They also became eligible for a $5,000 advance on a publishing

contract from EMI Music Publishing.

Known by many as the bass player for the defunct female rock band

Vixen, Share said she never thought the song would win.

She submitted “Sparkle Star” for the contest only to try out a credit

card she had received by using it to pay the $30-per-entry fee.

When contest officials called a few weeks ago asking for another copy

of the song, Share said it reminded her and Bam that they had entered the

contest. Last week, they found out “Sparkle Star” took the grand prize in

the competition’s rock category.

“It’s totally awesome,” Bam said. “I’ve never had a song win

anything.”

The annual competition was started in 1997 by producer and manager

David Sonenberg. This year’s contest had 12 categories, including rock,

for which there were more than 3,500 entries from around the world, said

Gregg Ross, the event’s associate director.

The entries were judged by an executive committee, which included

performers Wyclef Jean, Jimmy Cliff and Joan Osborne, he said.

“People in the music industry focus very little attention on

songwriters,” Ross said. “For us, [the competition] was a matter of

trying to bring a little recognition to the art of songwriting.”

“Sparkle Star” is among the 12 entries up for the contest’s “Song of

the Year.” The winner, to be announced within the next few weeks, will

receive an additional $20,000 from Maxell.

Bam said he hopes the contest will increase the visibility of Bubble

in the U.S.

“America is such a hard nut to crack,” he said.

The band, which recently returned from a tour of the United Kingdom

and Japan, is working on its second album, “Rockets and Volcanoes,” which

is expected to be released this summer in the U.S.

ROCK ON

* WHO: Glendale residents Share and Bam Ross.

* WHAT: The two are members of the hard-rock band Bubble. Share is the

band’s lead vocalist and guitar player. Bam is the drummer.

* INFO: Share and Bam won a grand prize in the John Lennon Songwriting

Contest with the rock ballad, “Sparkle Star.” The song was chosen from

more than 3,500 entries from around the world.

* ON THE NET: More information about Bubble is available on the

Internet at: www.planetbubble.com.