Canadian songstress Lesley Pike was at Illinois College in Jacksonville last night for an acoustic set at Cummins Dining Hall.

Following her hour-long performance, Pike met with concert goers to sell her latest CD, Blink, and sign autographs. Pike, who was the opener on Jason Mraz's most recent tour, talked with me about her travels (she had a 12-hour drive to Toronto the next morning), Canadian musicians whom she admires (Gordon Lightfoot, Tom Cochrane), and about the butterflies on her CD cover (real) and on her promo photos (Photoshoped in).

This is not one of my proudest shots . . . but here is ex-Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich at a labor rally in Meredosia, Illinois, on September 5, 2005. What do I remember most about the encounter? After signing and then asking for a photo, he turned around to check his hair in one of the building's windows.

Rest in peace . . . Billy Powell.

Billy, keyboardist for the southern rock band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, stopped to sign autographs and pose for this shot as the band left their hotel before a April 20, 2008, concert at The Center in Springfield, Illinois. Powell, along with Gary Rossington, were the only two original members of the band to survive the 1977 plane crash that killed singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and backup vocalist Cassie Gaines.

Cheech and Chong "lit up St. Louis" last night as they brought their American tour to the Pageant.

I caught up with the comedy duo as they arrived yesterday morning at Lambert St. Louis International Airport on a flight from Kansas City. Both cheerfully posed for photos and signed multiple items for the six collectors in attendance, even though their manager tried to get them to stop signing autographs. Both Cheech and Chong ignored their manager, with Cheech at one point telling the manager to "just relax."





Later in the afternoon, I met Grammy-award winning comedian Lewis Black as he exited the Four Seasons Hotel on his way to a benefit show (Tony LaRussa's Stars to the Rescue Benefit) at Chaifetz Arena. I had gotten his autograph at a previous meeting, but was unable to get a posed photo. Black is up for another Grammy this year for his disk, Anticipation.