Songwriter finds inspiration in own life
By: Kelli Moore
Featured in Times Picayune


When singer-songwriter Gene Lipps begins tossing about ideas for new lyrics, he compares his creative process to that of 19th century novelist Mark Twain, who once professed to writing about himself in "Tom Sawyer" and other famed fictional works.

"Inspiration comes from the people and events in my life," said Lipps. "Some of the lyrics I write are about me, but also about somebody else who might have envisioned the same thing."

Music fans of the singer-songwriter genre are sure to learn something about Lipps -- and perhaps themselves -- in "Turn the Page," a CD written, recorded and produced entirely in Mandeville, and released this fall.

In it can be found a myriad of reflections on common life themes, whether it's recovering from tragedies such as Hurricane Katrina, to experiencing a mid-life "empty nest" syndrome after children grow up and leave home.

Lipps will share his music with the public, performing selections from his CD on Dec. 16 at the Covington Farmers Market from 10 a.m. to noon.

Describing his music as a combination of many styles ranging from pop, rock and acoustic to folk, blues and country, one thing is certain: The lyrics and writing are very much an integral part of each song.

For example, the title song, "Turn the Page," contains Lipps' reflections on Hurricane Katrina and how it affected such well-known areas as Bay St. Louis, Miss., where he and his family would often visit before the storm.

The song's theme is that the hurricane is "just a page in our lives, and the horizon holds opportunities for us," Lipps said. "This is a song of hope for the future and the possibilities that lay hidden for us to discover, and life brings us these changes."

Another song on the CD, "Just You and Me," explores the subtle shift that occurs in a family, particularly how a husband and wife rediscover one another when the last child leaves home.

"That is a very poignant episode in my life," said Lipps, whose two oldest children have already left the nest, while his youngest child is a senior at St. Scholastica Academy.

A third song on the album, "Hold On," was written several years ago and is dedicated to the late Louis Calvin Williams III, a Mandeville resident who perished in the World Trade Center on Sept. 11.

Producer Robert Sturcken of Euphoria Studio in Mandeville worked with Lipps to record the album this summer.

"Gene's gift as a songwriter is in the art of storytelling," said Sturcken. " 'Turn the Page' is more than a collection of pretty sounds. It tells the story of our collective lives. As a singer, Gene's clear, crisp tone and his very deliberate placement of pitch makes the pages of his life an easy read."

A native of New Orleans and a Louisiana State University graduate, Lipps is a retired physics teacher who taught nine years at Rummel High School and seven years at St. Paul's School in Covington. When not working on his music, he is self-employed as a custom woodworker, building cabinets and furniture at his workshop near Abita Springs.

Music, however, has always been an integral part of his life. After years of composing and singing to his family, at school assemblies, in church and the like, he eased into playing publicly as a soloist and with groups, such as the local band, Something Like That.

Through the years, however, he had always wanted to take his music a step further and record an album. He wrote and produced his first CD, "Louisiana Love," in 2000, collaborating with Something Like That and recorded by John Carpenter.

Though he wrote the lyrics to the songs on his first CD, Lipps said he sees a huge difference in "Louisiana Love" and "Turn the Page."

The first album, he said, has a live band sound, playing what's known as swamp pop music. In contrast, "Turn the Page" is a solo release, featuring Lipps alone, accompanied by an acoustic guitar or mandolin. In addition to appearing at the Farmers Market, another live performance will be scheduled at Barnes and Noble later this month, and a 2007 performance schedule is currently in the works. Copies of his CDs may be purchased at all public performances. CDs are also available at Louisiana Music Factory. To hear a sample of his music, log onto www.genelipps.com. For more information, send an e-mail to gene@genelipps.com.