I recently had the opportunity to see the band Heart in nearby New Lenox, Illinois. I went hoping to see a dynamic performance, and they did not disappoint. But the real thrill of the evening came before Heart ever took the stage.
Back in 2007, I wrote about American Idol finalist and Naperville resident, Gina Glocksen, and her husband Joe Ruzicka, who worked as both Glocksen’s bass player and as a science teacher at Neuqua Valley High School. The excitement of Glocksen’s Idol finish, in which she placed ninth, was fresh on everyone’s mind at that time.
But over the past five years, the dust settled and I hadn’t heard anything from Glocksen ….until that night in New Lenox.
As The Gina Glocksen Band opened for Heart and Glocksen bolted onto the stage, you could feel a warmth emanating from her.
Wearing a smile that touched both earlobes, it was obvious that she was thrilled to be performing for the sold-out crowd. She gave an amazing performance that shocked an unknowing audience, and by the end of her set the crowd was chanting for more. Still smiling broadly, she held a hand to her heart and mouthed “Thank you” over and over again to her newest fans as she hesitantly left the stage.
After the show, I had a chance to speak with Gina briefly. I came to find that Gina and Joe are still happily married; Joe is still teaching our kids at Neuqua; and the Gina Glocksen Band is still rockin’.
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