We Celebrate Damian Lewis as a Dad on Father’s Day

Damian Lewis is a fantastic actor. A generous philanthropist. He is a skilled player on the football field. And we have seen again in the recent Soccer Aid video that he can definitely sing. But, among all different hats he wears, that of fatherhood stands out as the most precious one. And how beautiful the stories we hear and the images we get of Damian as a father. So we’d love to share some of our recollections of him being a dad on this Father’s Day. 

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Our Top Songs From Damian Lewis’ Album Mission Creep

Damianista’s note: On the first anniversary of Damian releasing his critically acclaimed debut album Mission Creep, we would like to share our top songs from the album and tell you why we love these songs. Enjoy!

Damian has played guitar since he was 13-years-old and supported himself by busking through Europe – France and Spain to be precise – before his acting career took off. And let me tell you, his Martin guitar has proven a useful fallback. He has been quoted as saying, “I wanted the album to give a sense of a journey to this point, from busking ’til now” and that is exactly what he has accomplished with his debut album Mission Creep. He has proven to be a heartfelt songwriter and his sophisticated songs bleed of love, loss, vulnerability and authenticity. Stylistically Mission Creep covers a broad spectrum of genres, from folk and jazz/loose swing to rock and rootsy blues. So it’s no surprise that we blogmates picked different styles of songs as our top three. Some of us selected the more rockin’ blues songs while others singled-out the more jazz notes.

On stage? Well Damian is a compelling performer at music venues, singing with passion and tight-pant swagger, all the while backed by a phenomenal six-piece band playing a sonic palette of acoustic guitar, keyboards, saxophone and clarinet, mixed with bursts of electric guitar and sprinkles of the French harp (harmonica). Damian Lewis, the musician, is in his element. Period. Ladies and Gents, here are our top three songs by Damian Lewis from Mission Creep.

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Well, I Did It Again: Damian Lewis at Boisdale of Canary Wharf

“A Damian Lewis live show contains fun. Rock’n’Roll. Good music. And an amazing band that I play with.” — Damian Lewis at Latitude Festival Press Day

Yes, sir! All those coupled with a truly engaged and energetic crowd at Boisdale of Canary Wharf made my 48 hour lightning trip to London more than worth it! And I am ready to tell all about it!

Firstly, I thank my brilliant friend Patrick (who happens to be the drummer Will’s dad) for convincing me to go! Believe it or not, I was on the fence since we are now used to going three or four gigs at a time on tours. The Boisdale gig is a one off and it is of course wonderful if you live in London, or somewhere in Europe (short and cheap flights) but you need to factor in a lot in your decision if you fly from the US like me. The good news is that I could get my ticket with miles and Patrick gets a table for us. I tell my friends that I’m going and when they check they find out that the venue does not sell single tickets. And here is my Whatsapp exchange with Patrick when I share this information with him! Continue reading “Well, I Did It Again: Damian Lewis at Boisdale of Canary Wharf”

Throwback Thursday to Ride4Hugo in Memory of Hugo and Helen

L-R: Damian, his sister Amanda Yaxley, his brother Gareth Lewis, and brother in-law Charles Yaxley during the bike ride in memory of Hugo and Helen in June 2022

I find it beyond impressive when families turn their tragic losses into good for many others in memory of the loved ones they lost. Ride4Hugo, a campaign Damian’s family run in memory of Hugo Yaxley, Damian and Helen’s nephew, who tragically died in a car accident in November 2020, and also in memory of Helen, who passed away only 5 months after Hugo’s accident, is an extraordinary effort aimed to do good for so many people.

source: @yaxleymumma Instagram

And Hugo’s older brother Josh running the London Marathon last weekend in memory of Hugo and to raise funds for Place2Be, a mental health charity for children and young people, inspires me to re-visit the family’s Ride4Hugo campaign. Well done, Josh.

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Helen McCrory: Celebrating A Phenomenal Woman and Her Life

I have always known that Helen was a brilliant actress but now I also know she was such a class act in life and death. The way she chose to live, bravely, focusing on her family, work and charity rather than on her illness and death, is a lesson for us all about how to live and die with dignity. She was such a bright star that I know she will keep on living through her brilliant work and the two wonderful children she raised with her beloved husband.

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