In the summer of 2002 while flipping through the PennySaver, I noticed an Ad for an "Open Call" for models and actors. I should have just forgotten about it but, blinded by the childhood dream, I called the number, got the date and time and decided I was going to do this.
I was 24 years old and my meeting was brief. I was told that I could do print modeling but no runway because of my height. I was then offered a consultation with the Photographer, Richard Shaw. He got me for $1000 to do a photo shoot, comp cards and my own website.
I am SO ashamed to have been taken so easily but what can I say, I was caught up in the moment. That's what they do, that's how they get you.
From there I scheduled my photo shoot, brought my own clothes and expected to have professional make-up artists and hair stylists prepare me for the photos. The girl who did my hair was the same girl who did my intial interview-she didn't even use any hair products. The make-up artist was licensed, but I'm not sure in what.
When I got my photos I thought most of them looked as if they'd been taken by my Mother, not to insult her ability, but Richard Shaw is a professional, right?
At the photo shoot I met Wayne Sterago of Lucky Hits Records, who was very intersted to learn that I could sing. I sang for him, he raved, said I could make it and he began his scam, with Richard Shaw by his side.
The final arrangement consisted of four original songs supplied by Curb Records, although that was never confirmed, a trip to Nashville to record them in a studio with famous Nashville musicians, a week's stay to "network" and "promote", several hundred or so original Demo CD's and the promise that within three months, Wayne Sterago would have me hooked up with a record company.
Skepticism runs high in my family and we did plenty of investigating, including background checks on both Wayne Sterago and Richard Shaw. Its kind of funny, Wayne Sterago had no record and Richard Shaw, having gone by different names, had his record "cleaned up".
They claimed over and over that they were Christians and were on the straight and narrow path to divine purity and honesty. LIES!
It cost $13,000.00 (yes, I know) to complete that Demo CD. All of the musicians that were there were there because of someone, who knew someone else, who knew someone else, who Wayne Sterago knew. While in Nashville Wayne promoted himself everywhere we went, not me, "The Artist" and he ripped off a company whom he hired to re-write one of the songs. We found that out later, when they were referred by Wayne to contact my Mother to collect the money owed.
Thank goodness I never signed a contract with them! Wayne later attempted to collect another $10,000.00 for, upon his suggestion, the recording of two songs in Maryland, which had already been recorded by his former "Artist" and had nothing to do with our Nashville agreement, nor any verbal agreement.
After three months, our agreement had expired and Wayne Sterago continued to feed us some more bull and oysters, my family and I had heard enough. We had him sign a statement that our business was finished and it was agreed (not to mention stated in our original signed agreement) that he would forward to me the photos taken at various shoots in Nashville, along with the copies of my Demo.
I made numerous phone calls and sent three certified letters each to Richard Shaw and Wayne Sterago, requesting my property, as per our signed agreement, be forwarded to me and never got any response. I lost track of them until just recently, when I came across the reports on this website.
I thank those people who posted their experiences on this website. I thank consumer complaints.com for providing me with the opportunity to share my very bad experience with the Annapolis Talent Agency, Lucky Hits Records, Richard Shaw and Wayne Sterago. I pray for those who have already been taken for a ride with these companies and individuals and I pray that it stops soon. What comes around, goes around, right?
Kelly
Orchard Beach, Maryland
U.S.A.
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