"I'm very passionate about not showing the world people with disabilities but instead showing people with disabilities the world. We all have the potential to be beautiful, wonderful and talented people," singer Tobias Forrest says, "I just want to sing."
And, sing he does. Forrest is the lead singer of the band Cityzen in Los Angeles.
The band offers a great sound and is building a following in clubs and on http://www.myspace.com/CITYZENLA.
"I started the group with Jeff Line. We played in a band in college before my accident. I was almost 23 when I became a C5 quadriplegic. It was May 1998 and I was diving off a waterfall in the Grand Canyon. It was the time of El Niño and the water level was lower. I was told it was safe to dive there, but it was too shallow. I did a little drowning, I did a little dying, but I said Heaven can wait," Forrest explains with a laugh. "I didn't lose my sense of humor."
After the accident, Forrest had no control of his lungs. He was on a ventilator for two months simply trying to breathe again. He couldn't play guitar and he couldn't play the drums.
"I resigned myself to saying that music was done. After I got hurt, I moved to Florida and earned my Masters degree in Psychology. But, I like to talk more than listen and I have problems with people who can't cope," Forrest says with his tongue firmly in cheek. "So, I started doing comedy improv and got involved in acting. I signed on to participate in a walking study at UCLA and moved to Los Angeles in 2003."
Forrest was awarded the Christopher Reeve Acting Scholarship through the Media Access Office and also found a mentor along the way to Hollywood.
"Actor Danny Murphy in many ways is my mentor. He was one of the first guys I met after the accident. My father knew Danny and invited him over. I met him and we became friends. He led the way and had a big influence on me. He was an example of anything is possible," Forrest remembers, "and he showed me that success is possible. People set good examples and Danny is one of them."
Forrest's resume is filling up. He is currently appearing in a Wal-Mart commercial that is airing nationwide. He also performed in an episode of Weeds on Showtime and on the television series In Case of Emergency.
His passions vary from singing to poetry to painting. A true artist in every sense, Forrest plans to open a gallery show to combine his passions one day.
"I create figurative and surrealistic paintings. I love painting and creating artwork," Forrest notes, "and one day I hope to open a gallery show where the first painting is also the first song."
For now, the launch of his band is gaining attention not because of Forrest's wheelchair use, but because they play great live music. In creating their band Cityzen, Forrest and Line were joined by Nick Woods on drums, Tristan Cannizarro on guitar, and Adam Pingleton on bass to round out the group.
"My band lifts me up on the stages. Very few of the stages are wheelchair accessible, but I perform from my chair. I write all the lyrics and we sing original songs," Forrest says. "We play funk, rock, and we're a jam band. The passion of singing overrides any physical obstacle. As an artist, if I'm not creating, a part of me is dying. I also want to have a better excuse for people to stare at me rather than my wheelchair."
When asked about other rock singers who are wheelchair users, Forrest admits there is no one that comes to mind but his fans instantly look beyond the wheelchair. In fact, his success may lead other wheelchair users to consider a singing career.
"Right now, I'm it. You don't see that many rock singers on stage in a wheelchair. People think it's cool, though," Forrest explains. "We premiered at 14 Below in Santa Monica. We played at the Festival of Human Abilities. We played at Safari Sams. And, we're going to play at B.B. King's in Hollywood. We came out of the gate running and it's amazing!"
Forrest's other interests reach beyond Hollywood as he has an active role in marketing Accessible Design, www.AccessibleConstruction.com, to help people transition to independent living by providing a variety of products.
His father is the owner of Robomedica, www.Robomedica.com, which is focused on helping people with spinal cord injuries walk again through rehabilitation technology.
Forrest is also helping to establish a peer mentorship and resource group with other active spinal cord injured people called Ralph's Riders dedicated to the memory of Ralph Fornos.
To listen to a taste of Cityzen in LA, link to http://www.myspace.com/CITYZENLA.
Pictured: Singer Tobias Forrest performing on stagePhoto Credit: Nigel Skeet
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