Magazine

Empowering People to Change Their Lives, Community and World

Elaine & Chris Swann - Ms. Etiquette and "My Rock Star Husband"

I still don’t know how old they are.  Their youthful appearance could cause you to think they are a pair of young kids but their life story is full of years of hard work, opportunity, coincidence, and divine guidance.  Chris and Elaine Swann, an up and coming couple living in Oceanside, California, live their lives as fully and completely as most anyone can.  I interviewed them at Jitters Express a charming coffee house on North Coast Highway in Oceanside.  by Brian A. Thomas Inspire! Magazine

Chris – “I started playing music in Washington D.C. the inner city.  That’s where I got a lot of inspiration.  Groups like “Sugar Bear”, “Experience Unlimited”, “Rare Essence”, “Air Raid” and “Regulation Band” where all around me.  After I received my degree in Electrical Engineering, I took a job near home. One evening I went to a company party where my employer was supposed to talk with me about a raise. We never had that discussion.  I was quite bummed that night. So, I went to this venue where they were playing some progressive rock music.  My friends kept saying I should be up on stage playing.  They were trying to get me up out of my depression for not getting the raise.  They dragged me on stage and everyone was chanting, “Chris plays bass - Chris plays bass”.  The other bass player took a seat.  I took his bass and I tore it up.  I just rocked and did my thing.  Right after the show people swamped me. Reps from “Rip Cord”, “High Voltage”, “World Way”, Carlsbad by the Sea recorders.  They all came to me asking me to help them finish their tour.  I told them I had to go to work the next day and would need to think about it.  They said I needed to figure it out quickly because they were leaving soon. 

The next day I told them I’d go on tour.  The next thing I knew 15 guys went to my job with a video camera.  My boss was telling me there were these guys from a band there and he was wondering if I was in some kind of trouble. I told him everything was fine but I had to do something for my parents.  And he let me go.  It was only after the third gig on the tour that I figured out the band I was with was Tom Curren’s band.  Tom Curren is huge.  He’s a three-time world champion surfer.  Tom is the one who put professional surfing on the mark.  For the next several weeks, we played every surf spot on the East coast.  One day Tom asked me ‘How would I like to change my life – playing music and surfing everyday?’ I said, “OK” and moved to Carlsbad, CA.  When I got here, I realized I had to learn to surf cause in thirty days I was going to be with Tom Curren in Hawaii surfing the really big waves.  It was a new beginning a transition from city life to surf life.  I didn’t fight it.  It was not like a typical rock band.  They didn’t do drugs and drinking.  I was with a Christian Rock band and it was great!  The travel, the people, the opportunity to visit other countries is awesome.  I’m pretty busy these days, writing music, recording, performing. I also run my own business; Swann Concepts, which is an A/V multimedia technology company.

I know how blessed Elaine and I are. When I arrived in Carlsbad there were not too many African Americans living there.  The first brother I met was Marco, as it turns out he was Elaine’s cousin.  He used always say “Man I know the woman for you.” It took a little time but he was right.  I really love working with her.  When she has an event, I’m there for her handling all of the details so she can do her thing.  She is a perfect lady all of the time, the Etiquette Lady.

On occasion, I’ve met couples who tended to complete each others sentences/thought.  Chris and Elaine are one of those couples.  As Chris related his story Elaine chimed in on beat and on cue.  I noticed the same thing when Elaine spoke, Chris would play the supporting cast member on beat and on cue.

Elaine – I was born in Connecticut, but like many Navy families, my father was transferred to Oceanside, CA when I was very young.  I graduated from El Camino High School and that same year I was a finalist in the Miss Oceanside Pageant. After graduation, I moved to New York City to pursue a career in modeling. I spent four wonderful years in New York.  Since I was a petite model, I always used to run into the same young ladies when we went for shows.  I realized none of us had an agent and saw an opportunity to create a model management company representing petite models - EP Models: Freelance Petite Models. We achieved a good amount of success participating in showroom and trade show modeling as well as principle roles in music videos. We did music videos for artists like MC Lyte, Heavy D and the Boys, Doug E Fresh and many others.  Its funny, Chris and I were at the same places or nearby during this time but we did not know it. New York was great. One year I was a finalist in the Miss Black USA, New York Pageant.

I came home from New York after four years to take care of my mother when she developed breast cancer.  I eventually enrolled in cosmetology school and had a friend run the agency in New York.  Before I graduated, I found a location for a hair salon in Vista, California.  After graduation, I opened up and ran the salon for ten years.  I kept my relationships in New York and worked for a while as a creative arts director for a magazine.  During those years, I was involved with the NAACP and was founder of the Mr. and Ms. Juneteenth Pageant.  Soon after the pageant, a sorority asked me to help their high school girls with etiquette for their debutant ball.  I worked hard and did a lot of research to be sure, what I taught was accurate.  Then a high school principal asked me to teach etiquette for the entire school.  In 2003, I closed the salon and focused on spreading etiquette love.  These days I’m busy with the radio show on AM 1000 KCEO, promoting my book, website, publishing company, and speaking engagements.

Chris and I have been blessed.  Our lives were on such similar paths and we did not know each other.  We met originally in 1993, when I was running my hair salon.  My cousin Marco introduced us. He also happened to be Chris’ best friend. But ten years had passed from when we first met and when we finally got together at a family Fourth of July party.  I knew when I saw him again at that party, and we talked for the first time, that he was the one.  I’m his biggest fan.  It’s wonderful to be able to hear him play at home anytime.  He’s my “Rock Star”.