Tonight we lost a fan and a friend. It is with a heavy heart that I write the following to you tonight ... I hope you can follow along as I struggle with my words at such a sad time for all of us...our prayers go out to the Jones family tonight.






Amanda Jones (aka Amandarhea) started out where most of us did, posting on the AI boards. I got to know her when she became a regular on a thread I created (Elliott Yamin Fans Unite Here!!) to help promote my friend Elliott Yamin on American Idol. She immediately won almost everyone over with her can do attitude. There was something special about it, a beautiful mix of naivete and youthful confidence.

I can remember the day she PM’d me and said she was driving over to see Elliott at Graceland. She wanted to know what time he’d get there, where he'd be...etc. I had no clue but I wished her my best, even though I was worried that she’d just come home disappointed. Well to all of our surprise, not only did she meet him, she got to give him the shirt she made him, have a couple photos made, and even got a cameo on American Idol. I laugh when I think “Would that surprise us now??” I don’t think any of us will ever forget her cheerful face right in the camera saying …”I met Elliott!!!” She came back telling her story and delighting all the Elliott fans on the thread and became a little celebrity of her own. Following Elliott’s Idol elimination, she followed us over to the Etrain board. The more time she spent in Group Huddle with us the more endearing she became.

I think all we all were in a bit of shock when she announced that she had tested positive for leukemia. She had told us she hadn’t been feeling well but none of us were prepared to read that. We were all a lil down in disbelief , when out came that attitude we all came to love. She was not going to let this news get her down. Amanda declared she wasn’t going to go down with out a fight and she was ready to go toe-to-toe with it. Her courage and non-defeatist attitude at her age was an inspiration to all of us.

I was surprised to find out that even though she was weak from her illness, that she was going to make the trip to Richmond for Elliott’s homecoming AI concert. Here is a little article about her experience in case you’ve never seen it.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,1221981,00.html


I was even more surprised when she returned to Richmond for Elliott’s first solo show. On reflection, I consider myself lucky for getting to spend that time with her. It was then I really got to know her and how special she was. I continued to monitor her progress through PM’s, texts and an occasional phone call. It was a huge morale boost when we found out her marrow match was 100%. At that time, I felt the worst was behind us.

In October 2007, I had the opportunity to go out with Elliott on tour for a week. Noticing that he was going to be in Memphis, I mapped out a trip that would allow Elliott and me to visit her at St. Jude’s. At that time her prognosis was pretty good. She was having some problems but for the most part, she was doing pretty well. We all had a good visit with lots of laughs especially her cutting up with Elliott. I know it was Amanda’s strength that made our visit easier for me, because honestly I don’t know how I didn’t break down. As it was nearing time for us to go, she “demanded” a couple minutes alone with Elliott. I don’t know what was said but as we were leaving her area, I looked over to Elliott and I could tell by his eyes that Amanda had won yet another heart.

Well, it turned out Elliott wasn’t the only Idol’s heart she won over. It seemed like every Idol contestant that met Amanda, she made an impression on. From Chris Richardson, Chris Sligh, Phil Stacey and Blake Lewis…etc. They all were keeping tabs on this sweet little soul from Arkansas. Amazing…how one can affect so many.

Today, we mourn the loss of a fighter, a young woman of faith, values, innocence and intelligence. She was a true inspiration for others to keep up the good fight. Somehow in the process of her journey, she became everything she looked up to.

Amanda Rhea Jones you are an American Idol to us and you will remain in all of our hearts forever. It was truly a blessing to know you.

Your “main man” B

On Friday afternoon I got a call from Tammy (Amanda’s mother) telling me it was a matter of time. That afternoon, I asked Yellin’ to put together a little something as a tribute to Amanda. I think she did a wonderful job capturing Amanda’s spirit in photos we could gather quickly. If you have a something to say or a picture to add please feel free to post here.

Tribute to Amanda

Thanks to GraceStreet for the beautiful tribute banner.

What a beautiful tribute. You captured Amanda in the best possible way.

That was amazing. What a beautiful tribute.

Yes, well said Brandon. She was a very special young woman and a huge inspiration to me.

Thanks also Yellin for that beautiful tribute. Amanda had a smile that lit up the room, didn't she.

Beautifully said B & a beautiful tribute Deb.

The pic of her with her arms outstretched, letting the snow flakes fall on her face, priceless.

I just can't...

Thanks so much Brandon, for your heartfelt words. They were lovely.

And thank you Deb for that beautiful tribute for a beautiful girl. Her smile lit up every picture.

Amanda's impact will felt for a long time.

eta: the banner is beautiful and so fitting. Thank you GraceStreet.

What a beautiful banner - Amanda would absolutely LOVE it. I feel so blessed to be part of such a loving community. She touched us all in a special way.

I met Amanda in July 2006 when she was in Richmond for the AI concert. I remember all of us in the hotel room talking about the concert and sharing a 3:00 AM pizza. I remember the face she made when she tried a green apple jello shot.

When she came to Richmond in October 2006, I let her stay with me to save her expenses but also because I just wanted to make sure she was okay. She was the messiest person I ever saw, she had stuff from one end of the room to the other and I had to call her cell phone so she could find it. I picked her up at the bus stop and saw you off and found myself in tears watching her leave. That totally surprised me, that I could care so much after meeting her only twice and only talking a couple times. From that point on she knew she could call me at anytime about anything. Even when it's late at night and she was a little on the tipsy side.

She asked me to give Elliott a hug for her at his CD signing and I defied the rules of no hugging etc, and told him I needed to give him a hug from Amanda. He didn't hesitate, he came across the table without any hesitation and asked me how she was.

Amanda had wanted me to visit her in the hospital so I went to Memphis this last October to visit her. I had noticed that Elliott was going to be there and scheduled my trip around that with the idea that I wanted to do something for Tammy. So I bought tickets to his concert for the two of us. Amanda was so excited that her Mom would get to hear Elliott in concert. Brandon, Jaime, and Elliott's visit was icing on the cake for me that week. Seeing Amanda and meeting her Mom was what I really wanted. However, the joy of her seeing Brandon again was something that I will always remember.

At the end of April, I went back to Memphis to visit Amanda. She seemed to be improving when I was there as they were saying she would be getting out of ICU and going to the BMT unit. She looked good for what she had been through and was in pretty good spirits. Amanda and her Mom talked about a road trip they were going to take once she was better. She was excited about that. We watched AI together while I was there which actually meant a lot to me.

I posted this early this morning in her other thread:

There's no way to explain Amanda, she just pulls you in before you know what hit you. She's opinionated, stubborn, and will tell you what she thinks. Yet has a big heart and very caring nature. She's very mature and insightful, but yet naive at the same time. She's a young woman, but yet a little girl. Someone who could take a stand about something important to her but yet sit there and color in her coloring books. I love that about her.

Amanda LOVES her America Idols and will defend them to anyone who puts them down. She made me see that Chris Rich isn't what I thought he was. He's a great guy and I'm glad I got to meet him. Her favorite will always be Elliott though but she has room for all of the others in her heart.

In Amanda's own words, she summed up what we were to each other. From her blog "One Year with Cancer" - I've had it book marked ever since she wrote it in July 2007.

"In October i made it back to Richmond. Elliott's first hometown show.... That couple of days i became even closer to my soon to be best friend and a woman who i look up to. I shared a room with my Harley mom as she is now called. She has treated me like a daughter giving me advice. She has treated me like a friend. She has been there through thick and thin. When i call her crying over something my mom or dad did. She was always there to give me the parents point of view on things. She is and will forever be a big part of my life. I will never be able to let her get away. She is my friend and my family. Thank you Gleena. (I hope i spelled that right)"

I will miss her so much. I'm so grateful to have known her and so blessed to have been able to visit her only a little over a month ago. I will treasure that visit forever.

Brandon, you words were beautiful. And Yellin, I knew you would do a beautiful tribute.

ETA: Gracestreet, what a beautiful banner. I was so hoping there would be one but I should have know there would be.

Blog from Chris Richardson

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseacti...logID=406151582

Sunday, June 15, 2008


Amanda Jones light shines on

Amanda Jones, This is for you...........

You still shine
You still glow
Your light won't fade
It will only grow
You smiled with strength
When days were cold
You were never scared
Of your tomorrow
Your Hope was endless
Your Heart was gold
You left a mark on this world
That stole the show
Now, when the seasons change
And the years unfold
We all will remember
The story, the Life, the Love
Of Amanda Jones


You will be missed dearly Amanda!
Your friend always,
-Chris Richardson

:grouphug:

What a beautiful banner. Thank you. I'm having trouble opening the link provided.

That was beautiful Brandon.. Every word was absolutely true. The world has lost a great soul, and she will be remembered always...

Thank you Brandon...That was a very heartfelt tribute to our sweet Amanda.
I had the pleasure of chauffeuring Amanda & Toni around Richmond when they both came for the AI concert. I feel blessed that I had an opportunity to touch her little life ever so slightly.

As I reflect back...It was me who posted the thread to get donations to help Amanda come back to Richmond for Elliott's solo concert and the JDRF fundraiser. I didn't personally collect the money and never knew how much was donated, but I do know...Little Miss Amanda road a bus clear across the country by herself to join us in celebrating Elliott's homecoming. I tried very hard to convice her to fly...NO WAY was she getting on a plane!!! Instead she rode for 2 days on a Greyhound bus, just to see Elliott.

Pure determination and with that determination and fight...we pay tribute to a very special young lady who touched so many lives. She never wanted to fly on a plane...But today she soars above us and shines down upon us, as we mourn her passing.

Amanda you will be missed, but NEVER forgotten...May you rest in peace my friend.

Debbie...Your tribute to Amanda was amazing. It did make me cry, but it was ever so beautiful. You did a fantastic job.

Many blessings to my Etrain family as we share in the loss of our sister, our friend, Amanda Rhea Jones.

Theresa

Beautiful reflections everyone and that banner is just perfect!

such beautiful words from Chris.



eta: HW, your tribute is touching as well. :grouphug:

What a beautiful tribute, my heart is heavy tonight.. may you rest in peace Amanda...

Brandon,
What a beautiful tribute about a beautiful soul! My heart is hurting, but when I think about all the hearts she has touched in her too short life, I can get some comfort knowing that heaven has a new angel. I feel privileged to have known her, and Amanda, if you can see this, know that I am throwing some extra socks at the tv tonight...for YOU!!!
:chloe: :chloe: :chloe: :chloe:

Beautiful Brandon and Harley. The slideshow was so touching, and the banner... what can I say. Oh my and Chris, I think you've picked up another fan. This is all so very sad, but we know she is now in the best hands.

Nancy... I had trouble that seems to happen with those long addresses on photobucket. I had to do a little searching for the video... see if this works.

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v241/nhd...aJonesfinal.flv
or
http://snipurl.com/2ixdf

Beautiful tributes for a beautiful girl. May she rest in peace.

Thank you Brandon-- and all of you-- for your insightful and touching tributes. It is a comfort to read them, but it is hard to find words...This is something it seems you can never prepare yourself for--the loss of such vibrant life! My heart is with us all in deep sorrow!

:grouphug: THANK YOU! That was amazing.

link should be working now.

Heartbreaking to lose such a beautiful soul. She was such a fighter and an inspiration. I know this must be especially hard for her family and close friends.

Beautiful tribute Debbie.

The banner is absolute beautiful as are the tributes by those who were fortunate enough to know Amanda on a more personal level than some of us. The YouTube video is wonderful Deb. Thanks to all of you for making this day a little less sad for us and sharing the spirit of such a remarkable young woman.

I am so sorry, Brandon and Harley and all of you who were so close to Amanda. I didn't know her, but I am so sad about this - I can just imagine how all of you feel. I hope remembering the joy and love you brought to her and your part in giving her a memorable past two years gives you comfort. She couldn't have had a more wonderful group of friends at her side.

I don't know what else to say except I'm very, very sorry.

lots of hugs to all of you.
Judy

Beautiful tribute. My heart and prayers go out to her family and everyone who was close to her.

So very sorry to hear this news. Beautiful tribute, banner and reflections for a very special lady. My heart is heavy thinking of such a young, bright & shining life being cut short. I'll take some comfort in knowing she is no longer in pain and is in a beautiful place now without suffering. God Bless you Amanda and may God give your family comfort in their time of need.
:elliottfree:

I met Amanda back in 06' and we have a long history about our friendship, I consider her one of my best friends and we used to say that it was not fair for us to live so far. I made plans to go visit her 2 years ago, but because of the snow storm I couldnt, and I'm regreating not doing everything I could to go see her, I miss her so so so much already.
I just spent a long time reading our conversations in the other thread from 2 years ago, it brought tears to my eyes,

QUOTE (amandarhea @ Aug 11 2006, 03:01 AM)
i just have one quick thing to say NICKY I KISSED ACE he is so hot girl and i got his autograph for you..


...and I know I'll get to meet her some day, she'll be my maid of honor like we planned and we'll have all the "frun" in the world.

I'll never forget the day she met Elliott and she called me from the hotel to tell me all about it, I couldnt believe she made an international phone call just to share her experience, I was really really happy for her!

Amanda, you are my hero, I love you so much!
you'll always be in my heart

love from Lima, Peru

Nicole.

Nicky, she was in my hotel room when she called you!! I think we spoke for a few minutes as well! I always carry a phone card with me when I travel just in case I have to call the Philippines in case of emergency...was happy to have her use the phone card so she could share her experience with you!

Amanda was so cute to tell me she wanted to hang in my room all the time because the air conditioner in her room wasn't working well. I also remember carrying her crutches during the AI concert because she wanted to take all the pictures she could!! She even helped distribute Elliott's birthday flyers in the stadium (on crutches). Nothing deterred her from doing anything she wanted. :grouphug:

Right now, the proper words fail me. I can not even begin to tell you what a tug on my heart strings it took for me to put that video together, but how could I NOT after all she gave to herself, her family, her friends, and all of us here. You are all MORE than welcome.

To B, breaks my heart that this is what it took for you to call....do I see a lil' smile? You are such an amazing man, and Amanda KNEW that. You were both blessed to have each other. Thank you for trusting in me, to put together something so meaningful. I will never forget it.

Harley, when I talked to Amanda on the phone that one night, for over 4 hours, she told me how you and I were her other "moms." You have always been nothing but SELFLESS when it has come to miss Amanda. She has got to be smiling down from heaven knowing she just KNEW people like you, Brandon, Elliott, Jaime, Chris R, Jan, Mandy and the countless E-trainers, the Richness fans, her family, friends and loved ones. She KNEW she was blessed, and I know she will continue blessing, and watching over all of us from above.

Here is another little memory from your Mama Yellin'. I took this video of the TV newscast when they had a clip on about Elliott Solo show at the state fair earlier in the day. A bunch of us were gathered in the hotel room waiting for it to come on, and much to our surprise, who was the first one they showed in the audience?? Amanda Rhea. You can hear us all screaming with delight for her.



RIP sweet angel. xo

I re-read Amanda's personal messages a while ago, and I just want to share a part of what she wrote to me. We discussed her dad being in Iraq.

This is why I admire this sweet girl so much! She was so brave!

ETA: She also told me that it's gonna be all right, that she wasn't too worried. She was just afraid of getting bored! Even in times of adversity, she still managed to be funny!

Brandon, your first post was simply beautiful. I did not know this lovely Lady, but I am so touched by all of the love. I am so sorry for this loss ! Hugs to all who are in pain !

A beautiful tribute for a beautiful soul.

The world's a little less brighter today.

I think that Amanda had one of the most beautiful smiles I have ever seen. And one of the most beautiful souls. I loved the way she treated everyone as if they were a personal gift to her to be treasured. Even though I never met her, I knew this was true by the way she wrote and the way others wrote about her. She was my hero.

We will forever be blessed by her presence here.

What beautiful tributes. I did not know here but I followed her story as well. My thoughts and prayers are with her family.

This is so sad, so sad.

We all lost a good friend yesterday. Rest in Peace Amanda! Wonderful tribute that truly captures her essence.

What beautiful tributes. She taught us all so much. Such a wonderful soul. May she rest in peace.

I also have been BLESSED to have met Amanda on several occaisions. Thank you God for allowing our paths to cross.

THANK you,

B, for always keeping us posted and for your beautiful tribute to Amanda. She loved you so much and I can tell you that she was as excited to see you as Elliott (with no disrespect to E of course :) ) in Memphis during our visit to St. Jude's in October of last year. What a memory. She will never be forgotten by any one who was touched by her beautiful soul, spirit, love, passion, and infectious smile. You were always her "main man" B.

Deb, what a beautiful tribute. Oh how that song touches me remembering how much Amanda loved it. The pictures made me smile amongst the tears because Amanda was so full of life even when she fighting her toughest battle. Thanks again for such a wonderful tribute to our precious Amanda. The picture of Amanda and Claudette - two amazing beautiful souls who are now watching down on us from Heaven. The one in the snow really captures Amanda's beautiful spirit.

GraceStreet, thanks for the beautiful banner tribute to Amanda. Free will always be known as Amanda's song.

Harley, a special thanks to you for being Amanda's Harley mom. I want to thank you also for allowing me to tag along on so many special adventures with Amanda. I feel so Blessed to have met such beautiful people through our passion for Elliott and I will never forget any of you. Amanda touched so many with her beautiful soul and passion. Thank you for sharing all you have with me.

Tammy, for sharing your precious baby girl with all of us who loved her so much.

Amanda, for touching us all the way you have and bringing so many of us together. I will NEVER forget you. Rest in Peace sweet angel, you will be missed but we will see you again.

Thank you everyone for your beautiful tributes - Amanda is looking down on us now and smiling her infectious smile, I just know it....Barbie