ADELAIDE'S Guy Sebastian is writing a travel diary from the US for IE. Here's his first entry:
My journey has begun and here I am having just arrived in LA getting ready for what will be an incredible six weeks!

via News.com.au

I was on the same flight as Kyle Sandilands (Idol judge) and a whole bunch of WWF wrestlers so between him and them I knew there was enough buffness on board to resolute even the most aggressive security alert.

I'm at my hotel on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, preparing for my week ahead. The room is comfortable and the mini-bar is full - for now. The reason I'm in LA for a couple of weeks is to do some songwriting for my next originals album before I head off to Memphis on the 14th.

Tomorrow, I'm writing with Printz Board, tomorrow who is the musical director and writer for Black Eyed Peas and Fergie. He's a legend.

Board wrote many of the songs on the last BEP album. He's currently on tour with Fergie so I was lucky to get some time with him, but we're sure to come up with something great.

After that, the whole week is choc full of sessions with other great writers and producers.

Apart from that I'm just getting over my jet-lag sitting by the pool surrounded by bikini-clad Hollywood babes (noticeably aided by Dr 90210) and preparing for my time in Memphis. I'm going to be recording a tribute album to the great soul music scene of East Memphis music scene. This year is the 50th anniversary of the Stax record label and Memphis soul music, so the timing couldn’t be better.

Soul music sits deep in my heart and is the reason I got into music in the first place, so this is a record I've always wanted to make

I've been researching the guys I'm recording with down there, and more and more I'm discovering the "royalty'' nature of them within the industry.

For example, today I conversed with Steve Cropper, who is playing on and producing the record.

He was the guitar player in legendary bands such as Booker T & the MG's and was part of the band in the original Blues Brothers movie

Cropper (or CropDog as he's known) supervised the recordings of Otis Redding and co-wrote hits by Wilson Pickett (In the Midnight Hour), Eddie Floyd (Knock On Wood), and Redding (Dock of the Bay), all of which I'm planning to record on the album.

Steve has assembled most of the original members of the Stax band for the sessions so it will be an amazing once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Apart from that, later tonight I'm meeting up with my old bass player for dinner who's band has been signed here in LA.

Then I'm going to meet Aussie actor Chris Egan for a catch-up (top bloke).

BTW, I'm in shorts and a singlet ... It's been too cold in Adelaide for that for a while. Jealous?

Now I'm off to a tattooist - but more about that later.