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PHOTO COURTESY OF JEN RABULAN-BERTRAM
LAUGHING PIZZA
/NE DAY
Emily, a cherub-faced 6 year old at the time, came home from school singing the words to Britney Spears, “I’m a Slave for You.� Her mom’s
JAW DROPPED
But ultimately, that family crisis had a happy ending. “It’s why we moved to Atlanta, it’s why we started Laughing Pizza. I think they are all incredibly interconnected,â€? Lisa conďŹ rmed. That and the national tragedy of 9/11, which stranded Billy in Boston for a week away from his wife and daughter. “Really and truly, it was the 9/11 moment,â€? Lisa said. “Life’s too short. [Billy] came back from Boston. It took him 22 hours to drive home. He quit his job, and that’s when we started Laughing Pizza.â€?
BETWEEN BARNEY AND BRITNEY
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One day, Emily, a cherub-faced 6 year old at the time, came home from school singing the words to Britney Spears, “I’m a Slave for You.â€? Her mom’s jaw dropped. “I’m like, wait a minute, not only are you 6, but there are only 17 people in your class. How is this happening?â€? she recalled. And then the idea of a band was born. “Our original mission statement was we are ďŹ lling the void between Barney and Britney,â€? Lisa explained. “And there is this incredible gap there ‌ We started it for Emily, out of a need as parents to have something that’s not there. We had no idea that she was going to be not only part of the band but one of the key members.â€? Lisa and Billy went alone to a Wiggles show to “researchâ€? children’s musical groups. “We were laughing so hard, it was like a comedy routine. People kept looking at us and asking, ‘Where is your kid?’â€? Billy mused. Lisa added, “But we got to see parents jumping a child up on their knee, but also [checking their phones and their watch].
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Points North | August 2011 | ptsnorth.com