almost famous

It's a long story involving an entire cast of West Tennessee musicians dating back to the 1970's. Our dances were held usually at the American Legion building down across from the First Baptist Church. Yeah..I know. Irony at its' best. My good buddy Gary was in a band that featured several local guys and they usually rocked us into the night. Being a hippie and all I rarely hit the floor, choosing instead to chair dance. I still do it today! There was this one guy from Memphis with whom some of the locals played and he was just the hottest stuff around, even then. Dude went on to be a member of Survivor, then not a member, then touring local clubs like my brother's on the cheap. They still managed to afford a bottle of Gentleman Jack after the gig, though. The local guy went on to marry a couple of local girls and now has a teenaged son and is married to a successful caterer. I ran into she and her sisters and Mom at mexico and the oldest said she was surprised I remembered her. How could I not??? I remember calling her for a character reference 9 years ago when I first met this guy doing musical headstands in a Yahoo chatroom. It seems they had worked together in the radio jingle business for a few years.

Anyway, none of them are famous that I know of except the Survivor guy who goes on tour in Asia and dyes his hair black. I think he's had a lot of plastic surgery too. Gary and the two Tommys went on to become middle aged adult members of ass kicking bands and they love every minute of it because music is in their bones and their souls. Only a few people can be superstars.....the rest of us have to settle for personal best. I saw some really great talent up in the place that my brother had and he booked most all of it. He just has a knack for that sort of thing and had the misfortune to get in a pissing match with the town's only former legitimate nightclub owner prince of the bars.. Easy come, easy go. At least he got off his ass and opened the downtown club again...that's the one with history and atmosphere.

On a side note, I have managed to slip my Kentucky cousin's opal and garnet ring onto my left hand now that I'm shy a few pounds. And because it's cold. It'll never fit once the heat is on and my knuckles swell. Which won't be long if I know Tennessee.