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November
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Brushes with Fame
- 1. An old friend had to remind me of this one, because he remembers more about my life than I do. When I was a youngster, I threw up on Johnny Carson in an NYC theatre. Would have been in the early 1960s. I have no recollection of the event, but from what my mother said, he apparently handled it well.
- 2. The family went down to Plains, GA, maybe around 2004 to sit in on Jimmy Carter's Sunday school class. Afterward people could line up for a photo op with the president and Mrs. Carter. As we were in line, Tere (my wife) said, "I'm going to give him a kiss." I responded, "Wonderful. I'll catch up with you after Secret Service breaks your kneecaps." As we stepped up to pose with the Carters, my darling wife, never a wallflower, leans over and pecks him on the cheek. He just smiled and said, "Right on!"
- 3. Backstage with Stanley Clarke, after Return to Forever performance, Atlanta, 8/2/2008. See photo below.
- 4. Internationally acclaimed artist Thornton Dial was bribed fifty dollars to let our family give him a ride home; Birmingham to Bessemer, AL. Dial is justifiably suspicious of white folks he doesn't know; actually, I might have to say that's one thing we have in common. I'm always happy when going to a party to see a good dog to engage in proper conversation.
- 5. Gave a very drunk John Fahey a ride to an Atlanta airport hotel after a depressing performance, during which he became progressively more wasted on stage and basically just babbled more than playing guitar. Among his comments were that his father-in-law offered to give Fahey some money if his wife (the guy's daughter) would lose some weight. The sight of seeing the slump-shouldered Fahey shuffling into the hotel carrying his guitars haunts me still.
- 6. Lunch with Jane Fonda at Bulloch House, Warm Springs, GA, the morning after she filed for divorce from Massa Ted. The first time I saw her was when she stepped out of the back of the car she was sleeping in at the home of a folk artist we were both going to see: the Prophet Jesse Marshall. (She had apparently been up all night.) Bulloch House is a southern-style buffet, which La Jane took to right away. No healthy eating there. She was quite angered when they removed her plate from the table while she had stepped away before she had a chance to finish what she'd put on there to begin with. After spending some time with our two boys, she offered to adopt them if ever anything happened to my wife and me.
- 7. Garrison Keillor rode in my car; spoke with him later at apres-performance dessert party, Abingdon, VA. Keillor was invited (paid) to give a fundraising performance at Barter Theatre, the state theatre of Virginia, where my wife works. They needed a big vehicle to pick up Keillor, so they borrowed my Chevy Tahoe. Quite tall Keillor apparently sat in the way back and spoke on the cell phone the entire time (I was not invited to be in the car to pick him up). For a while we could say that our car had his DNA in it, but then we traded it in on a Prius, which gets 48 miles a gallon -- a whole lot better value than having a car where Garrison Keillor once sat. He was very nice after his performance, though -- apparently totally against type. I told him that A Prairie Home Companion used to save my Saturday nights in the early '80s when I was working at the printing plant.
- 8. Physically bumped into Jack Nicholson upstairs at Sardi's -- the famous Broadway theatre district bar -- 1977; the occasion was an "audition" (that is, a fundraiser) for a play that some folks were trying to get produced. The playwright and composer and two of the leads they had cast were there performing all the songs. Maybe 20 people were there, sitting in folding chairs gathered around the piano. One of the songs was a little ditty called "Tomorrow." The play ended up being Annie. Why, as a 17-year-old, I was invited to this gig is far less interesting, but one of the oddities of my life.
- 9. A very slight brush. Back around 1978 when I was in college, some friends and I traveled from Atlanta to Huntsville, AL, because, before transferring to school in Atlanta, one of my friends had been instrumental in arranging for Hunter S. Thompson to give a talk at the University of Alabama at Huntsville campus. Because of my friend’s remaining connections at the UAH campus, we knew when Thompson’s plane would be arriving, so we prepared ourselves properly to meet him at the airport—kind of the unofficial welcoming party. So we are positioned in the concourse and see Dr. Thompson’s unique stride coming toward us (along with the official welcoming party of two or three students). There are three or four of us unofficial types—longhaired, eyes glazed, and mostly in awe. My friend says in his most cultured tone, “Ah, Dr. Thompson,” at which point we begin genteel applause, as if we are at a ladies’ tea party or piano recital. Thompson takes one frightened look at us and darts into the airport bar. We follow, and take up our spots at the table next to him and his minders, trying to glean what we can from the conversation, which is virtually impossible, because even at his best, Thompson speech is mostly incomprehensible. After about 15 or 20 minutes, Thompson gets up to leave, stops by our table, and says, “Sorry. I thought you were some of Wallace’s boys,” referring to former governor, presidential candidate, and opportunistic segregationist George Wallace. Looking at us, you would have hardly associated us with Wallace supporters, but we were happy for the moment of attention and humor from the good doctor. When we saw him the next day giving his talk for the students, I’m not sure I understood one of every 10 words he said, but as a brush with fame goes, the trip was well worth it.
- 10. Added starter: Once when I was ushering at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta (early 1980s), I heard the Grateful Dead perform "Let It Be" for their sound check. Deadheads who've listened to thousands of hours of bootleg tapes assure me that the band never played that song. Well, maybe not during a concert, but I know what I saw and heard, performed for about 30 ushers and the guys at the sound board, who seemed to be more occupied with the lines of coke in front of them. Jerry Garcia and Donna Godchaux singing, if you're keeping score at home.
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Brush with Fame 3
The family with Stanley Clarke, bassist nonpareil
19 comments:
I'm not entirely sold on the AA model, but I do think these are some of the wisest words ever written.
Most excellent haiku, too.
Ah, thas' more like it. Czarist perspective.
This haiku direction is on a fair number of minds this mornin' I'd wager. Good show.
Home from Atlanta? Tilda on NYT? She has made a cottage industry of weirdness. But she is a very good actress.
Happy New Year, Czar.
Csar, "way to thaw soul's winter works" is magnificent! and "one day at a time" is an apt, elegant finish. Wonderful!!
Immense patience and strength required for one day at a time but a wise path. Excellent haiku, Czar.
(Happy New Year!)
@Moi: Nothing works for everybody, but I've seen the program work for plenty of people. I do think, though, that NA is a vast improvement over AA, but people don't know it as well. It deals more with the underlying problem. I've heard NA people refer to their AA experience as comprising three suggestions: meetings, marijuana, and masturbation.
@Aunty: Happy new year to you, too. Yes, I suspect New Year's Eve activity brings more than one person to the rooms for the first time.
@Fleur: Thanks.
@Jean: Indeed, on your first sentence. It's simple, but by no means easy. And a happy new year to you, too.
Ah, timely message. My security system is Smith and Wilson.
Your orange tie is THE color of 2012! See, never thought you'd be fashionable, huh.
@Curmudgeon: Had to look it up, but your security appears to be in good hands.
---
And a general note, after reading over my earlier comment. I meant no disrespect to AA. Obviously that program works as well for those -- well -- for whom it works. Which is true of both programs. One program identifies a particular substance as the problem. The other deals with addiction in every form.
@Moi: School colors. He's gone from orange and black to orange and blue, so the tie will still come in handy for another four years. Fashionable or not.
well, the program (finally) worked for my BIL, but I'm with Moi.. still, two very lovely Haikus and if you need to start a blog just "for us" that would be great!
Happy New Year to you and yours and wishing you a healthy and happy 2012.
is that you in the orange/tangerine/hip tie, Czar? :-) Just as expected and I mean that as a compliment.
:-)
@Boxer: Happy new year to you, too, and congratulations on what appears to be a new addition to your family.
Yes, that's me in the tie (and your comments are very sweet), the czarina and our two sons in the middle, and Dad Czar on the right. However, as of about 11 this morning, I could win an Uncle Fester lookalike contest, if Uncle Fester wore Coke bottle glasses.
really lovin' the family photo--does ya feel lighter now?
@ Curmudgeon
Smith and Wilson?
Good afternoons Czar,
That's a fine family photo, a nice looking group. Although the ties a little hard of the eyes. It doesn't have the brightness knob does it?
Happy New Year to you and your fine family.
@Karl: Good afternoon to you, sir, and thanks for the comments on the family. One nice thing about the color of my tie is that I don't have to look at it as much as do the folks around me.
@Aunty: Lighter? Not so much. Colder, yes, although the drop into single-digit windchills around here might have something to do with it. I am missing the beard stroking, though. I can contemplatively stroke my naked chin, but it's just not the same.
Perhaps you have seen the next Haiku Monday theme? Take a look on Scout's site. Csar, you have a chance to redeem yourself: please keep it classy this time.
I've not seen the theme. Nor was I aware I was in need of redemption. Fair Goddess Fleur, where have I erred?
Nocturnal? Aren't they all?
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