Richard Nixon seems like a teaser, but I’m at still guessing Ole Tricky Dick as the ruse. Even if I’m wrong it’s got to be a good story.
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Perhaps the most special..
Pee Wee King (I remember when I was a lad he played with friends and family here in Radcliff)
Tex Ritter (Also as a lad, he played a daytime show here in town by the old skating rink (now a liquor store, etc..) I remember my Papaw and his similar aged friends talked with Tex. I just wanted to run around and play.
Jerry Lee Lewis (Played a show in ETown at the Armory when I was just a little older. My Uncle provided maintenance and electrical service. We held the door for him as he walked into the ballroom.
He had the most star like quality about him up close of anyone I ever met.
An aura that left a huge impression on me
Earnest Tubb Similar aura around him. Met him at a steel guitar convention in the nineties. Like a real cowboy and a imposing figure, but with a great smile that lit up the room. Other semi-celebrities' wilted in his presence.
Johnny Paycheck At another convention in Nashville I stood out back of the hotel convention hall and got to meet him. Asked if we wanted a drink and another fellow said he had one. Johnny said "This here is.. Pure...Tennessee...Moonshine"
and belly laughed with us.
A small fellow with a huge voice and came across in person just like he sounds on recordings. His movements were kind of unique and very sudden.
Kind of like a musical version of Wheeler as his head movements were quick as were his facial expressions. ;) He was exactly how he comes across in voice. The real deal in that his voice was as powerful saying a word as singing a song like the one below.
He done his whole Take this job and shove it album for us in a hotel convention room. Big Jim Vest, who is a great Nashville steel player and a good friend, played on that album and many other huge ones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwqczIo6eBM
Shook hands with Tricky Dick in Downtown Louisville KY and we spoke, before the MLB All Star game in Cincy. 1970.
Sandy was supposed to come visit and do a fundraising dinner, but got sick and canceled. As close as I got.!
Sky, Tom Brooks “Cactus” and Foster Brooks were friends with my dad growing up in Louisville’s West End. and stayed in touch the rest of their lives. The drunk act that became Foster’s calling card was actually an act their dad played out. My dad always told Foster he had to work harder to be as good as his dad. IIRC there were something like 8 kids growing up in that family. There were kids running in and out of that place at all hours of the day. The only times I ever met Foster were at his Ice Cream stand on Bardstown Rd. In Buechel.
. Great story. I did not know the Foster Brooks connection to Cactus! But it makes sense now that my adopted Dad was a big fan of Foster Brooks.. Ice cream in Beuchel meant “Fanelli’s” to my family. Building the new road lessened my ice cream intake. I think we talked about the Ford connection with my Uncle Charlie the mech engineer and your Dad—Charlie grew up in west Louisville too. And I did go on T bar V on my birthday. 1957 or 1958 I think. Dad’s younger sister Janet and Uncle Charlie moved to Memphis, he stayed with and retired from Ford and they still live in a Memphis suburb. I was headed there after seeing you but she didnt want visitors due to COVid.
I still cue up some of the Foster Brooks bits, esp. with Dean Martin. He would bust up Dean Martin like Tim Conway did Harvey Corman. His bit on the old roasts are classics.
I crossed paths with Foster Brooks at Hurstbourne CC back in the late 70’s during his pro/celebrity tournament.
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