i honestly can't remember whether this autograph came before or after ed shaughnessy's. everything from that era exists in a fuzzy area of my brain. (most of my memories of senior year in high school seem to have been obliterated by overindulgence of bartles and jaymes wine coolers.)
regardless of the timing of the two autographs, the fact that i have one from both ed & doc kind of amazes me. ed shaughnessy, of course, played in doc severinsen's tonight show band for decades, but i wasn't going for any kind of "six degrees of separation" of autographs or anything. it just happened. though i likely got these signatures within a year of each other, i met ed in a strictly jazz context while i met doc at the symphony.
i don't remember much about doc's concert, but i do recall being fascinated by his silver rhinestone suit. it looked like he had rhinestone dandruff, with a heavy concentration of sparkles on his shoulders, with the density tapering off as it reached his ankles.
i was working part-time as an usher at the indianapolis symphony; that's how i came to be at this concert. i liked the job because it provided me free entry to concerts, as well as easy access to the backstage area. sadly, i don't remember a thing about my interaction with doc... that intense period of wine cooler consumption clearly did a tremendous amount of damage to my memory cells. i assume i simply crashed a reception backstage, asked for the autograph and left. i would like to think i'd remember talking to doc severinsen.
anyway, what i find most intriguing about this particular piece of paper now is not so much the signature, but the masthead... erich kunzel is one of the biggest names in pops orchestras in the world (and i'm sure i didn't even throw him a passing glance when i saw him backstage back then) and william henry curry is currently the associate conductor of the north carolina symphony.
i guess the most fascinating thing about this particular autograph --for me-- is that it happens to represent a couple of "six degrees" situations. also intruguing is the fact that i barely remember obtaining meeting the guy.
Posted by xta at April 16, 2005 11:49 PM | TrackBackFirst of all, they were California Coolers mostly, NOT Bartles and James, until after our senior year.........
and secondly, I drank just as many as you did and I remember when you met Doc! Perhaps because I was so terribly impressed. I recall that you also met Henry Winkler (don't know if you got an autograph) and George Winston.........
I also remember that you told me that you weren't allowed to point when giving directions such as "the bathroom is over there", rather you had to make this sort of open handed gesture in the direction of the place you were sending people.
I can't remember the number to call to retrieve my voice mail.......but I can remember this.
Posted by: Gidge at April 20, 2005 12:18 PMas an usher, yes, we were instructed to point with an open hand rather than with a finger. ray will be pleased to hear this, as he is regularly horrified when i point at things in public.
maybe i was brought up poorly, but i was never taught that it was rude to point at things. *people*, maybe... but *things*?? like a bathroom can get offended by me pointing at it? i'm confused by that.
and gidge, your memory is amazing... only after you mentioned henry winkler do i remember meeting him. (i didn't get an autograph.) however, i don't think i met george winston, though i saw him in concert. (the show made me so sleepy i about fell asleep.)
Posted by: christa at April 20, 2005 01:09 PM