It's hard to explain, but in the 50's, 60's and up to the 70's, there
was a special fraternity of friendships amongst all the Artists and
Musicians and Songwriters. I mention this because I have people ask, "Did you ever meet so and so?" It wasn't a meet and greet situation, we traveled together, slept in backseats together, shared Motel Rooms, Backstage Dressing Rooms, Truck Stop Restaurants, Came on stage in the middle of the others shows, clowning and having fun, Writing songs together, telling secrets to each other that even our wives or husbands didn't know, laughing, crying over heartache, giving advice, then doing the exact opposite...the life of a Picker was different than any other life I have ever heard of. We ran on energy, and when the natural energy ran out, we got our energy from whatever source was available. Nobody wanted to pay $5 ticket price to see a tired and wore out entertainer...so you kept going, to deliver what everybody came to see. But, it was the before and after showtimes that were special, where we were in a bus lounge, dressing room, Motel room, or some fan's house that they had opened up and invited everybody on the show over...and that was just special fans that everybody knew and they had passed the aftershow test for entertainers many times before.
It was a strange, otherworldly existence, for a country boy to be thrown into, but I took to it like a champ. There were some groups that you would see were gonna be on the shows with you and you couldn't wait to get there, cause you knew it was gonna be fun. Jack and Jeannie and their group, Jim Ed Brown and The Gems, Ferlin Husky and the Hushpuppies, George Jones and the Jones Boys, Porter and Dolly and the Wagonmasters, Tillis and the Statesiders, Ray Pillow, Bobby Lord, Del Reeves, Billy Walker, Dotty West and her show, Bob Luman was just a hoot, as was Nat Stuckey and Johnny Russell, Paycheck when you could keep up with him, in the early years, and very few could. Bobby Bare was always just a delight to be around, as was Roger Miller, cause they kept you laughing with dry humor.
I loved to work on shows with Sonny James. He was the straightest arrow I ever met, and just the kindest man. He was a master on stage, and I loved to stand in the wings and watch him work. His goodness just shone forth.
When I worked Vegas, in 1970, at the Golden Nugget Casino, with my show, Roger Miller was at the Landmark. He sent word to come see his show when I could get a break. I went over and sat in a special ringside seat he had saved for me, and watched in amazment as he worked his magic. His show was Roger, vocals and guitar, Buddy Emmons, playing incredible bass, Thumbs Carlisle on lead guitar, and a great drummer, whom I cannot remember the name of. There is no way to describe the music flowing back and forth between Roger, Thumbs and Buddy, playing off of each other, in spectacular fashion. Later, back in the dressing room, I watched in amazment as they fueled up for another show, later in the evening. They fueled up and went out and did an even greater show the next time! After the last show, Roger and I went out to meet Jimmy Dean, who was working one of the other Hotels/Casinos, and I watched, as a lesson, on how the Big Boys work Vegas. I stood there and watched Jimmy, shooting craps, lose about $30,000, in about three hours, laugh it off and say, "Let's go have breakfast!" Roger was just kibitzing and laughing, having a good time, but not gambling, still buzzing from the show I imagine. It was a fun night with friends, and how the Big Boys play. Shoot, in 1970, what Jimmy lost was more than I had paid for my house.
So, yes, it has been an interesting life, the Pickers, the booking agents, the songwriters, the Music Publishers, the hang outs, the hangers on, the fallen by the waysides, the club owners, the DJ's that always came to hang out backstage, the Musicians that became family, the show promoters, who sometimes lost money on us, but would have you back to make it next time.
The Road was a different world, and when we would come back in from the Road, we would have to re-enter, kinda like Astronauts coming back from space.
So, to all of them, those that were there, they understand, a tip of the old Bass Pro ball cap to you all. We were an Era, a place in time, a ghost of music past that will never come again, just that way. We had our time, and it was good. Stan
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