The kids backstage with Randy Newman, April, 1999.
In August of 1986, Husband and I went to Pine Knob Music Theater to see Randy Newman in concert. He was opening for Billy Crystal. We scored a pair of tickets. We'd been fans for several years, and this was our first opportunity to see him perform. It was also within a week of our first wedding anniversary. We made a halfhearted attempt to meet the artist backstage before the show. When it didn't work, as we suspected it would not, Husband asked if the nice security man would be kind enough to try and get a note to his manager. He was requesting a song for our anniversary.
The show began, and was every bit as entertaining as we thought it would be. Halfway through his forty minute set, he paused. "I got a request for a song," he said. "Wedding at Cherokee County. When I first wrote this song, I thought it was in the worst possible taste. So, anyway, Jim, Happy Anniversary!" Notice my name was not included? Don't think I haven't gotten some mileage out of that. Ah, well. Still quite a lot of fun.
About a year later, we got tickets to see Randy at the Meadowbrook Music Festival, a small, outdoor amphitheater. This time, he was the main event, and Father Guido Sarducci was the opening act. The (very Republican, northern Oakland County) crowd loved Sarducci. He really was a hoot. Then, Randy came out. For a few songs, there were polite applause. He launched into Christmas in Capetown, and the crowd started leaving in droves. I'm not going to attempt to explain Randy's music here. Suffice it to say it is frequently misunderstood. The great part? The front two rows were open, and the ushers took a powder!
We hightailed it down front, and were about ten feet away from he man himself. At one point, someone in the audience requested Rider in the Rain. Randy said, I'll do it, as long as you sing along. So we did. All the backing vocals. Including the harmony. Afterward, he said, "I'm touched. I really am!" Awesome.
This is getting very long, and I am only halfway there (That's what she said!) Come back tomorrow for part two.
The show began, and was every bit as entertaining as we thought it would be. Halfway through his forty minute set, he paused. "I got a request for a song," he said. "Wedding at Cherokee County. When I first wrote this song, I thought it was in the worst possible taste. So, anyway, Jim, Happy Anniversary!" Notice my name was not included? Don't think I haven't gotten some mileage out of that. Ah, well. Still quite a lot of fun.
About a year later, we got tickets to see Randy at the Meadowbrook Music Festival, a small, outdoor amphitheater. This time, he was the main event, and Father Guido Sarducci was the opening act. The (very Republican, northern Oakland County) crowd loved Sarducci. He really was a hoot. Then, Randy came out. For a few songs, there were polite applause. He launched into Christmas in Capetown, and the crowd started leaving in droves. I'm not going to attempt to explain Randy's music here. Suffice it to say it is frequently misunderstood. The great part? The front two rows were open, and the ushers took a powder!
We hightailed it down front, and were about ten feet away from he man himself. At one point, someone in the audience requested Rider in the Rain. Randy said, I'll do it, as long as you sing along. So we did. All the backing vocals. Including the harmony. Afterward, he said, "I'm touched. I really am!" Awesome.
This is getting very long, and I am only halfway there (That's what she said!) Come back tomorrow for part two.
