and he’s standing there, bigger than life.
“Little sis, little sis,
is that really you?” He runs downs the steps and grabs me in a big bear hug,
swinging me around and around. “Oh, my God, I can’t believe it’s you, what are
you doing in San Francisco?” He hugs me so hard that’s it’s hard to breathe
and kisses my face.
“I guess I could ask you
the same thing. How did you get here?”
“We had a gig in L.A.
that didn’t work out so our manager found this one for us. Why are you here?”
“My Grandma lives here.
After Red dumped me I had a rough time of it so I came here to get away from it
all.”
“Come on, let’s go inside,
and catch up. So how are you, what are you doing now? Are you doing any
singing?”
“I’m okay but life here
is boring. I only have one friend and I’m not working. Grandma keeps me busy
with her charity work but it’s not enough. I haven’t sung since I left Eagle
Valley.”
“Come sing with me next
Saturday. I’ll clear it with the owner. We can practice here all next week
during the day. What do you say?”
“Oh, geez, Johnny, I
don’t know, I’ll think about it. It would be great to be back on stage
though.”
“I’ll take that as a yes,
now give me your phone number and I’ll let you know when I’ve got the okay from
the owner. Right now I have to get set up, but stick around and listen to us.”
“I was planning to and
thanks, Johnny.”
I listen to them play for
over an hour and the band he’s got together is just as good as the one he had
back home. The drummer, Wade Frazier, is the only member from his original
band; all the others are new. When they take a break, Johnny comes over and
walks me out to my car. “I’ll call you tomorrow. Start exercising that
voice.”
The next day he calls and
says we’re all set. The owner is even going to feature my name in their radio
ads. He wants us to start practicing tomorrow afternoon and every afternoon
this week. I wasn’t going to tell Grandma and Tony about this but now I’ll
have to since I won’t be here to watch Angie. I break the news to them at
dinner. Tony looks astonished. “You sing? I didn’t know you could sing. I’d
like to hear you. Where are you singing at and who’s the band?”
“At the Lopin’ Lariat and
the band is The Real Americans . They’re a Native American group. The
band leader is from Eagle Valley and has been one of my best friends since high
school.”
“Oh, my,” Grandma says.
“You’re in for a real treat, Tony. That man is a fantastic singer and so is
Libby, I think I’d like to go along too. We’ll have to find a babysitter for
Angie.”
“Don’t worry about
babysitters, Jessie. Angie can stay at the school daycare in the afternoons.
On Friday, I’ll take her to my folks for the weekend. I’m really looking
forward to this.”
So am I. I just hope my
voice is as good as it used to be and that I can learn those stupid country
songs. I want to do Johnny proud.
CHAPTER 23
The next day I go down to the Lopin’
Lariat to practice with the band. Johnny is the only one there. He tells me
the band partied hard last night and they may not show up at all but we can run
through a few numbers that he has on tape.
“I want to do Unchained with you
one more time. That and Danny Boy . Can we get away with that?”
“You bet we’ll sneak them in somewhere.
Let’s see your list of the other songs you want to do.”
“Most of them are Patsy Cline with one or
two Tammy and Loretta thrown in. I’d like to do a duet with Wade, the Patsy
Cline, and Jim Reeves number Have You Ever Been Lonely. ”
“Terrific, Wade will love it. He hasn’t
been getting much front time lately so this will give him a shot in the arm.”
We spend the next hour rehearsing our two
duets. The rest of the band finally straggles in and I ask Wade if he will do
the
“Little sis, little sis,
is that really you?” He runs downs the steps and grabs me in a big bear hug,
swinging me around and around. “Oh, my God, I can’t believe it’s you, what are
you doing in San Francisco?” He hugs me so hard that’s it’s hard to breathe
and kisses my face.
“I guess I could ask you
the same thing. How did you get here?”
“We had a gig in L.A.
that didn’t work out so our manager found this one for us. Why are you here?”
“My Grandma lives here.
After Red dumped me I had a rough time of it so I came here to get away from it
all.”
“Come on, let’s go inside,
and catch up. So how are you, what are you doing now? Are you doing any
singing?”
“I’m okay but life here
is boring. I only have one friend and I’m not working. Grandma keeps me busy
with her charity work but it’s not enough. I haven’t sung since I left Eagle
Valley.”
“Come sing with me next
Saturday. I’ll clear it with the owner. We can practice here all next week
during the day. What do you say?”
“Oh, geez, Johnny, I
don’t know, I’ll think about it. It would be great to be back on stage
though.”
“I’ll take that as a yes,
now give me your phone number and I’ll let you know when I’ve got the okay from
the owner. Right now I have to get set up, but stick around and listen to us.”
“I was planning to and
thanks, Johnny.”
I listen to them play for
over an hour and the band he’s got together is just as good as the one he had
back home. The drummer, Wade Frazier, is the only member from his original
band; all the others are new. When they take a break, Johnny comes over and
walks me out to my car. “I’ll call you tomorrow. Start exercising that
voice.”
The next day he calls and
says we’re all set. The owner is even going to feature my name in their radio
ads. He wants us to start practicing tomorrow afternoon and every afternoon
this week. I wasn’t going to tell Grandma and Tony about this but now I’ll
have to since I won’t be here to watch Angie. I break the news to them at
dinner. Tony looks astonished. “You sing? I didn’t know you could sing. I’d
like to hear you. Where are you singing at and who’s the band?”
“At the Lopin’ Lariat and
the band is The Real Americans . They’re a Native American group. The
band leader is from Eagle Valley and has been one of my best friends since high
school.”
“Oh, my,” Grandma says.
“You’re in for a real treat, Tony. That man is a fantastic singer and so is
Libby, I think I’d like to go along too. We’ll have to find a babysitter for
Angie.”
“Don’t worry about
babysitters, Jessie. Angie can stay at the school daycare in the afternoons.
On Friday, I’ll take her to my folks for the weekend. I’m really looking
forward to this.”
So am I. I just hope my
voice is as good as it used to be and that I can learn those stupid country
songs. I want to do Johnny proud.
CHAPTER 23
The next day I go down to the Lopin’
Lariat to practice with the band. Johnny is the only one there. He tells me
the band partied hard last night and they may not show up at all but we can run
through a few numbers that he has on tape.
“I want to do Unchained with you
one more time. That and Danny Boy . Can we get away with that?”
“You bet we’ll sneak them in somewhere.
Let’s see your list of the other songs you want to do.”
“Most of them are Patsy Cline with one or
two Tammy and Loretta thrown in. I’d like to do a duet with Wade, the Patsy
Cline, and Jim Reeves number Have You Ever Been Lonely. ”
“Terrific, Wade will love it. He hasn’t
been getting much front time lately so this will give him a shot in the arm.”
We spend the next hour rehearsing our two
duets. The rest of the band finally straggles in and I ask Wade if he will do
the
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