The other day, I was thinking about how long it’s been since I’ve been to Vegas.
I used to go all the time, especially when the radio conventions were held there, but once they filled up with brokers and lawyers, I lost my appetite for them.
I believe the last time I was, there was when I was visiting my Buddy, Reid Reker, who was the GM of a Vegas radio station.
We were working on a project together, and while there, I thought I would continue researching what women want by holding a few small focus groups. (See on top)
I needed to continue probing so I could get a little closer to unlocking the mystery of women.
Hopefully, I could gather some useful information that I could eventually put on the radio.
The project Reid and I were working on was looking at getting involved in a musical that would open in Vegas and then move on to Broadway.
We were working with Emmy and Grammy award-winning musical director Nancy Gregory who was writing this musical about her friend Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame producer and songwriter Jeff Barry.
That night we had dinner with Nancy and Jeff at a steak house off the strip where Sinatra and the rest of the rat pack used to go for dinner after their last shows.
What a great night sitting there with the man who wrote most of the huge hits of the ’60s and ’70s.
I mean, can you resist singing along with, Tell Laura I Love Her, Be My Baby, Then He Kissed Me, Da Do Ron Ron, River Deep Mountain High, Chapel Of Love, I Honestly Love You, Hanky Panky, or Doo Wah Diddy, Diddy?
Hey, and what about one of his biggest, “Sugar Sugar” which even Frank Zappa was caught singing along to at a stop light by a couple of his horrified fans?
What a magical evening! (Jeff Barry is pictured below)
GEO’S LIFE-LINERS
As the Ray Stevens song goes, “Everything is Beautiful,” but unfortunately, not everyone sees all the beauty in the world.
Is there anything better than a beautiful woman only having eyes for you and your buddies and enemies all wondering, “How the fuck did he get her?”
Just because you’re not for something doesn’t necessarily mean you’re against it.
Nope, nothing changed. I checked again; I still hate the word no.
Unsolicited criticism may result in a blowback.
Perfection only exists for a moment, whereas imperfection lasts forever.
Most great men have a similar fault, women.
How can you not want revenge if a person kills a person you love?
Do the women who are living large care where the money’s coming from?
Why do some questions sound like allegations?
A trot down the aisle doesn’t make love unconditional. As you grow older, your need to know why we’re here diminishes.
Sometimes one great memory can erase some bad ones.
A lot of great people weren’t very good human beings.
Absolutely everything is on its way out.
The law doesn’t always represent what’s right.
Would you rather make good money doing what you dislike or less doing something you love?
To become smarter, one must ask questions.
When you put your work ahead of everything else, it may result in success, but there will be consequences.
I think Stven Stills may have summed up what’s wrong with the world when he sang, “And Nobody’s Right If Everybody’s Wrong.”
Is there anything better than a hug from your little girl?
I wonder if old rich black guys and old rich Hispanics Dudes are different than old rich white guys?
COMMENTS
John Willyard: Wow, what a remarkable adventure you’ve written about! And “Don’t Tell Your Mama!” An unmistakably pithy, apropos name!
I loved catching up this way, and sad about the circumstances of your friend’s passing!
I recall getting a call years ago about the Boston Country Club station I had been voicing, first as WCLB, then WKLB. Do you remember the wonderful TV spots that Bill Young Productions produced that I voiced? About 1992, 93? I’ve always wondered how y’all discovered me (since certainly pre-Internet): was it Rusty Walker and his team? I know that early on, I would call almost every day asking for a demo (Fed Ex’d cassette), and I’ll always ask: “How did you hear about me?” “Rusty told us to call.” (Big Apple)
Geo: Hey John, so good to hear from you. I’m not sure how we got your name, but it wasn’t from Rusty; he was across the street from us. I met him years later and was very impressed. What a class act.
You always sounded great, John, and I’m so glad we got your name from Mr. Whomever.
Amanda Vidler: What a great story about my dad; I can’t tell you how nice it was to read this! I miss him so much. Thank you so much for writing about him; he spoke about you often, and you were such an important and great friend to him. (Big Apple Part 2)
Radio Geo: So good to hear from you, Amanda. I, too, miss your Dad; he was a dear friend to me and will always be remembered as a kind and gentle man.
Bob Tracey: Great story. Next time you get up here, head out to the stadium, to the Candlewyck Diner, where locals go after the game. And check out 101.1 CBS FM. Radio like it used to be. (Big Apple Part 2)
Radio Geo: Thanks for checking in, Bob; I’m a big fan of your voice-over work.
Winnipeg Wendy: George, regarding bad girls, hindsight is 20/20! But then, I see the double entendre in my comment, which would possibly suggest that I might be a bad girl! Ya better stay away from me!! (Gordon Zlot)
Radio Geo: Wendy, when my father told me to stay away from the “Bad Girls,” I was only hoping that I’d get to meet one someday. As I remember it, you had a lot of potential. 🙂
Radio Geo’s Media Blog is a politically incorrect inside look at Radio, TV, Music, Movies, Books, Social Media, Politics, and Life, primarily written with men in mind.
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Doug Thompson: In the 1960s, Jeff Barry took a Montreal teenage singer/songwriter under his wing, who did pretty, pretty, pretty good. That was Andy Kim, who also co-wrote “Sugar Sugar”
Geo: Whew! I bet the royalties from that record was enough to keep them in fine wine for the rest of their life.