A Beatles Memory

My dear cousin Pat who is a regular commentor on this webblog would like to share with us the following hilarious story. Enjoy:

Quite a few years ago my husband and I were comp-ed tickets for Ringo Star and his All-star Band at Caesar's in Atlantic City. Members of the All-star Band included, Billy Preston, Mark Farner (Grand Funk), John Ethwistle (The Who), Randy Bachman (BTO), Felix Cavalieri (The Rascals) and Zach Starky on drums (Ringo's son).

This concert was very special to my husband because he is Grand Funk Railroads biggest fan and seeing Mark Farner in a small venue like A.C. was going to be great.

When we arrived they seated us on the first table next to the stage. What a rush to know some of our music Idols would be within reach. Now it’s time for the show to start and the crowd is going crazy and out comes each member being introduced by Ringo Star himself. A Beatle standing right in front of me, I could touch his shoes…I was so excited.

Every artist did solos from some of their greatest hits…Randy Bachman whose position on stage, playing in the band, was right in front of me. He sang “Taking care of Business” and “No Sugar Tonight”.

He was great, but he kept staring at me and smiling...I kept looking behind me, but no one was there but a bunch of yuppies drinking beers. I thought maybe I was mistaken, so I just watched the rest of the show. Mark Farner came out and did “Locomotion” and “I’m your Captain” my husband was yelling and singing and well just becoming a little embarrassing. At the end of his solo time Farner bends over the stage to shake all his fans hands …My husband (if he were taller than 5’4) would have boosted himself on the stage to get a handshake from his IDOL. It was like slow motion, down the stage he came, shaking hands and greeting people, and as he got to us he looked up at the audience and gave a wave and passed us right up…It was an outrage…would my husband ever get over it? Would this be the concert he’d like to forget…Well, I felt terrible for him, but for me it didn’t matter.

The concert continues and we are enjoying all the rest of the artists, but between each song, the language I had to listen to from my husband about not getting his hand shook was never-ending. Why must he make such a big deal about this guy...Knock it off already I wanted to tell him…But I didn’t.

Finally Ringo Star comes on and does a medley of some of his famous Beatles songs (not that there were many) and then some of his songs he made famous as a single artist. His song “Your Sixteen” a popular song that many generations will recognize he closed the show with….But here’s the catch, as he was singing, he would look at woman in the audience and sing to them; He then looked at me and started to sing, I was going to faint, all I could hear is him sing “Your 16”, put his hand out and shakes it from side to side and make the sound ‘Ehhh’! “Your Beautiful and Your Mine.” Did I hear right, from all the women in the audience he decides to look at me and say, basically “Sweetie your not even close”……Oh My God! I was ranked out by a Beatle…For some reason my husband had forgotten his fury aimed at Mark Farner and was rolling on the floor with laughter, telling strangers at the other tables what Ringo did to his wife.

The concert ends, still in shock, I go to turn and follow my husband out of the arena when I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn and it was Randy Bachman from BTO asking me if I would like his guitar pick from the show. Well this was a nice consolation prize, to settle some of my misery. My husband is now not laughing as hard, after he sees what I had been given. As we enter the casino we both go to different slot machines to try our luck, I got up to move to another machine, and who is behind me, (you’re right) Randy Bachman. I was startled, but smiled and said” Hi, you must be exhausted after the show,” He said, yeah just going to have a cocktail with my manager would you like to join us?” ……WHAT? Was I hearing things, did he ask me for a drink? WOW!” I would love to but I am meeting my husband here in 5 minutes”. Did I just say that, O boy! Have I changed…The night proved to have its ups and downs but Ringo was right…I certainly wasn’t sixteen anymore…

- Cousin Pat