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As Pete mentioned in the "What are you doing this weekend?" thread, he and I
flew to Elko, NV, to see one of his friends andmusical heroes - Lee Roy Parnell - in concert. For those who need some
background on Lee Roy, he may be best known as the writer of Collin Raye's hit
"That´s My Story (And I´m Sticking To It)."
Elko is, well, quaint. Small. Very western. Very much a mining/gambling town.
However, the people all seemed to be nice, save for the surly waitress who attended to us
later in the evening.
We went to the Red Lion Inn and Casino, which is where Lee Roy was playing. After a
hurried but enjoyable prime rib dinner, we went to the club section of the casino and
found our seats at a table near the stage. Our companions at the table were Mavis, an OR
nurse who had just recently moved to Elko, and her adult Down's-syndrome daughter Tracy, a
charming blue-eyed blonde with a huge smile and enviably perfect skin.
Mavis and Tracy are Lee Roy fans and so were quite approving of Pete´s rowdy
clapping, cheering, whooping, and singing along. We made it our mission to get the
audience off its ass and have a good time, and we succeeded. After the first show, two
women at another table told me, ‘We were at the wrong table. We should have been sitting
with you guys.”
Pete had brought along two Wiley Post CDs - one to give to Lee Roy and one "just
in case" - and Mavis bought the second CD! Happy day! I suppose she figured that
anybody who claims Lee Roy as a musical inspiration must make some good music himself.
(She would be right, of course.)
We stayed for the second show, and during the break, we chatted with Lee Roy’s
band, the Hot Links. We discovered that Danny Flowers was playing guitar with Lee Roy that
evening. Danny is probably best known as the writer of "Tulsa Time," a song that
Don Williams had a hit with on country radio and that Eric Clapton has covered as well.
Danny has his own CD out and does what is probably the ultimate version of "Tulsa
Time." He looks nothing like how he sounds. Imagine a pudgy-faced, conservative,
accountant-looking guy stepping up to the microphone and bellowing out a song in a bluesy
yowl...that´s Danny.
The second show started, and we had to move to a different table, but we were still
close to the stage. Once again, it was our mission to make a joyful noise and keep the
audience rowdy. Let me interject that Lee Roy and the Hot Links do a damn good job of that
themselves. The music is great, and Lee Roy just has a way with an audience. I defy anyone
to see him in concert and not walk away a fan (hell, I defy anyone to listen to his music
on CD and not become a fan!).
Pete would yell out various things that Lee Roy would comment on, and at one point, Lee
Roy asked for requests. Pete hollered out "Milk Cow Blues!" This is one that
Pete played and sang for the now defunct Wiley Post. Lee Roy started the song, and Pete
was singing along so loudly and accurately that Lee Roy told Pete to take the next few
lines! Pete did so, and didn´t even need a microphone to be heard all over the club.
The crowd roared with approval; there is nothing like getting the audience involved in the
show to keep them on their toes. Lee Roy then motioned for Pete to come up on stage and
sing. He did! As they say in sports, The Crowd Went Wild.
But wait. It gets better.
While Danny was taking a solo, Pete commented to Lee Roy, "Too bad you don´t
have an extra guitar around - I usually play your part in this song." Lee Roy gave
Pete his guitar and turned over control of the song to him! Holy cow, did this ever ROCK.
Pete was on his game, too. He sounded great, both vocally and on the slide guitar. Like he
says, when you play with people who are better than you are, you HAVE to rise to their
level.
I had been dancing by the table, and Lee Roy motioned for me to come up on stage to
dance. Pete told me during one of the solos that Lee Roy had suggested we get an audience
member to take pictures, so I went back to the table, grabbed my camera, showed someone at
the next table which buttons to push, and back onstage I went. I was rather nervous, so I
motioned for Lee Roy to dance with me. He did! Yes, folks, this all really happened, and
we have the photos to prove it. :)
Later in the set, when the band started "If The House Is Rocking," Lee Roy
had Pete do the first three verses. Pete handed the guitar and microphone back to Lee Roy
for the last verse, so The Man Himself could wrap up one of his most rockin’ tunes.
At one point during these festivities, Lee Roy told Pete, "If I get sick,
I’m calling you!" High praise indeed.
We got to hang out with the band after the show. They are all great guys, and Lee Roy
and his girlfriend, Donna, are just as nice and unpretentious as you could ever wish. Lee
Roy was asking Pete some computer and website-related questions, as LR has some ideas for
things he wants the webmaster to include on the site.
We hated to leave, but the band was tired and hungry, and so were we. On our way out,
several people stopped Pete, complimented his playing, and asked if he was local. Lee Roy
had introduced him as "Pete Bradt from San Francisco," but I suppose everyone
was getting too tanked to pay that much attention. Damn, I wish we had brought more Wiley
Post CDs with us; we probably could have sold several!
The next morning, Pete went to the Albertson´s store in town, and he was
recognized yet again (and asked if he was local). Yes, my sweetie is now the toast of
Elko, NV. Celebrity hasn´t spoiled him yet; he still has to help clean the litter
box and do laundry. ;)
I don´t think I am doing this experience justice. All I can do is ask you to
think about your own experiences, past or yet to happen, when you get to do something you
love alongside one of the people who most inspires you to excel. This literally was a
dream come true for Pete, and to him, the best part is that he nailed it down solid. He
was Lee Roy for a night, with the Hot Links backing him up, and he was damned good. No
buckets of blood rained down to ruin his prom-queen spotlight. (heeeeee)
I was thrilled to meet Lee Roy and the band, be up on stage shakin´ mah groove
thang and dancing with the ever-charming bandleader, and be part of an evening Pete and I
will never forget.
Starstruck? You betcha!
I hope I never become so jaded that I quit thinking experiences like this one are way
cool. I just wish Mavis and Tracy had stayed for the second show. They would have loved
it.
©2001, Pete Bradt.
This page last modified Nov. 22, 2001
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