Monthly Archives: January 2011

When Alligator Jack heard the jingle he said, “Gay-ree that you song you did for me is funkier than 10 yards of damp zoo dirt!” And then he started to laugh..Heh-heh-heh.

Posted on January 29, 2011 by

If I live to be 200 I will never meet another person the likes of Alligator Jack. The Alligator had a successful barbecue restaurant on the South Side of Chicago. After being robbed 18 times over the course of five … Continue reading →

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Harry Lookofsky…“When you asked the contractor for me to play on your session today,who did you ask for,Harry Lookofsky or the guy with the hat?”

Posted on January 29, 2011 by

When I was working with Rod McBrien in the late 1970′s and early 1980′s I did a lot of recording in New York. I got the opportunity to work with a number of the members of Toscanini’s famed NBC Symphony … Continue reading →

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As he handed me the keys he smiled and asked, “So, Mr. Michaels whatd’ya think,now ? Am I the best in Jefferson?” And then he held his head back and laughed. I said, “No, Mr. Hicks you are the best, period.”

Posted on January 29, 2011 by

I had driven all night long to get from Des Moines to Louisville. I had an 11:00 AM appointment at a bank in Bardstown, Ky which was about an hour’s drive outside of Louisville. It was 8:00 AM as I drove into Jefferson,Indiana which … Continue reading →

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It was like a scene from a movie as I walked behind the honor guard from the little country church to the cemetery located a short distance away. There were no lights. There were no cameras. This wasn’t a movie. This was real.

Posted on January 28, 2011 by

It was a cold November morning in southern Missouri. I was serving honor guard duty as a trumpet player from the 399th Army Band from Ft. Leonard Wood. It was one of those gray “wintry” days where you don’t know if it’s going … Continue reading →

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My Old Kentucky Friend… “Now, I’m just a country boy. I like your music and I’d like to do some business with you but we have a real problem here. It’s my pen. My pen won’t even write a number as high as the price you quoted me.”

Posted on January 27, 2011 by

The minute I crossed the Ohio River into Kentucky I knew I was going to love the state. Kentucky is beautiful, especially in the Fall. I had an appointment with a bank in Versailles to show them a branding campaign I had … Continue reading →

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On that beautiful Minnesota Autumn morning as I listened to Norm Tallackson humbly reflecting back on his life’s work in his community, I remember thinking, “These are the kind of people that I want to work with.”

Posted on January 27, 2011 by

It was a beautiful brisk Minnesota morning back in the Autumn of 1980 as Sy Foss, the President of the Bank of Willmar, Minnesota and I made the five block walk to Norm’s Tallackson’s office. As we walked, there was a slight … Continue reading →

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Custer’s Last Artist… “I’ve seen Rembrandts, Van Goghs and Picassos up close and personal but I never saw anything like this.”

Posted on January 27, 2011 by

It was early Friday afternoon and I had just finished up a successful brand marketing meeting with First National Bank in Buffalo, Wyoming. Now it was time once again, to play my favorite Wyoming driving game,“Count the Antelope,” as I headed north up … Continue reading →

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