[Dixielandjazz] Fame

[John Farrell]

Ah, the fleeting mantle of fame and the self-delusion of many who strive for
it. I do hope that the following will not be construed as unkind sour
grapery, it is simply my take on a few aspects of fame.

Steve Barbone said :

"We are fortunate enough to be relatively famous in our territory. Our
players get recognized walking down the street."

Fame, like pregnancy, is an absolute condition - you either are or you are
not, a person cannot be relatively pregnant or relatively famous. As for
being recognised walking down a street in one's home territory, I'll bet
that happens to most listmates but it does not confer fame upon them.

Frank Sinatra was famous, so were Al Capone, Julius Caesar and the Beatles.
Steve Barbone is not famous, neither are John Farrell, Bill Gunter and Bob
Romans. Lots of undeserving people imagine themselves to be famous, indeed
here in the UK a TV programme is being aired soon featuring a few mediocre
nonentities described by the announcer as "celebrities". Why? Because they
appeared as contestants on a crappy game show!!

Go to darkest Africa, ask the people there if they have heard of Mohamed Ali
and you will almost certainly find that many of them have. Now ask them if
they have heard of Steve Barbone, John Farrell etc. - Q.E.D. - that's the
real test of fame.

Kipling once described triumph and disaster as impostors, he should have
included fame too.

John (my grandkids think I am famous) Farrell
stridepiano at tesco.net
http://homepages.tesco.net/~stridepiano/midifiles.htm