[Dixielandjazz] Al Hirt and the "brick"

[Robert Pulliam]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dave Hanson" <jazzdude39 at comcast.net>
To: "DJML" <Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Monday, September 26, 2005 7:22 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Al Hirt and the "brick"


In an earlier post someone,( I forgot the persons name, sorry) mentioned the
alleged brick that hit Al Hirt in the mouth.

It simply didn't happen that way....no brick, period. Al was very drunk when
he climbed on the float he was playing on. The float made a sudden change of
direction and Al collided with a corner on the float, causing damage to his
chops. His press agent got with the press, consequently the story in the
Times-Picayune.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


That's what I heard years ago from a sales rep who said he used to hand
deliver horns to Hirt, that the "brick in the lip" story was a complete
crock. It just sounded better than Al was stinking drunk and fell. There was
a long debate not too long ago on the rec.music.makers.trumpet usenet group
on the subject.

The whole concept just doesn't add up. If someone had literally thrown a
brick anonymously from the crowd, with the precise trajectory to catch Hirt
square in the mouth, he'd be lucky if it didn't kill him outright and
certainly would have done far more serious damage than a split/fat lip.