[Dixielandjazz] Strange gigs - requesting Rocky Ball's classicfiasco in GA

[Dave Hanson]

Nancy,

You just reminded me of that story in Augusta for the execs from Sony, including the high exalted president of Sony. Rocky can tell it better, but I was on the gig.

We started poolside for a B-B-Q complete with many requests for Stephen Foster tunes and other American composers. Everyone was making a big fuss over the "President", his name escapes me now. All was going along just fine until it started to rain, a real cloudburst, so we moved inside to the main ballroom adjacent to the pool area. We were really hustled inside and told to "play, play", which we did. Moments later the Sony people were pushing the huge grill in to the ballroom.....now this is a charcoal grill and there must have been two dozen steaks cooking and it was really belching smoke and flame. 
We couldn't believe it, but they were determined to cook those steaks in the ballroom.
The room filled with smoke and finally the hotel staff got the situation under control by convincing the Sony staff that we would all die if the thing wasn't removed from the room.
I remember the bowing and other assorted activities ,everyone focusing on what the "Pres" might do. He and his assistant started giving us $100.00 bills, as I recall to keep playing, and of course we did.
I don't remember much beyond that except we all had a steak as I recall, they party was a success, and we went back to Atlanta with a ton of crisp $100.00 bills. 
We played for the same group again, much safer this time, but again we were tipped a great deal.
I don't know why I had forgotten that gig, but back then we had many nutty gig's during the heyday of Underground Atlanta's early years.
Dave Hanson
Atlanta
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Nancy Giffin 
  To: Dixieland Jazz 
  Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2006 3:36 PM
  Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Strange gigs - requesting Rocky Ball's classicfiasco in GA


  Dear List Mates,

  First: HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY TO PAT COOKE!!!

  I¹ve enjoyed these strange gig stories.
  I¹m wondering if anyone has on file the strange gig that ROCKY BALL posted
  several years ago about performing for a group of Japanese businessmen at a
  country club in Georgia. Remember that one? It started to rain, but they
  insisted on barbequing, so moved it indoors and smoked the place out, and
  the band made a small fortune in tips to play (numerous times!!!) ³My Old
  Kentucky Home.² What a great story teller Rocky is! I thought I had saved it
  but can¹t find it now. Please send it to me if you have it! Maybe Rocky is
  still on the list???

  Thanks in advance, Nance



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