As some of you may know from a previous article ("Does It Have To Be Perfect"), I would get off the road for periods of time to be with my family, refresh and rest. After the gig at the Holiday Inn near Palwaukee Airport had been such an enormous success, we got a call from a Chicago agent by the name of Hal Monroe who was interested in meeting us. Hal said he had Musician's Union card number one, and represented acts like Frank Sinatra, Gladys Knight, and others, as well as very prominent groups around the Chicago area. Unbeknownst to us, he had caught our act at the Holiday Inn and wanted us to meet at his office the following day.
We learned very quickly that though Hal could be quite pleasant, he was also a no-nonsense kind of guy. A grumpy curmudgeon at times. He asked us all kinds of questions about our background and experience. Gary had brought along the press kit for me, and the one we had put together for our duo gig. Hal told us stories about the good old days, and we listened intently, not interrupting. Hal shook our hands and thanked us for coming and we left.
On the way home, we thought that things didn't work out at the meeting. But the next morning, Hal called Gary and told him we had a gig the following Thursday at the very prestigious Arlington Heights Hilton which was out by the race track where the famous Arlington Million race was held. It was also in the vicinity of a large venue that brought in acts like Donna Summer and others. The show lounge was nicely appointed with a very large horseshoe bar and a seating capacity for 350.
Then he gave us a list of "rules."
1. We needed a band as the duo thing wouldn't work.
2. We were to dress in formal attire which consisted of me in a long gown and Gary in a tuxedo. And the band members were to dress the same way.
3. The music would consist of Top 40, Pop, Jazz and Standards. Absolutely NO COUNTRY! (Un, huh....)
4. There would be no smoking or drinking on the stage.
5. We needed to be sure our union cards were up to date as this was a union room.
Not much time to get it all together. Gary rented a conference room at the Holiday Inn, called the musicians union and put out a cattle call for auditions for the following day. We had quite a few musicians show up, but it didn't take too long to find the right fit for us. Besides being able to play the songs we gave them, we were also looking for good attitudes, and people who would be easy to work with. We hired Barb who played keyboard, also had a synthesizer which was a big advantage, and she could sing harmony, and a drummer named Kevin. Gary and I would both be playing guitar, so that rounded it out nicely. With their schedules, we only had time for a few rehearsals before Thursday came around, but we felt comfortable that it would work. They were both seasoned professionals.
In the meantime, Gary and I went over to the hotel to listen to the jazz group who were currently booked on both Friday and Saturday nights to check out the room. Not a lot happening for sure. I noticed right away that they looked bored and didn't pay any attention to the audience at all. It was as though they were playing for themselves and cared less if the people liked it or not. Gary and I, on the other hand, always interact with the audience and try to make them feel a part of our performance. Next Thursday would be interesting.
All week, we kept looking in the Entertainment section of the newspaper to see what kind of ad the hotel would put out, but all we saw was the one for the current jazz band. Not much support there for sure!
Thursday night came - our big opening night! We noticed upon arrival that there weren't too many people in the lounge at all, but that didn't dampen our spirits. Gary has a great sense of humor and started in right off the bat which made the people stop talking and turn around and look at us. He got their attention and our music did the rest.
The room was situated in such a way that there was a hall way that led from the front entrance and led down a hall where you had to pass or walk into the lounge. It wasn't long before people who were walking by stopped and came in to see what was going on. Something new and fresh was happening. Little by little, the room began to fill as the night went on. During breaks, Gary and I both headed out in different directions to talk to the customers. People seem to enjoy it when you come to their table.
By the end of the night, I can attest that our first night went well, and it wasn't a bust. Hopefully, the following Thursday would be a little better. Fingers crossed!
When Thursday night came again, Gary and I were chatting in the car on the way over to the hotel and hoping things would pick up a bit more. However, when we walked in, the place was quite busy already which really lifted my spirits. I wondered if there was an event going on in the hotel or if they had come because word got around about the new band. We had a great night and it was fun. Talking and laughing with the crowd was a hoot. Gary would often go out into the crowd and do a floor show, leaving people in stitches. Our music was pumped and so were we. The bartender told Gary he was really surprised, as they didn't usually have a crowd on Thursday nights.
By the next Thursday night, the place was packed and they didn't have enough bartenders on duty to service everyone. In fact, they ran out of liquor and had to have more brought in ASAP! Our reputation was growing quickly. In fact, the hotel manager had contacted Hal and asked if we could pick up Friday nights as well. The band agreed and so we did.
The next week, we were doing Thursday and Friday. Both nights were very busy. We were killing it! Running circles around the jazz band. Business was so good, that the hotel manager called Hal again and asked if we could pick up Saturday nights as well, as he was letting the jazz band go. Wow! I was proud of what we were doing. I wasn't on the road wearing myself out, Gary had made it possible for me to work at my craft and be home, plus get paid very well at the same time.
The Arlington Million race was being run on this particular Saturday, and we were expecting a very large crowd that night. Folks from the track were already coming in on a regular basis, or when a show was held at the nearby music venue, people would stop in for a drink. We were packed to say the least, the dance floor stayed full and the room was full of excitement. People would often walk up with song requests and hand them to Barb or set them on the keyboards. Then, in between songs, a man dressed in a turban and very fancy attire, walked up with a tray. On the tray were drinks for the band, a one hundred dollar bill and a song request. The person was a man-servant to a Sheik who had run his horses in the race that day. He came up to me and asked, "Could you possibly play the song, Rocky Top? My Sheik would very much like to hear that song." Rocky Top! Are you kidding me, I thought. Recalling Hal's "rules", I answered, "Of course! With pleasure."
Gary took off his bow tie as did Kevin, and we broke in to Rocky Top! The crowd went wild and asked for more Country music - so we gave it to them.
We were invited to the Sheik's table during our break for a drink. He thanked us for the song and was surprised that we knew it. He spoke excellent English and was quite an interesting man.
The next morning, while we were still in bed sleeping, the phone rang. It was Hal. He was yelling in Gary's ear and carrying on about no Country music, how it incites riots and fights, etc. on and on. Gary just held the phone away from his ear. Finally, when Hal had run out of breath, Gary told him that there were no fights and the music was requested. Also, how people wanted more of it and how the bartender told us it was their biggest night ever in that room since they had started bringing in bands. Hal was still angry, so Gary said, "If you don't like what we are doing, fire us!" Dead silence at the end of the line........ "Look, Hal, Gary began, people like what we do. We mix it up. We play all kinds of music and when people request specific songs, Bonnie does her best to be accommodating. She knows a gazillion songs! People like and appreciate having their requests played. It makes them feel special that you do a song for them. Sometimes they send a tip with the request, and sometimes they don't. It's not required. Hal calmed down and hung up.
Now, we were playing Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and added Wednesdays shortly after that. Off and on, managers from other big hotels in Chicago would come in and solicit us. We just told them to call Hal.
We were at the Arlington Heights Hilton for five months, all of May through all of September. We probably would have stayed there longer, but Gary was building a general aviation facility in Toledo, Ohio and we would be relocating soon.
It was a rocking time during those days, and I shall remember them with a smile.
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If you have never heard the song, Rocky Top, this is a performance from the Durham Fair held in Durham, CT. The fiddle player was Bob Dominey who was the state fiddle champion at that time. Tap your feet and sing along!