Lost Friends

One of the best things I’ve found about being an entertainer is that it affords you the opportunity to meet  never would have otherwise. Sometimes, it’s a one-time thing, like the people you meet at an out-of-town show. Other times, you get to see the same crowd multiple times, like the ones you see at your regular venues. After a while, some folks almost seem like a part of your extended family.

Since I perform at several locations on a regular basis, I’ve met quite a few people that fall into that latter category. Unfortunately, though, people move away, or you’ll no longer perform in a certain area…and sometimes your friend passes away.

Since I’ve been doing the show (circa 2003)…I’ve been privileged to perform for thousands of people, and gotten to know quite a number of them since then. Four of them have passed away, three out of the four just recently, which is what made me want to say a few things about them, I suppose.

I’ll just use first names out of respect for privacy:

Shirley
Shirley was one of my first “fans”. She was the first to discuss starting a Johnny Rockit Fan Club, although she really didn’t have the time or resources to make it a reality. I must admit that I was taken aback by the fact that someone would want to start a fan club for what I termed an amateur Elvis Impersonator (you see what I mean if I ever have the guts to post some early videos). Shirley and several members of her friends and family would just about always be at our public shows, front and center, if possible and always wanted to hear “Blue Hawaii.”

Nancy
I met Nancy at a show I did for a group of rehab patients about 3 years ago. She was a huge Elvis fan and made it out to every show we did at the rehab center. When she finished rehab, she moved into a senior community and talked the management there into having a few “Elvis in the Afternoon” parties for the residents. In the last few months before she passed away, she was often too ill to leave her bed, but I enjoyed getting to visit with her nonetheless.

Lloyd
I met Lloyd at a big party at one of the Elk’s Lodges in Dallas. He came up to me before the show and asked if we would play “Love Me”, which is one of my favorite numbers anyway. Every time I saw him afterwards, he asked for “Love Me” and we’d play it and watch as he and his lovely wife (of 62 years) Pat would dance. We lost Lloyd in early January 2010. He is missed by all of us that knew him.

Patricia
I got to know Patricia at the same place that I met Nancy, except she was a full-time resident, not a temporary rehab patient. Since it has been a regular gig for over 3 years, I probably saw Patricia 30-40 times over the last several years. The very first time I was there, the lady in charge came up to me and said, “We have someone here that is a huge Elvis fan, so put on a good show!” She must’ve liked it since she was there for just about every other show we performed at the rehab center.
I got an email last week that Patricia had unexpectedly passed away. I had performed there and got a chance to say hello to Patricia for a few minutes after the show a few days before her passing. Saying “hello” is literally about all we have time to say to some of the 40-50 residents, since an afternoon show means a quick pack-up of the equipment and loading of the car and get back to work as soon as possible. I was able to attend the graveside service for here that was performed by her nephew. He did a great job or describing what it was like growing up with Patricia as the loving aunt…he made me wish that I had more time to know Patricia better than an occasional quick hello, she sounded like a special person.