We were playing at an Elks lodge, four-piece band, drums, sax, B3 with pedals and my self on Guitar. I was newly married and for some reason my wife wanted to sit right up on the bandstand. She sat in a high back chair toward the rear. As people past they would stare in anticipation, wondering when she would do whatever she does. I never understood why she wanted to sit up there.
An hour into the job and a man asked me if I would play for his son’s Bar Mitzah , we were open on that date, I said yes. He said that he would not hire the band without the girl singer. Aaaaah, she never sang a song in her life. I looked at him and said that would be an additional $150, he said yes. She was booked on every job after that. Her voice was almost fair, but she looked good.

The saddest job laced with some sick humor;
A wedding; I was bringing in the wedding party, as the father of the bride was announced he took a few steps and fell to the ground. He was taken to the hospital. For the next half-hour we played music while reports of his condition came in. It was the most difficult thing that I have ever done. The call came, he had past away. There was a deafening silence, people crying, the music stopped, it was a place I never want to be again. The bride was sitting on the floor cryiing.
The Mother of the bride insisting on paying for the band, I said I would take half to just to pay the men for coming.

Sick humor
Now let me set this up; the bass player was an annoying character that was not great with his instrument – the drummer had a sense of humor that never stopped. He turns to the bass player and says, “ I told you that your bass playing was going to kill somebody someday”. Aaaaaaaaaaaegh.

John C.