Ya just keep on learning...

Yesterday, Tuesday, was like most Tuesdays, another one-hour assisted living job to play. No different than most other days of the week, and therein lies the problem. I looked at the calendar, jumped in the shower, ate a light lunch, hopped in the van and drove 5 miles to the facility. I then loaded the gear on the rock and roller cart, put on my cowboy hat and walked in the front door. A very attractive young gal sitting behind the desk came up to me, gave me a big hug and squeeze, and said "Hi there cowboy - sure glad to see you, but why are you here?" I responded with a gentle hug and said, "just to play and sing for you darlin'" She said, yeah, but you're not supposed to do that till tomorrow. Whoops! I went to the wrong place.Thank goodness I didn't have to play at the other place until two hours later, so I had plenty of time to get there and set up. Whew, that was close. (I still enjoyed the hugs, though. )

When I got to the right location, set up my gear, I was 30 minutes early. The AD said because everyone was already in the activities room, I could begin anytime I wanted, which was fine with me, mainly because I would miss a lot of afternoon rush hour traffic if I ended 30 minutes earlier than usual.

So I fired up and did my usual routine, with the addition of a half-dozen new songs that I had not performed for this audience in the past. Then I got a couple requests, the first for Lucile, and the second, Willie Nelson's Always On My Mind. When I did the second song, the guy that requested it was sobbing, and there were a few others in the audience with tears running down their cheeks. The AD tried to console the guy, and was somewhat successful, but I was not prepared for that kind of response. The AD later told me it was his wife's favorite song, and she just left him to go home for the day and he was a bit meloncholy about it.

Today, I performed the same song at the facility I mistakenly went to yesterday - the results were the same - hardly a dry eye in the place. One of the young nurses came up to me and said "Gary, if there was ever a song you should take off your play list, that is the one. You play and sing it beautifully, but it's so sad and heart rendering that you had everyone, including some of the staff, in tears." That song is now off my NH circuit play list.

There are some lessons I seem to learn the hard way. This was one of them.

Cheers,

Gary

Hi Gary:

Thanks for sharing this with us. I believe you should leave it in your repertoire. Sometimes tears are the best "stress relief" a person can experience. (Especially those in Nursing Homes.) When someone is moved enough by a performance to cry, to me that is the ultimate compliment to the artistry of the singer and of the song.

All the best,

Dave Rice

Thanks Dave, maybe you have a valid point, and at the end of the performance, I always leave them happy and singing along with me.

I performed it again tonight, and the audience loved it, no tears that I could see, but several folks climbed out of the chairs and got on the dance floor, so I must have done something right. You Were Always On My Mind Not too bad, I guess, for an old guy with only 50 percent of his lung capacity remaining.

Gary

I agree with Dave. You shouldn't drop it from your play list. You obviously create a lot of emotion in your audience when you perform it. You are truly an entertainer.

Gary nice job what style did you use on this song?

Thanks Nigel. I really appreciate that.

Donny, I'll have to bring the keyboard into the office tonight and I'll let you know. It's one of the onboard styles, though.

Gary

Gary I thought my kids were Jazzers cause I was a Jazzer. Ha ha. It doesn't work that way. He was born here in Cowboy town USA. On the brick jobs I had to listen to country. Here I am some years ago, a 200 lbs bricklayer on the wall SOBBING. He's around the corner. and the song say's "I don't care if you're 80, you'll always be my baby." Now today at 35, he's fighting for his life.

Boo I hope Drew gets better soon. It's tough to see your kids hurting.

Gary, we have this in common: I often make my audiences cry.

Thanks for the email, Don - I'll try those chords later tonight.

Boo, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Drew, and hope he makes it round the bend to better health soon.

Gary

Donny, the style is an onboard style, Modern Country Ballad2, second intro, "C" Variation, tempo 68.

Gary

Boo, I hope your son gets better soon. Gary, listen to the person writing the check. You know that.

Thanx Gary I knew it sounded familiar I will give it a show with this song when I get some time off..,
btw in memory of the Country Music Awards Week I played "Always On My Mind" yesterday at a NH gig and the audience just loved it on top of that the AD told me that it was her wedding song also!

boo ... I can't imagine what you must be going through ... we will keep your son and all your family in our prayers ...

Many people don't remember that that song was written for Elvis ... and it FLOPPED big time. He put too much .... well, Elvis into it. Willie made it the hit it was because of his softer, tender approach. No one should be shouting those words ...