Photograph of a completed offshore oil rig located in the Gulf of Mexico. The rig was built at the LeTourneau Industries oil rig building facility near Vicksburg, Mississippi, which began operation in 1944.
Dealing with the Byrds Chapter 2
After going through the pangs of making sure that The Byrds were going to arrive on time and perform (chapter 1), i never envisioned the things that were to come.
the Director of Social Affairs at Memphis State University (now University of Memphis) had warned me what to expect but there were some things that apparently, he did not experience that i did.
he said they showed up 45 minutes late for an 8pm show, played 5 or 6 songs and left with no encores. he was generally pissed.
The Byrd’s equipment semi and their advance team arrived about 6pm which was way late in my mind. the band arrived about an hour later. Their setup was pretty simple and the sound system was pretty straight forward, no special equipment requests.
the band was a different story. i went in the dressing room to greet them and make sure that we did not have a repeat of the previous night late start and limited song list. i immediately saw that they were using drugs and doing whatever they wanted. i told the road manager that we were on campus and alcohol and drugs were not allowed. there was security. the manager informed me that he did not like me and that they may not play at all. of course, this turned into an exchange of threats of litigation and physical violence from me, which he did not seem to care about. i don’t think he perceived a real threat.
the byrd’s manager then demanded payment of the back half of their contract before they went on stage. thinking that i did not have any option and that it was a check which payment could be stopped, i presented the check for $2,500 to him. we had already paid them $2,500 with the signing of the contract through the william morris agency.
the tour manager looked at the check and handed it back to me and said, “cash only”. i looked at him in astonishment. he looked back with a blank look and said, “cash or they don’t go on.
i knew there was one chance of getting that check cashed and that was Kiamie’s bowling alley. i jumped in my car and raced out to kiamie’s. mae helen was at the cash register in the restaurant and I presented the check to her. she immediately said “let me get Mr. Kiamie.” as Mr kiamie walked up mae helen presented him the check. Mr kiamie looked at the check and said “how do you want it son?” I replied “$100s will be fine “
I raced back to the Tad Pad and presented the money to the road manager, who only laughed as though he really did not expect me to get it done.
the Byrds went on timely but only played six songs, all hits, and left the stage never to return for an encore. needless to say, the audience booed for a suitable time after they figured out that the concert was over. there were better days ahead with the mama’s and papa’s on tap in early May.
sweating The Byrds to the venue. (chapter 1)
The Byrds https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Byrds were riding high in the Spring of 1966 based on folk/rock hits, such as: Mr. Tambourine Man and Turn, Turn, Turn. i was looking forward to them being a part of our 1965-1966 school year concert program schedule. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Mississippi i should have been more aware of their move into psychedelic rock.
we had booked them in conjunction with visits to Memphis State, then Ole Miss and following at Mississippi State. i am not really sure of that. it may have been the University of Alabama. ticket sales had been good and we were glad to have the Tad Pad https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tad_Smith_Coliseum for the show. because we were in the Tad Pad, ticket sales were still open the day of the concert and we were promoting the show through the student union pa system.
at about 3 pm the day of the concert and while i was at the student union building playing promotions for the concert, i called my counter part at Memphis State University hoping to get an update on what to expect in terms of arrival and setup. at this point i had not heard one word from the Byrds and their advance team.
the news was not good. they had showed up late and only played about 5 songs and exited with “no encores”. Panic set in. Memphis was 2 hours away and we had zilch from them. my msu counterpart knew they were staying at the Holiday Inn on Union, so i called.
the front desk told me they had been at the pool all day partying.
whoever answered the phone in their room was not helpful either. in fact, he immediately told me he did not like me and they may not show up at all because i told him oxford was two hours away. they needed to get on the way!
full scale panic attack!
Scott McLain’s Travelgate
Josephine Journey, update, final!: Day Thirteen brought us home! What a wonderful and fun trip! No (no) mishaps, no crosswords, no major frustrations, just fun and love, and seeing parts of our great country. We could not be happier. Our purpose, to meet fair Joshephine, was wonderfully accomplished, and we did so much more. / As we left Little Rock this morning, we did manage one-stop, to the Clinton Presidential Library (you know how we are!), just across the river from our camp. It was, of course, closed, but it is a grand and well-sited structure. We look forward to a visit inside one day. / We made our way to Brentwood, turned in the RV, transferred our household, and headed south to Huntsville. Arriving home was sweet, of course, but we really enjoyed this trip! / We want to thank you for your following of this adventure these past days. With every like and comment, we have felt your interest and support. It has been very affirming and fun to share this time with you. I thank you for reading! S
At this point I thought I would share a few other thoughts about the journey and process that some of you may find interesting. Do not feel compelled to read further, I may be a bit long, but here are some observations if you are so inclined.
-The short story is that moving about in a RV is easy and great fun! It is not a hassle, it is not cheesy, it is not a pain. It is really rather luxurious but have some treats, we just worked with the ceiling fans atlanta ga best installers as is it gets to hot sometimes at night.
-Arriving at a camp and setting up is a ten – minute process. Unlike the time it takes to check in to a hotel room, speak to the clerk, find the elevator, walk down the hall, find your room, not to mention park your car, you have connected the vehicle, set up your chairs, made your cocktails and snacks, and find yourselves relaxing and taking in a pretty lovely vista.
-Departing in the morning is equally easy. The process may take fifteen minutes, and it is not a hassle, and you do not have to pack, you do not have to do the final check to see that you have taken all your things. You just bathe, dress, have a breakfast of your choice, disconnect, and head out. It is easy!
-The utilities in RVs work great. The AC is robust and cool, the heat is quite warm, the hot water is hot, there is a microwave and stove, and all the bathroom equipment works as expected as well.
-Spending thirteen days in a RV causes you to think about just how many square feet you need for living. . . . We were quite comfortable in our small space.
-It also helps to enjoy the company of your fellow traveler(s). Being in a RV adventure is a 24 – hour experience. We got along famously.
-There may be two ways of going in a RV. Our program this time was as transportation and protected lodging, Covid inspired. It worked great. This means that we mainly drove, toured some, camped, and headed out. We did not ride the bikes we brought, we did not use the fly fishing gear we brought, nor the hiking boots. Another way to use a RV is to drive less and do more. We aspire to do this another time, and we are already planning that adventure.
-Many of our nation’s urban interstate highways are in quite poor repair. Many of our nation’s rural interstate highways are in relatively or quite good repair. Northern interstates are worse than southern interstates based on ice and the weather.
-We saw a lot of animals! Lots of antelope, ducks, and deer, a few turkey, and several raccoons. Also, regrettably, “somewhere in the Black Hills of South Dakota,” I ran over rocky raccoon – a. Little fella just jumped out about eleven one night, hell bent to cross the road, regardless of where I might be at 75 miles per hour. Poor feller never had a chance, and I had no chance to spare him.
-A RV, at least a rental, is a truck. The ride is not like that of the cars we have; they bounce, they rattle, and they are loud. Next time we will upgrade and maybe that will be another experience. That said, we were very satisfied with our time in this vehicle (Class C, 30 – foot, Ford E450).
-It takes a few miles to become comfortable with driving the vehicle, particularly if you go fast, which we did. I found that for the first few days I gradually increased my speed and comfort level until I think I reached the tolerable limit of what the machine can easily do. I felt very good about my driving the last several days for sure. There is a lot more arm action and steering work than with the cars that we drive.
-We did not have Sirius radio, to which I though I was addicted. Many of the last days, however, we listened to our other music maybe 10% of the day, and had silence for the balance. I found that I played songs in my head, and it was fine. Also, we have not watched television in two weeks, and, frankly, I do not feel poorer for the lack.
-RV parks are amazingly secure and comforting. The parks are generally fenced and gated and are clean and nice. We stayed in KOA, Good Sam, a Colorado State Park, and a private park. People there have invested between $40,000 and $1,000,000 in their accommodations and they have driven and toured all day. When night comes they are tired and quiet, like you are. No one bothers anyone, and no one that is not supposed to be there is there. The camps feel very secure, even in urban areas.
-For me, as a driver, I have learned that 450 miles is a fine day, 600 miles is a long day, and 750 miles is a hellaciously long day. I can do all of these, with less desire to do the 750 – mile days except when you need to and are trying to cover a long distance. A 450 – mile day will likely put you at your camp before dark, which is nice for having a cocktail, grilling a meal, and enjoying an evening. One night like that we also played Scrabble (Yolanda won, 311 to 263, which was a pretty high scoring game.).
-Concluding, if you want to know more be in touch. We had a blast and have already scheduled our next trip, at which time we plan to drive, maybe in an upgraded unit and only to a 450 – mile destination.
Thanks again for supporting us and joining us in this adventure! S
the mamas and papas
In the fall of 1965, I was the chairman of the Associated Student Body’s (ASB) Social Affairs Committee of the University of Mississippi. As such i was responsible for booking concerts and bands for University concerts and dances. I got off to a very rocky start. Some of it was my being a rookie. I booked The Seekers, http://www.theseekers.com.au/ as part of an American tour for the fall of 1965 which never made. They were riding high with several current hits and were my road to a good start for the 65-66 season.
Of course, being as inexperienced as i was, I let a William Morris agent, who i had a lot of confidence in, talk me into an even more adventurous move. he was going to make it up to me because the Seekers tour never made. He offered The Highwaymen as a fall substitute and a group that no one had ever heard of for a two-hour show for $2,500 for a May 1966 concert. i agreed to it and signed the contract.
by the end of 1965, the wm agent was calling saying what a mistake he had made offering a 2-hour show that this group’s first album was being released in early 1966 and they were going to be huge. their first release “Go Where You Want To Go” was big but never got into the top 10.
Ole Miss Associated Student Body concerts series in the school year 1965-66
Fall of 1965
The Highwaymen
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Highwaymen_(folk_band)
The Righteous Brothers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Righteous_Brothers
Spring of 1966
Johnny Mathis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Mathis
The Byrds
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Byrds
The Mamas and the Papas
10 Commandments of Gun Safety
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- USE PROPER AMMUNITION.
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- BE SURE THE BARREL IS CLEAR OF OBSTRUCTIONS BEFORE SHOOTING.
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