Friday, November 09, 2007

A stroll down memory lane..

So, the quickie reunion was mighty nice.. get your mind out of the gutters people.

A good bottle of wine and a pleasant couple of hours of catch up and recollection is a fine way to spend an afternoon. J-Man came out of the closet about 15 years ago- good for him. I was mildly amused that he was a wee bit put out that I wasn’t shocked. Umm, honey I saw that coming nearly three decades ago? But in truth most people wouldn’t have, I just did for what ever reason. He’s well, happy and living his life, it’s all good. It was a lovely afternoon.

So for Tate and EG, the lurid details of a part of Miss Dora’s tale. Why y’all need the nasty I don’t fathom..

Long, long ago, in a galaxy far, far away.. Oops, wrong story. Long, long ago in a small college town- OK, right story. Music was always a large part of my life. Daddy was a frustrated musician, so my early childhood definitely had a sound track. Benny Goodman, Miles Davis, Cole Porter and so on and so on.. I’d sit on his lap and close my eyes and just listen and he’d ask “what instrument is that?” I was singing along with Miss Ella at about age three.. One of the parent’s restaurants had a pretty well known blues joint in the basement and I got to hear a lot of really great people that broadened my musical tastes. Then my older brothers got into music and that whole late sixties early seventies rock and folk got thrown into the mix. I loved it all, and still do.

I sang in the church choir- yes it boggles the mind. The only thing that kept me returning to church was choir, plain and simple. There was an amazing director, young, gay and full of excellent ideas. The youth choir at that Methodist church was incredible.. There were indeed people that came to services merely to hear the choir. The only thing that kept me in high school was theater and chorus truthfully, the rest of the time I was bored out of my mind, or getting stoned to try and numb the fact I was bored out of my mind..

So naturally what would Miss Dora do when left to her own devices? Well find a band or four to hang out with naturally. Knees blew out and ballet became a fond “what if” so what the hell, let’s hit the band circuit. Now the fun thing about small college towns is that bands tend to be fluid things, and all tend to party together.. Yep- I was a stage ‘ho. The Blues one night, a rock band the next, and I did Patsy Cline and Emmylou and Waylon more than once as well. And yes, I have been a Do-Wop girl too.

The boys in the bands loved me for three things- I loved music, I have this idiot savant thing with lyrics, and let’s face it, having a chick fronting gets you a little exposure. And oddly enough it really wasn’t an “attention” thing per se for me. It was just a state of joy for me to be on stage, and in truth it was in many respects not “me” on stage- just me, and the music and the other folks just came along for the ride. I was equally as happy just jamming in a living room at some communal house with 10 people that had never played together.

My voice was never anything spectacular- but people were often surprised that voice did come out of a short scrawny white chick.. I’m a natural tenor. Yes- skinny little pale girl can sing the blues. But I had fun with it, and it made me very happy.

As to the sordid drugs, sex and leather pants.. No Hat- thankfully no pictures survive that I am aware of, so don’t start.. Tate and EG, you’ll just have to bloody well call me if you want those nasty bits. And the prior year in New York? Well that would be the real collection of sordid tales. I often look in the mirror and wonder how the hell I made it out alive..

7 comments:

evilganome said...

It's amazing any of us make it out of our youth alive. Sounds like you got a lot of good memories out of it. I will be happy to tell you sordid tales of my own if you meet us in New York this spring when the bloggers are thinking of gathering again.

Anonymous said...

Hey, let's see the...DAMMIT! (fists to the sky)
In other news, you have a true musicians heart. I love that you felt as great on stage as you did in a cozy hang out. Aren't musicky types the bestest? (not for dating/marrying...just for hanging)

Doralong said...

Tony- never ceases to amaze me I made it out alive truthfully. But I had a damn good time while it lasted for sure. Humm, NY in the spring? When did you have in mind, what neighborhood? I get to gossip with you boys, yay!!

Hat- Yep- just for hanging.. totally forget the rest of it, but great to have as friends and occasional sex wasn't bad- but there it ends. And don't even go there, nothing to see missy, move along, no more instigating..

Elizabeth said...

I often look in the mirror and wonder how the hell I made it out alive..

Oh my goodness, yes....skating cluelessly along on the thinest of ice. And, amazingly, it never gave way beneath me. Cracked, yes, and so did I at times. But sometimes it was just a lot of fun. And now i watch my girls like a hawk trying to guide them to less risky fun....

Anonymous said...

A lady never Kisses and tells, and neither do I. I was merely interested in your performance history... You and I were truly seperated at birth. I was bright, bored, and stoned most of high school, and would have just died on the vine without Choir and theater to see me through. I am slightly jealous of your time fronting a band, that was always a little dream of mine, which was never realized. Booze and cigarettes tainted my good voice, so now I am happy just to listen and discover new talent.

Unknown said...

I'd love to see pictures of you onstage. I did my own tiki band thing, and while not burdened by talent, I had a great time. Even played Vegas.

I think its great that you were able to reconnect with someone from your past.

more cowbell said...

fantastic story! See - hell on wheels. I also lived for choir, performing ensemble, church choir, and church quartet. It was a small town, so I had local fame, which was great fun at the time. Ditto Tater - envious of your fabulously fun experience --- that must've been great. House of blues beats church choir any day, I'd imagine. And a tenor out that small package of a bod? Go, girl.