I bought Steve a Christmas/Birthday present to give to him when I met him
here in Memphis (notice I say "when" - there was never a question of "if")
:) I wanted to buy him something that would mean as much to him as his
voice and music had meant to me. I got him this multi CD with the history of
Sam Cooke (plus book). Anyway, I bartended at a large club at the time and
knew the DJ there who was also on the radio in the morning. Of course he
knew that I was crazy about Steve and when he arranged for Sass to come to
the radio station he called me and invited me to come meet her.
They did a
live set at the studio - really cool and I met her and she was great. I
showed her the present (hadn't wrapped it yet) and asked if she might give me
some idea of how to get it to him. She said that nobody stayed at the same
hotel as Steve and she didn't even know which hotel he was staying at but
that if I gave it to her at the concert she would take it to him. So, after
meeting her and talking to the DJ, I headed for home on the interstate. Well
about 1/2 of the way there I suddenly just KNEW where he was staying (firmly
believe that i was experiencing "Perryvision").
I got off at that exit,
turned around and got back on going downtown and drove straight to the
Radisson Hotel (mind you I had only even been downytown about three times) -
went inside and the place was deserted but I KNEW that he was there, I don't
know how, but I knew. I sat down in the lobby and in about 5 minutes (at the
most) who walks in the door but Steve and his bodyguard/manager/shadow (can't
remember his name). NOBODY was there!!! I said a little prayer (and feet
don't fail me now) and called his name and walked up to him, shook his hand
and introduced myself and told him I had a Christmas/Birthday present for
him. (and don't think I wasn't shaking in my shoes - pure adrenalin rush like
never before).
We talked a little about Memphis and where he had been and
the restaurant he had just eaten at. I handed him the present bag and asked
him if he was curious as to what was in it. He smiled and said that he was
but wanted to open it in his hotel room "just in case...". Anyway, a little
more small talk and he said he had to make some phone calls so I told him how
much his music meant to me and that I was so thrilled to finally meet him.
They went up the elevator and I about passed out. I sat down to collect
myself because I was about to cry. Then I walked out of the hotel and was
heading for my car when I heard "Hey Red!!" - "Annette", well I turned around
and it was the manager Steve was with and he asked me to come back inside.
He said that Steve was absolutely thrilled with the present and in fact,
they had just bought a CD player the day before (conicidence? I wonder...)
and he was playing the CD and would be calling my house (I had also put a
little letter in the card with my phone number - ya never can tell) and
that Steve wanted to make sure I had tickets and backstage passes so he could
thank me personally.
I cried all the way home. That night I took my
daughter and my sister backstage and we chatted some more and my daughter
told him that she felt like she knew him because she had heard his voice her
whole life (that made him laugh) and she got autographs of everyone. I
didn't ask for an autograph because what he gave me was worth so much more.
Just thinking about it now takes me back like it was yesterday. And I can
guarantee that I will meet them again on this tour - I'll just put up the Perry
Radar and we're on the way!