Page 123 - Been There… Done That!

Been There... Done That!
daughter Sylvia, who had been to some of my shows at the Lake of the Ozarks.
I spent the first day helping Doug with horses and the following day, Friday, I was in my room having just cleaned up and planning to go to the lounge for a drink when I heard a knock on my door. It was Sylvia and Fran Gilmore. They asked if there was any way I could help with the band in the lounge because one of the guitar players was sick and unable to perform. If I would help out, they said they’d be more than happy to comp my room. I told them if they would comp Doug’s too, they had a deal. No problem – they would comp both rooms for the week. The response in the club that night was a little overwhelming and all I could say was WOW! Doug and I left for Texas the following Monday.
We finally met with Dickie Turner, Doug’s partner in the horse business, in Lubbock, Texas. We had come to the conclusion that we were going to take a break for the winter and let the horses go until spring. The morning after that decision, I got a call from the owner of the Ramada in Sedalia, offering me a job, which I accepted. He put me in charge of damn near everything. Then came a power struggle and I just didn’t need that drama – after all, I’m an entertainer. Business under my direction was booming, but I didn’t care. My future wife’s parents offered me the use of their farm and I’m certainly glad I took that deal.
The way I met my wife Debbie was a little on the odd side. When I was doing appearances at the Ramada in Sedalia, her parents had been in a couple of times. When she was on a break from college,
her parents brought her in to meet me and see my group perform. 121