Page 127 - Been There… Done That!

Been There... Done That!
I was hired by the Missouri State Fair to manage the stage and entertainment along with taking care of security and catering. Thinking it would be a walk in the park, I started by telling everyone there were going to be some changes. I didn’t want anyone extra backstage while we had a concert going on. In the past, security had been a problem with too many people backstage. I had different thoughts on that and the first show night we didn’t make some people happy as we had the Highway Patrol escort them out. The only way anyone could stay backstage was with my permission or the artist. The word spread quickly and in no time, backstage was under control. I didn’t have problems with the entertainers because some of them knew me and all of them recognized that we spoke the same language. I wasn’t into booking anything but huge stars and thankfully, fair director Marion Lucas and I were on the same page. The Director of Agriculture came backstage and asked, “what are you trying to do, Graham, break us? My response was, “No Sir, I’m not only trying, but I am also going to make you some money.”
Marion wanted to do something on the last Sunday of the fair, and I told him we should do something big. He was open for suggestions and I told him I would book a Hank, Jr. show. Marion sat back and said he had heard Hank could be a problem. I told him that I would risk it because I knew his manager, Merle Kilgore. Merle had been with Hank Senior and had a few hits of his own. I felt since I knew him we could make this work. With Hank, Jr. booked for the last Sunday, I went to the airport to pick them up. In those days I wore quite a bit of gold jewelry and when they got off Hank’s private jet, I heard Merle yell, “goddamn, it’s the gold man.”
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