Page 80 - Been There… Done That!

Gary Graham
filled out the paperwork for taxes which was required. The dealer knew me personally and said that I was traveling to Missouri and that I was a successful entertainer and I was able to afford the car. The trooper had a very sudden attitude change and was actually helping me put my things back in my car. By that time, I had been there for half a day and I was not happy. As I started to get in the car, the bastard had the nerve to ask me for an autographed record. It was hard to do, but I gave him one. If only we had cell phones in those days.
Back in Missouri, I let things clear out, didn’t play music for three or four months and that October underwent tonsil surgery. This was a week after my birthday and the operation turned out to be pretty serious because my tonsils were severely impacted. That Las Vegas air had finished them off but I had been getting by until I got home and my tonsils became infected.
I was sidelined for about another month. I remember having to do vocal exercises to retrain myself. I had to get myself back and I tried to sing after about two weeks but my throat stung as if alcohol was poured into a wound. I quit trying to rush things and I continued the vocal rehabilitation for the next three or four weeks.
By that December I was feeling good again, ready to go and when the first big snowstorm hit, I hauled ass back to California. At the time John and I had an office in Beverly Hills and I was able to pick up work in studios, but I wanted to be back onstage performing. One day John asked me if I was ready. I told him I was still concerned about pulling a band together using the musicians that were available locally. At the same time, Voss Boreta and “Nick
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