Fly On The Wall

Being a working musician is much like being a fly on the wall.  We get to see different cultures and sometimes famous people at events and learn from and observe the whole scene.

A friend of mine told me this story about Lionel Hampton’s experience of this phenomenon:

Lionel Hampton was a friend of the Bush’s and there was a little kid who would get Cokes for the guys in the band when Hampton would play at some functions.  That little kid was none other than George W. Bush.

My experiences have been just as engaging:

I remember playing for Congressman John Conyer’s birthday party at BET on Jazz Restaurant and President Bill Clinton was due to show up.  The secret service detail told me to remove my mouthpiece from my saxophone because President Clinton was known for grabbing saxophones from the stage and playing them.  He apparently had done that some nights prior and they were just being cautious.  When President Clinton did get on the stage I distinctly saw him looking over at my saxophone.  Good work secret service, all in a night’s work.

If you have a story that you would like to share please send it in the email box on the right or you can just post it in comments below.