There are over forty interviews in my brother, Frank Reddon’s, book on Led Zeppelin. But I’d like to tell you about one of my favourites because there’s an important lesson in it for all of us. And I need a good kick start every once in awhile with these subtle reminders!
The interviewee, Bill N., is an amazing guy who lives in Welland, where Frank works. They met through a mutual friend who was aware of how heavily into music they both are.
Bill has had an incredibly full life as a business exec, drag racer, music promoter and more! But when he was a kid, he met one of his idols (and Zeppelin’s, too): The King of Rock’n’roll – Elvis Presley. After all, it was Presley’s song, Baby Let’s Play House, which prompted Jimmy Page to learn guitar!
Anyway…
Young Bill listened to the radio constantly – especially to the blues music that was coming out of the United States. He was so knowledgeable, he landed a gig as DJ when Jerry Lee Lewis came to perform in Fonthill, a town close to his.
One night, a friend of Bill’s told him that Elvis was coming through Welland on the train. The kid’s father worked on the railroad and said it would be late at night. Like 3 or 4am.
Bill was only eleven years old. He told his parents he was going to get up really early, ride his bike to the train station and meet ELVIS! His Dad’s only comment was to say hello to the King for him.
His alarm went off, he hopped on his bike and rode to the station. Sure enough, there was a train stopped. The conductor pointed out the coach where Elvis and his entourage still had lights on. They were travelling between gigs in Toronto and Buffalo.
Bill approached the window and knocked. The blind flew up and there was Elvis, surrounded by teddy bears and flowers from that night’s concert!
They started talking about the blues. Bill told him how wonderful it was that Elvis was doing all this blues music and gospel. Elvis was so impressed, he called his guys over. “You gotta hear this kid. He knows more about music than all of us do!”
Fifteen minutes later, as the train was about to depart, Elvis stuck his hand out the window and said, “Bill, it’s been a pleasure. This is the highlight of my trip. I really enjoyed talking to you!”
Frank summed it all up like this.
“The fact you were only eleven and had such a knowledge of the ‘old blues’ must have floored him. What a fantastic story! You’re only able to tell it now because you made it all happen by getting your butt out of bed at 3:00 o’clock in the morning. That’s great!”
I hate to think about how many opportunities I’ve slept through.
How about you?
Lou Anne Reddon, Editor
Sonic Boom: The Impact of Led Zeppelin
[...] Follow this link: How a Kid Met the King « Led Zeppelin Guru [...]