Malt Shoppe Memories Cruise

Yes, that's Uncle Jesse (John Stamos) playing guitar with Mike Love of the Beach Boys. The Beach Boys today had only two of the original members (Mike Love and Bruce Johnston), but were supplemented by John Stamos (of Full House fame) and John Cowsill (the youngest of The Cowsill Family who recorded Hair and The Rain, The Park, and Other Things in the late 60's) who both played drums during the two shows I attended on the Carnival ship Inspiration. I've posted a number of other pictures on my Face Book page (John David Wild) under Rock & Roll Concert in the photo albums.

The gentlemen on the left is Ernest Evans, who turned 70 this month. You know him as Chubby Checker, who was given that last name by Dick Clark's wife, when she compared his Chubby first name (given him as a youth by an earlier employer) to Fats Domino. Fats Domino, Chubby Checker - a star was born doing a dance considered obscene in those days - the Twist. We had several opportunities to meet him, and listen to his story - a truly decent man who made his mark in music for my generation.

Another favorite was Lou Christie, who recorded Two Faces Have I, Lightnin' Strikes (probably his best known) and Rhapsody In The Rain. That last one was restricted on American Forces Network as the lyric went "and in my car, our love went much too far" and referenced another lyric "the windshield wipers seemed to say...together, together" - pretty racy stuff for that time. Lou, among several others on the ship, wasn't hitting those high notes quite as I remembered, but then again neither can I.

The cruise went from Tampa to Freeport, Bahamas, and back. Freeport wasn't that hot a town, but the action was all on the ship anyway. Poodle skirts and leather jackets, t-shirts rolled up with cigarette packages stuffed up the sleeve, and saddle oxford shoes were legion on the decks. Even Little Anthony (of Little Anthony and the Imperials fame) was performing renewal of vow marriages onboard. When not singing, he's an ordained minister. Sadly, Jay Black (as in Jay and the Americans) had canceled due to a heart attack several weeks before the cruise. Like our WW II veterans, these guys are Rock & Roll's greatest generation and will not be with us forever, but the music will go on, and on, and on........