The Newest Tops

After a hugely successful run of Ben Whiting’s show, “American Gypsy” in Chicago, Ben and I headed south to Atlanta where the National SAM Convention was taking place.  The plan was for Ben and I to work the Magic Inc. booth during the week, and then for me to do my lecture on my book, “BEATING A DEAD HORSE: The Life and Times of Jay Marshall” on the final day.  Things don’t always work out the way you planned.  This turned out to be the best convention I never saw.  After Ben and I set up the booth on Tuesday night, I spent the next day at Emory Hospital where I had evidently hit the Trifecta.  I wound up being treated for Bacterial Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye), Bronchitis, and Laryngitis.  As a result, I spent the entire week in bed (and not in a good way).  I didn’t see any of the shows or lectures at the SAM convention.  My entire focus was to get well enough to do my lecture.  My good friend, John Calvert—a fine actor/magician—who will be ninety-nine years old as of August 5th, once told me that he gets up every day and acts the role of a young man.  Taking his lead, I got up on the day of my lecture and although I was still pretty sick, acted the role of a well man, and managed to pull it off.

Things didn’t seem all that well organized when I got down to the Grand Ballroom to do my lecture.   There was no one from the SAM to greet me, but I tracked down the sound and video people and did my checks.  There didn’t seem to be anyone in charge, and there was no one there to introduce me so it was time to improvise.  I’d recently done an interview with Dick Cavett who gives me a lovely intro on video so I told the guy at the computer to run that, and when Mr. Cavett introduced me on video, I took the stage to a warm hand from the assemblage.  After some initial problems with recorded footage where the images on the computer froze, things settled down, and I did the one hour lecture for an appreciative audience with everyone laughing in the right places.  Afterward, I did the usual book signings and then helped pack up the Magic Inc. booth.  Although I was listed as the SAM’s “Celebrity Lecture” we were not invited to their banquet that evening.  Susan and I went to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant (just across the street from Hooters) with Ben Whiting, Kozmo, Axel Hecklau, Dirk Losander, Merritt Ambrose, and Len Fox.  The food was good and the company was terrific, but—trust me on this one—Jay would have been across the street at Hooters.

Stick it to the man sister.  RANT ON!