Thank you

Danke Schoen; Wayne Newton

In the spring of 1979, the music teacher for kindergarten through eighth grade at Sioux Valley Schools had the elementary school students perform a program of music through the decades with the first-graders singing a couple songs from the 1910’s, second graders singing songs from the 1920’s, and so on. When she got to programming music for the 1950’s, she decided that she wanted some bass and drums added to the piano. She also wanted to free herself up from the piano. She asked me to play the piano for the fifth and sixth grade classes. She also asked my friends John, who played bass, and Troy, who played drums, to play as well. Guess what. We were a huge hit. Guess what also what. We were terrible. But it didn’t matter. We were fourteen and fifteen years old. We made chord coordinated noise while somebody banged on a drum. That’s all you need at that age.

I always looked up to John. He was one of those “bigger than life” characters that all of us meet on the highway of life. He was more than the class clown. He was more than a show-off. He had pizzazz. He had panache. He had moxie, razzle, dazzle and zeal. He’s the only person I’ve ever met whose comedic and social shenanigans operated under a consistently full measure of serendipity and je nais sais quoi.

When I saw the movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, I didn’t see Matthew Broderick on the screen. I saw my friend John. Like Ferris, John did funny things. Like Ferris, John said funny things. Like Ferris, John invented his own fast lane, and made it his own private drive.

Of course, the high point of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” is when Mr. Bueller jumps on the float in the parade and lip synchs to Wayne Newton’s “Danke Schoen” and then “Twist And Shout”. I don’t know if John would have been in possession of the wherewithal of hipness to know the words to “Danke Schoen”. But he might have known the lyrics to “Twist And Shout”.

In 1999, the lighting of the National Christmas Tree at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., - called the Pageant of Peace – featured classical soprano Renee Fleming, country and bluegrass artist Marty Stuart and … you guessed it … your friend and mine … Mr. Las Vegas, his own ‘sef … Wayne Newton. “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band had been chosen to be the “house” band that year. And I had been chosen to be in the “house” band. We rehearsed with the musical guests on the day before the pageant at the Marine barracks. Wayne Newton, along with all of the other musical talent, was there to rehearse his numbers, was very personable, and took the time to talk with anyone who wanted to strike up a conversation with him. He wasn’t asked to sing “Danke Schoen”, for which he said “Thank you.”

Credits: To Wayne Newton, for warming hearts with your music and for his work with the USO. You’re a good man, Newt. And to John. I, to this day, revel in your impulsive, impromptu and expeditious nature.

Only three months until Christmas. Stores are open until ten o’clock after Thanksgiving.

This is my normal Saturday individual track posting.