JENNY

Lake Havasu City is now big enough to have a convention center, one that’s able to host concerts, as well as bring in top-name entertainers. With Havasu only 70 miles from Laughlin, entertainers could make this a stopping off point for those either going to, or coming from, the casinos.

I have several friends who’ve spent thousands of dollars traveling to see their favorite bands and singers perform. The Brookings are huge fans of The Rolling Stones, with them trying to catch at least one concert a year. After each show, they always report back that Mick Jagger is still as energetic as he was when they first started going.

Records show that Jagger’s a health guru, exercising regularly while eating organic foods and lean meats. Mick even takes along a portable gymnasium on his road trips. Willie Nelson, despite what some might think, now tries to follow the same strict guidelines as Mick Jagger where eating is concerned.

Willie Nelson attempts to avoid processed food, believing that it’s a big part of our nation’s health problem. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the newly appointed Secretary of Health and Human Services, echoes this sentiment. My wife and I try to emulate Mick, Willie, and Robert by eating right, but we find it hard to do so while traveling.

Returning to my main topic, concerts, years ago, while living in Alaska, the first concert and dance I attended was Mogen David & The Grapes Of Wrath. One of the teenage musicians was a friend of mine. Their top song to play was “Pipeline” by the Ventures.

Several big-name entertainers came to Anchorage while I lived there. Lou Rawls performed a special concert at my high school, East High, and I believe it was in 1971. A music teacher at East was friends with the singer, with Rawls doing this short performance as a favor to her.

The Doobie Brothers are the first big-name group I remember hearing, although I didn’t see them. Flat broke, I failed to score tickets when the popular group came to Anchorage in 1973, yet the group played inside a metal Quonset hut building on Fireweed Lane, and the acoustics outside were undoubtedly better than within.

Three friends and I rode bicycles to this building and hung around out back very close to where the stage sat. Fireweed Lane was most appropriate for the concert address, because when the show was over and the doors opened, clouds of pot smoke drifted outside. I’ll never forget that night.

After this event, Gordon Lightfoot came to town in 1974. My good friend, Rod Sanborn, was hired as one of the security personnel for that event. Rod claimed that Lightfoot was drunk, yet he managed to pull off his show without a hitch.

In researching Gordon Lightfoot’s history, the guitarist and singer admitted to being an alcoholic but overcame this addiction in the 1990s. I consider him one of my favorite male vocalists. The Righteous Brothers hit Anchorage in 1975, also performing at West High Auditorium. I was also there, although I don’t remember much of the performance.

Other concerts attended include Kenny Rogers, The Little River Band, Jackson Browne, and Crosby, Stills, & Nash. Perhaps my last live concert was Tommy Tutone. Tickets to Tommy Tutone were won by me on a radio show, with my brother-in-law, Gary Adair, agreeing to go along.

This concert took place in a combination hotel and convention center, the Westmark, on May 31, 1982. The building was packed, and I’m sure it exceeded Anchorage’s fire department occupancy rate. Gary and I joined the crowd, with a decision made beforehand to listen to their big hit, “867-5309,” and then leave. We did just that.

Since then, I’ve seen Jenny’s phone number written in many places, especially on restroom walls. I doubt this younger generation gives the infamous phone number any thought, as they don’t have a clue who Jenny or Tommy Tutone is.

This past week, I replaced a built-in medicine cabinet in our guest bathroom. The alcove where it sits was a perfect spot for me to write a commemorative of sorts to Tommy Tutone.

“Jenny – 867-5309” was added to the sheetrock with a black Magic Marker. Once my new cabinet was slid into place, this message became invisible, that is, until someone repaints or remodels years down the road. I’d like to be a fly on the wall when that happens.

Tommy Tutone is still performing and will be in Tucson on July 3. Tickets are $37.00 each. I consider that a bargain compared to what the Stones get for theirs—$1500 for the VIP section, and they’ll quickly sell out.

For $250, Joleen and I can drive to Tucson, catch Tommy Tutone’s show, leave right after “8675309” is over, have a decent meal afterwards, and then spend the night at Motel 6. Sounds like a plan.

I’ll let the Brookings know if Tommy Heath is still as energetic as he was 53 years ago. Heath is the only remaining member of Tommy Tutone and the person this group is named after.

If Tommy’s been eating healthy like Mick, Willie, and Robert Kennedy Jr., there’s no reason he won’t be. I’ll know where we’re headed before the music even starts if I see a giant oxygen bottle sitting on stage.

Should Havasu ever decide to build a coliseum, Tommy Tutone definitely needs to be on the list of first-time performers. Add to that, Mogen David & The Grapes Of Wrath, although it might be tough getting them back together after all these years.