THE WONDER KIDS

In October of 1974 I was selling adult t-shirts for a friend of mine in Berkeley California and also Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco. I started printing baby shirts and was able to sell them without conflict next to the adult shirts.

I was now the Wonder Kid and my baby shirts became very popular and I made a lot of money in those six weeks. 2 weeks later we were packed up in a pickup truck with a cabover camper heading to New Orleans from the San Fernando Valley on the start of my first Great dventure.

I met a girl. I can still see that day in my mind's eye. We pulled up to a tiny house and sat in a circle she was to my left. Her blue eyes, cute nose, thin lips and a long neck and the longest blonde hair. She had one of each, I was so happy. And her long long legs that only ended in the cutest pear-shaped ass. I couldn't help it she was a California girl and I fell for her, thus the Wonder Kids were born.

This trip basically started with the Story of Stories and it continued through the years into my life stories each one special but in some sense just the same as everyone else's. What happened to the  girl? For a brief moment in time we were in love and for a millisecond in time she was the mother of our child, then she wasn't. The story of the girl had an ending they drifted apart went their separate ways, she lived happily ever after. But she will always have a special place in my heart.

Our podcast "Bench to Bench" will be at the New Orleans Jazz Festival in October of 2021. I don't know who's going to show up or if anyone will even remember us but one of the fondest memories I have of those times was playing frisbee at the jazz festival an hour before they opened.

I have activated my bucket list, there are only two items on my list, both of them pretty big stuff.

I was born in Hollywood California I call Toluca Lake California home. And on the way right smack dab in the middle is the Hollywood Bowl. My  teenage childhood dream was to conduct the LA philharmonic orchestra as a guest conductor at the Hollywood Bowl. I've kind of added a little bit to that. The LA philharmonic orchestra with a rhythm section. As I face the orchestra on my left is the First Baptist Church Choir from Tupelo Mississippi. And to my right if God is good, for my house band John Mayo and the Bluesbreakers. Right now I only have one song on the playlist. To to construct a playlist for the music in my life I would a consultant. I am of the class of 1972 North Hollywood High School. I believe that my classmates and those of Grant High School Burbank High School and Hollywood High School could come together on this project. Next year is our 50th anniversary and what else do we have to do but put on a show. 

And the first song on the playlist is of course School's Out by Alice Cooper June 1972.

And for the second and last item on my bucket list if I am successful at this. I am hoping to start a new story as I walk out the stage  door to a car waiting to take me home after the show.