The day my music died

by Al Gibson

Heartbroken and stunned were the two words that best described my initial feeling when I read the text from Janie Monday afternoon as I drove home from shooting the CCHS golf match.

“Olivia Newton John died today.”

I almost had to pull the truck off to the side of the road.

It’s been a tough year for music in my world – first I lost Mama Judd a few months ago and now this – my teenage heartthrob and likely the “hottest” female on the face of the planet, Olivia Newton John had passed away.

Olivia Newton John had battled repeatedly with breast cancer since 1992, and on Monday, at the age of 73, she passed away at her California home due to the disease.

Her third album release, Let Me Be There, hit the shelves in 1973, and it was with that release that I fell in love with Olivia Newton John.

The songs from that 8-track tape played so often in my car on the way to high school that they eventually were worn to the point that it suffered the dreaded fate of all 8-tracks of that era – hearing two songs at the same time.

Olivia looked great from any angle, her voice was mesmerizing, her smile paralyzed me, her Australian accent sent chills up the back of my neck – but there was something else that she had that always made me stop in my tracks – those huge “cocker spaniel” eyes.

They were always staring straight toward me – and only me.

Two of my favorite stories to tell involve Olivia Newton John and one of the very first live concerts that I ever attended, most with my then girlfriend, now wife of 44 years, Janie.

I’ve done a lot of things in my 64 years that I’m proud of, and likewise, a lot of things that I’m not so proud of, but there have been only a handful of decisions that I made that I have regretted for the rest of my life.

The first of those stories involves one of those decisions that I made on March 23, 1975 and was one of those few decisions that I have regretted making ever since.

It was on that date that I drove to Nashville, Tennessee, with Janie in my 1968 Volkswagon Squareback Sedan that had previously been the pride and joy of my late maternal grandfather, Paul “Pa Pa” Bertram.

Our destination that afternoon was the then massive Municipal Auditorium, a venue that in its heyday was the site countless concerts featuring top name artists and continues to host events in Nashville 60 years after being built.

In the years since, Janie and I have attended a number of concert events inside Municipal Auditorium, including several editions of the multi-act Charlie Daniels Jam.

At the time, I didn’t care about the history of the building or any of the other acts who had appeared on stage in Municipal, because on this night I was going to get to see my heartthrob in person – Olivia Newton John.

We had great seats, not up front but close enough, and while I don’t have a ticket stub still, I did find online a copy of a newspaper ad promoting the concert and noting that ticket prices were $4, $5 and $6.

Judging from the seats I remember having that night, I’m sure I splurged from my savings and dropped the whole $12 down at the ticket booth for two of the best seats available.

Some young, up and coming guy by the name of Billy Joel was her opening act, and being a piano player myself, I remember just how good he was.

I will have to admit, however, having played the piano for several years at the First Christian Church of Albany, this night was the first time I had ever seen anyone play a piano while a glass of vodka was sitting on top, and I remember that on more than one occasion, someone from behind the stage brought out a fresh – and full – glass to replace his empty.

Mom would have given me a good whipping if I had even attempted to set a glass of water – much less anything else – on our piano at home while I was playing – coaster or no coaster.

With only one hit to his credit at the time, he worked through a handful of songs and on three different occasions, he played his then current, and only hit – Piano Man.

Finally – and more about Billy Joel later – it was time for the star to take the stage, and I’m sure I never sat down for the next two hours and likely, I never spoke a single word while Olivia performed just yards in front of our seats.

Now for the favorite story part – in those days, during concerts even when an opening act was featured, the main artists would leave the stage “for a brief intermission” the public address announcement would inform the crowd, and the auditorium lights would go up, cigarettes would be lit (and occasionally, depending on the act and the crowd – other things as well), and everyone would stretch and mill around for a half hour or so.

During this intermission, I spotted another couple from Albany that I knew and made my way into the aisle, across the path that was directly in front of the stage – at that time there were no barriers between the stage and the crowd – and up a short flight of steps to say “Hi” to my friends (who will remain nameless as they are still around, but didn’t end up as a couple).

It was on my way back to my seat that I found myself in front of the stage, the lights already darkened and there, just inches away from me and looking me straight in the eyes as she sang the first song of this second set, was Olivia Newton John.

As I paused in front of the stage and with Olivia now just inches away, I surveyed the height of the platform, decided that with my then finely tuned athletic abilities I could easily jump up and land next to her, and plant a big old sloppy kiss right on those shiny lips.

Then I noticed them. Those two bodyguard types standing just off stage and already having me in their sights, I decided the beating I would take onstage, and likely then having to spend the night in the Nashville pokey, simply wasn’t worth the reward.

Worst decision of my life.

Yep, the beating would have been merciless, and it would have been my only night in jail (so far), but it would have been so worth it and just how much better would this story have been!

Again, worst decision of my life.

Now for the second favorite story that came from that 1975 concert in Nashville.

Back to that young piano player who opened up for Olivia that night, Billy Joel emerged as one of the most beloved and most successful musicians of our time.

Janie and I have been to more than one concert featuring Billy Joel, including a dueling pianos event with Sir Elton John in Louisville’s Freedom Hall in April, 2001 (no, my mind isn’t that sharp on these dates, but Google is a wonderful tool).

It was, however, on that March night in 1975 that I saw Billy Joel for the first time. Then a few hours later, the second time.

On our way home, driving my VW SB Sedan on I-40, somewhere between Nashville and Cookeville, was the second time we saw Billy Joel that night, and that second time was much more entertaining than the first, and a much better story.

As we made our way home in the right lane, I suddenly noticed up ahead, a school bus that had been modified considerably.

With at least half of the bus rear body removed, the vehicle now featured a “back porch” so to speak, including a perimeter of that white plastic chain that was so prevalent in those days.

Then we noticed a group of guys sitting in chairs, on the bus back porch, all the while doing 60 miles per hour down the interstate.

It wasn’t until I was directly behind the bus and making my way around it that we realized that the guy sitting in the chair closest to our passing vehicle, and now drinking straight from the vodka bottle, was that Billy Joel fellow we had just seen warm up prior to Olivia taking the stage.

He was enjoying the trip with his band members, most of whom were also drinking straight from their own bottles.

One night, one concert, two great stories that I’ve been able to share for 47 years since.

And one bad decision made that I’ve regretted for just as long.

Worst decision of my life, but still, the memories of that night have been forever entertaining.

Heartbroken and stunned.

I lost my teenage heartthrob last Monday, and on Tuesday morning, I pulled Olivia’s 1975 Have You Never Been Mellow album from my short stack of favorites, placed that still pristine piece of vinyl on the turntable and stood silent as I listened to The Air That I Breath, Please Mr. Please, and finally Have You Never Been Mellow.

Yes, for me, the music died Monday with the passing of Olivia Newton John, my teenage heartthrob.

But I still have those records and I still have those memories of that 1975 concert night in Nashville with Janie.

And two really fun stories that I tell often, and one that I didn’t get to tell, because of the worst decision of my life.

RIP Olivia – I Honestly Love You

Al Gibson

Editor/Publisher of the

Clinton County News,

but a reader as well