Saturday, August 29, 2009

when they were young

in the mid 60’s my buddy bill got
tickets to Mershon Auditorium
in Columbus, Ohio, a night
twenty-five hundred people packed in

we were the two white guys in the crowd
to see Gary U.S. Bond, Major Lance, the Drifters
the Temptations, The Ronettes, The Supremes
and Ray Charles

one after another
these great performers
huffed and puffed
and blew the house away

i remember when Ray was going into the falsetto
turnaround on Georgia on My Mind
there is a tiny pause at that point
the audience was silent in anticipation
a woman screamed out – Oh, sing it Ray, baby
Ray chuckled, the audience smiled and he did it

they all did it
knocked ‘em down
one after another
for everybody
all together
this night of music and love

2 comments:

TomC said...

Jack - that would have likely been the concert of my lifetime. I couldn't resist dancing every time I heard Quarter to Three in those days. And the Drifters wrapped themselves around every tender spot in my pitiful heart. I think every one of them is in the R&R Hall of Fame except Major Lance. Wow!

Annie said...

It sounds like a great concert! Annie