robinblake.com
FAMOUS PEOPLE
I Have Met
The following is a list of famous people with which I have shook hands and/or had a conversation.
- Roger Staubach
- I met this Dallas Cowboys quarterback, 1963 Heisman Trophy winner and Hall of Famer in Dallas when he was the Host for the 1985 Veteran's Day parade. I was the Bandmaster of the 2D Armored Division Band of the US Army and my band was featured in the parade and several concerts that day. It was a good day for meeting celebrities.
- Danny Thomas
- That same day, this entertainer/actor was the Grand Marshall of the parade. After the parade a few members of the band and I attended a reception for Mr. Thomas where we played his theme song, "Danny Boy." He and I had a very nice conversation about music in general.
- Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
- What trip to Dallas would be complete without meeting the most famous cheerleaders in the world? Not only did I get to have a conversation with a couple of "America's Sweethearts", I had my picture taken with them and even got to put my arms around two of the most personable and beautiful girls I've ever seen. I can still feel the soft, smooth, cool skin of their waists in my hands. By the way, if anyone has that picture, please get in contact with me.
- Jeb Bush
- The Governor of Florida was just the young son of then Vice-President George Bush when he walked through my 6th Infantry Division Band in Alaska as we were waiting for a parade to start in Fairbanks. He was out "pressing the flesh" in his dad's presidential campaign.
- Maynard Ferguson
- I was fortunate enough to attend several of Maynard's concerts through the years. In the 70's, he was very accessible to young trumpeters like myself and I received many personal tips from this master of the high notes.
- Count Basie
- Count Basie came to Monterey one year in the mid '70's to play a concert. I was stationed at nearby Ft. Ord with the 28th Army Band. Most of us guys in the band went to the concert and we had a blast. I fell in love with big band music that night. After the concert, I went right up on stage and shook The Count's hand and told him how much I enjoyed it. He was very appreciative and kind to me.
- Harry James
- First of all, I don't dance very well. I am a trumpet player and I'm usually playing music while others dance. Once in a great while a good woman will get me to dance and in this case my wife, Christy, had a little help from the fact that Harry James and his big band were playing in downtown Monterey. During one of the breaks I talked with Harry and some of the other band members. I remember he had one hell of a good bari-sax player. She was cute, too. Harry looked old (about 66 years old at the time), but he played young.
- Woody Herman
- In 1973, my high school band was invited to Vienna, Austria for an international band festival. We had various fund raisers in order to earn enough money to get there. Woody Herman brought his Thundering Herd to Atwater High School for two days of clinics and concerts. I think Woody was the first real celebrity that I had met and I could not believe how real he was. The guys in the band were great and the two concerts they put on were fantastic. It's too bad we could not get a real audience here in Podunk, California. We went deep into the hole with this fund raiser. I guess it made us work harder, because we were successful and even became Champions of the World!
- Doug Cosbie
- In the mid-1980's, Doug Cosbie, of the Dallas Cowboys, was the best Tight End in the NFL and I was the Bandmaster of the 2nd Armored Division Band at Ft. Hood, TX. We met at Memorial Stadium on the University of Texas in Austin, TX. My band was playing for the opening of the Texas Special Olympics and Doug was the guest speaker. I was impressed with his size and his firm grip on my hand, but not his attire. He wore a Hawaiian print shirt with Bermuda shorts and flip-flops. Real classy.
- General James H. Doolittle
- General Doolittle was the Grand Marshall of a Veterans Day parade in San Jose when I was marching with the 7th Infantry Division Band. When we, an Army band, played The Air Force Song, he made it a point to come over and shake my hand.
- General of the Army Omar N. Bradley
- As Drum Major and recent reenlistee of the 7th infantry Division Band, I was invited along with 9 other soldiers and officers to attend lunch at the Fort Ord, CA Officer's Club with General of the Army Bradley. This was in 1977 and I felt very fortunate to be able to shake the hand of "The Soldier's Soldier."
- Brigadier General Pete Dawkins
- I met and worked with 1958 Heisman Trophy winner, Colonel Pete Dawkins when he was a Brigade Commander at Ft. Ord, CA. I also played in the band when he was promoted to Brigadier General.
- Frederick Fennell
- I met Dr. Fennell at a symposium in San Antonio at the 1986 Texas Bandmasters Association conference. He and Dr. William Revelli were discussing John Phillip Sousa and the use of marches in band programs. He signed my copy of a Sousa book The Trumpet and Drum "Best Wishes to Robin Blake from J.P.S. and Frederick Fennell"
- Dr. William Revelli
- I met Dr. Revelli twice. The first time was when my high school band went to Vienna, Austria in 1973. Dr. Revelli conducted the mass bands of 21 different countries including 18 US bands. He also awarded me my silver medal in the trumpet solo competition. The second time I met Dr. Revelli was at the John Phillip Sousa symposium at the 1986 Texas Bandmasters Association conference.
- Rosemary Rogers
- In 1978, my wife, Christy, and I attended an evening gathering at the McGraw's (Chief Warrant Officer McGraw was my bandmaster at the 3rd Infantry Division Band in Wurzburg, Germany)home for an evening with his sister-in-law, the very beautiful and charming romance novelist, Rosemary Rogers. In 1989, my second wife, Deanna, asked me to read her favorite novel Sweet Savage Love. She was very surprised to learn that I knew Ms. Rogers. The only romantic novels I have read are Sweet Savage Love and Bound By Desire.
- Harry Caray
- My second wife, Deanna, and I went to a baseball game at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. The Cubs were in town and Harry Caray was traveling with them on his farewell tour. He led the fans in the obligatory 7th inning stretch tune "Take Me Out To The Ballgame." As we were leaving the park we happened to see him going up the stairs as we were coming down. We said "Hello, Harry" and he said hello back to us.
- William Sessions
- In 1987 I met United States District Judge William Sessions in San Antonio in front of The Alamo. My unit (2nd Armored Division Band) was there to perform in a massive naturalization ceremony that was being nationally televised. We played a concert before the actual ceremony. I met Judge Sessions (future Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation) and singer BJ Thomas in a meeting to prepare for the event.
- BJ Thomas
- BJ Thomas (Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head)sang the National Anthem and a couple of other tunes at the naturalization ceremony in front of The Alamo.
- Zig Ziglar
- After a presentation in Fresno, Mr. Ziglar (See You At The Top) stayed and shook hands with many of us in attendance. A very dynamic and charismatic man, indeed.
- Bill Watrous
- I saw Bill Watrous give a trombone clinic at the University of the Pacific. Although I shook his hand after the clinic he didn't seem to be comfortable with the public and left quickly. His concert that night was fantastic.
- Clark Terry
- The famous trumpet and flugelhorn player gave a clinic and concert at the College of the Sequioias in Visalia, CA. Christy and I attended and were very impressed with his abilities and his personable charachter. A real nice man. It was a good night for Christy and me, too.
- Claude Gordon
- I was fortunate enough to take trumpet lessons from this legend. Claude Gordon had been a big band leader, composer and clinician for many years. He played all those strange sounds you hear on the old Hannah Barbara cartoons.
- Summer Robin Bartholomew
- A case of local girl makes good! Summer and I were in high school at the same time, but alas, in neighboring towns. She was active in school activities as I was and we met a few times at sporting events. I took my future wife, Christy, to Merced College to see a production of Lil' Abner. When Miss Bartholomew hit the stage as "Stupefyin' Jones", everyone in the theater new she was going to be something big! After competing locally, she went on to become Miss California and then Miss USA 1975. After that, Summer preceded Vanna White as the "letter turner" on "Wheel of Fortune" and starred on the game show, "Sale of Century."
- Amedee (Joy) Chabot
- Joy is the second Miss California and Miss USA I have had the pleasure to meet. She is a fellow real estate agent here in Merced County and a friend. After being crowned Miss USA in 1962, she went on to star in television and movies. To see some pictures and find out more about her, go to her website and click on the "Just Joy" tab.
- Michele Wharton
- Michele and I used to work together at Merced Honda in Merced, California. She taught me a lot about the car sales business, as she was an excellent salesperson. After I became the Sales Manager, she worked for me for a while before moving on. But while she was employed at the dealership she became a celebrity. She went to a Crosby Pro-Am golf tournament at Pebble Beach as a spectator and was caught in intimate circumstances with Bryant Gumble of NBC's Today Show. They made the front cover of The National Enquirer, not once, but twice!
- Alan Keyes
- I came out of a conference room at the Sacramento Convention Center where I was attending a real estate conference and Ambassador Keyes was giving a press conference in the lobby. This was May of 2000 and Mr. Keyes was a candidate for President of the United States. At the end of the press conference, I shook his hand and had a short conversation with him. I found him to be very personable.
- Leonard B. Smith
- Keith Brion
- Bill Russell
- Yao Ming
Robinrobinblake.com
MIDI courtesy of Kevin Klasmeier