Just a boy...then a teenGrowing up in North Philadelphia in the 70's wasn't easy. My street was a haven from the madness that bordered our little community. The block had a mix of different multi-racial families who got along well together and looked out for each other. There were the Greens, two elderly white sisters who never married that lived next door. Their house was right out of the early 1900's and then there were the Butts, the Collins, The Pendletons, The Clements, The Williams, The Summies, The Nocho's and on and on. It is funny how after all these years I still remember their names. We had block parties and great Halloween memories. The cub scouts, street ball games and early evenings of playing "cars" were among the many activities on our block. Although my street was peaceful for the most part we were surrounded by some on the meanest gangs in the city. They had "zip guns" back then that could kill you just like a regular gun and the boys were not afraid to use them either. My brother, sister and I got by because both of our parents were teachers who were held in high esteem by many of these gang people. One guy told me that his life was saved more than once when my father put him on the floor of the back of his car and drove him home so the competing gang wouldn't shoot him. Hmmm ... memories.
Remembering those times were bittersweet for many reasons but everything changed when I turned 15. I started to drive and my status with my peers was immediately elevated. It also didn't hurt that I was playing saxophone in one of the cities most popular bands at the time. Back then, Motown, Philly International and other black record companies were on the rise and bands had many places to play. Our group was the Phoenix Band...it was like Kool & the Gang with horns, bass, drummer, two guitars, two keyboards and two excellent singers. We played everywhere from weddings, street parties, school dances and bars. Yep..even at 15. Our manager was a cop so you know we always got our money. What I did notice early on was that I didn't really like being on stage. I was intriqued by the drama that went on backstage...the politics if you will. After reading books on J P Getty, Howard Hughes and Berry Gordy I knew I wanted to be on the business side of things.
I read everything I could on the music business and would beg people to let me volunteer to work with them. My first stop was at Society Hill Sound Studios when I was 16 years old. The studio was recording some of the hottest groups in the city and I wanted to be where they were. Michael Nice...yes that was his name allowed me to try and book studio time on commission. I guess I was good at that because I worked there after school for two years. Watching the hopefuls come and go with the burning desire to succeed was entoxicating.
I can't exactly remember the moment but at some point during that time I met a singing group called Sister Sledge. They were a new sister group on Atlantic Records and they had it going on. Their mother, Flo was there manager and she sure knew how to handle her business. She got those teenagers through some tough times and all of them came out okay without being on drugs or pregnant. Many people didn't like Flo because she didn't play. She was okay with me because I told her I wanted to learn the business and wanted to help. I told her I would work for free...even though she was skeptical she took me with them on several gigs around town but my big break came when I showed up at Radio City Music Hall in NYC where they were performing with the legendary Marvin Gaye. I buzzed the backstage door and announced that I worked with Sister Sledge. When I got up to the dressing room they all looked at me and shook their heads in disbelief that I would come all the way from Philly on my own and at my own expense to work for free. Anyway, that isn't the best part...so I start walking around the stage at Radio City totally amazed at how big it was. The stage was almost as big as a football field. The union stage hands were not use to seeing many black people that were not performing on the stage but they were kind and were showing me all the things that the stage could do. They showed me how the stage was made up of a series of elevators that could lift performers up to the stage from below. I got so excited when they told me that if I wanted I could have the girls rise up out of the stage in a cloud of smoke. Running up to the dressing room I was smiling with anticipation of how excited they would be. The girls loved the idea but Flo thought I didn't know what I was talking about. Long story short...they rose from the stage after the curtain when up and the audience went bananas. Once Sister Sledge finished their set a road manager for Marvin Gaye came up to us and told us we could do the same production for the second show. I asked why and they just walked away. Well, I soon found out because during Marvin Gaye's second set he came out on a podium from the floor with the smoke. Lesson one in show business. Headliners rule. Next up...off to college and concert promotion business.
