Random musings: My life in show business

My show business career began before the age of seven (days). I was born on a Sunday and my mom got out of the hospital on Mother's Day which was the following Sunday. I don't think there were any complications, I just think this was typical of childbirth at the time (1956). But back to show business. I modeled the latest in diapers and helped the nurses show how to put them on properly.

When I was in 2nd grade (around 1964) my brother, sister and I (and the kid my mom was babysitting, Billy Young) went on a local kids' show, Captain Satellite.

I got to sit in the pilot's seat, although I didn't have a cool uniform like the Captain!

About 2 years later, I was in my driveway breaking boards. This isn't as strange as it sounds since my dad was always remodeling the house and there were scraps of wood lying around (although sometimes they weren't scraps!) and my friend Greg's dad had a kung fu school in his garage! Greg's dad, James, gave free lessons to Greg's friends so I took a few over the years. While I was breaking boards, one of James' friends came over to me and said he was going to be on TV.

Yes, I lived across the street from Bruce Lee when I was growing up. A few of the things I remember most about "Uncle Bruce", which is what my friend, Greg Lee, called him (even though they weren't related) was how nice he was to the neighborhood kids. He would often do demos of stopping his heart, or 2 finger pushups

I also remember being invited over to have a slice of wedding cake when Bruce and Linda got married. I knew their son, Brandon, when he was a baby. And their dog Bobo.

Quite a few years later, in the early 90's, I was working at AT&T in Pleasanton. The guy I sat next to for a couple of years, Jim Givens, and I were talking about Bruce Lee and he mentioned that his wife also took lessons from James Lee when she was in college. He asked if I remembered a college girl named Dani, and I told him I didn't. He then said that everyone remembered her roommate, Sharon. Yes, I did remember Sharon! My brother, Dave, who was probably about 8 or 9 at the time, picked Sharon some flowers and gave them to her. I think he told her that he loved her. If you know my brother, you know that's very uncharacteristic of him.

I took drama in junior high school, partly because of Bruce. I went to Parkmead Intermediate in Walnut Creek, CA in 7th grade and then Bret Harte Junior High School , in Oakland, for 8th and 9th grades. There was a young man in my drama classes who later went on to do fairly well for himself

Yes, that's a young Tom Hanks. He went on to take drama at Skyline High School while my parents suggested something more practical like computer science.In the movie, "That Thing You Do", written by Tom, he plays homage to some of the people he went to school with. There was a character named Chrissy Thomkins (the female fan at the beginning of the film), the 2 stars of the surf movie were Rick and Anita…I'm not positive I'm the Rick in this case, but I did like surf music in high school. In this case, Anita is probably Anita Tilseth (I don't have my yearbook in front of me) and at the end Faye talks about kissing Dave Gamelgard. We had Kreig Gamelgard at Skyline…and I'm sure there were others. Also, Tom was part of our high school radio station, KSKY 850 AM, where I was the 1st ever program director. I think that's why the radio station interview with Clint Howard was in the film.

I took choir in college and I recorded one music video. Not much talent, but it was a heartfelt song about a girlfriend in college.

Sometime in the early 80's I was in a TV commercial for the Townsend, TN Chamber of Commerce. I was dude #2 on the inner tubes floating down the river. I've never seen the commercial and I'm not even sure if any copies of it exist.

I think that's it except for the

Interesting days

Today - https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/visit-your-relatives-day/, https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/museum-day/ and https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/no-dirty-dishes-day/ (which is something I celebrate every day!)

Tomorrow - https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/may-ray-day/ and https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/accounting-day/

Next Monday - Memorial Day! Every person who serves gives something, but some people give everything. Take a moment to remember those that gave everything. It's also https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/towel-day/ Just don't ever throw it in! And it's https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/tap-dance-day/