It Only Took Me Three Tries...

I told you guys in my last post that I'd won a 1st place Associated Press award (in Oklahoma) for my story on Willie the Singin' Ringer.  This is him on the right, and you can watch the story by clicking HERE.

But to be totally honest, it was the third time I'd worked with Willie.  The first time was way back in '97... I think.  Willie had just started his bell ringing gig and I came across him one night while Christmas shopping.  I thought "This guy is a TV story just waitin' to happen."  I called the Salvation Army, found out where I could find him, and shot a cool little story.  That was back at good ol' FOX25.

A few years later, after a two year stint at KOB in Albuquerque, I ran into him again.  By now I was working at KWTV again, and they hadn't done a story with Willie yet.  Can you believe that?  So of course, I did.  And if I do say so myself, it was much better than the one before.

Then...

A couple years ago, while loading up my photog gear after some stuff at the courthouse, some guy asks me "Hey man, can you spare a couple bucks?"  I turned around to see who was buggin', and it was my old buddy Willie.  Seems he had fallen on hard times, lost his job, and was panhandling daily to keep his hotel room.  I helped him out best as I could, we talked for awhile, and then I asked to do his story AGAIN...but this time, the "real story."  Here was a guy that brought joy to literally thousands of people every Christmas season, but he was basically homeless.  You don't come across a story like that every day.

Willie agreed, and I went back to work to find the previous NEWS9 story I'd done with him, because I couldn't really do it properly without showing Willie doin' his thing.  Here's the kicker...wait for it...  THE STORY NEVER GOT SAVED.  Nice huh?  How could I do this freakin' story without the freakin' video?  I couldn't. 

So GUESS WHAT?

I waited until Thanksgiving rolled around again this past year, and did ANOTHER story with Willie.  This time I did it the way I had always meant to...with Willie in action, and Willie in a well-lit, sit-down interview.  I started on the script, and then realized that the piece needed to be in his words alone, with no reporter track whatsoever.  I think it worked.   Sure, I'm proud of the AP award and all, but I'm most proud of the story itself.  This guy is as real as it gets.  He's extremely humble, and although he's not necessarily proud of the hard times he's had, he's certainly not ashamed of them.

The Rites of Summer...

Who's the dork with the camera? Yeah, not a great look for me, I'll admit...but I was KILLIN' that suit man, trust me. This actually isn't SUMMER, it was a couple days after the Murrah Bombing anniversary this year. Former President Clinton was in town to receive an award for his help in OKC's recovery following April 19,1995. But Clinton, who NEVER sticks to his schedule, wanted to visit the memorial, and I was one of just a handful of media-types who got to follow him around for the 15 minutes or so that he was there. Pretty cool.

But on with the summertime stuff. School's out, and that in itself brings about all kinds of end-of-the-year happenings. "Dad, I need $30 for a yearbook." THIRTY BUCKS? I don't remember paying that much for my elementary yearbook. Come to think of it, in MY DAY, we didn't even HAVE an elementary yearbook. So of course I bought TWO this year. Next year we'll have a JUNIOR HIGH yearbook. It'll probably be about a hundred...

My son, who'll be in junior high this year, got his first taste of mowing the lawn today. I have crooked lines all over my yard to prove it. It's about time, an old guy like me shouldn't have to do things like that.

I've got a great gig at work...I NEVER forget that. I'm fortunate enough to do stories for News9.com, NEWS9, and OKBlitz.com. I never really know which one I'm gonna service from day to day, but that's kinda cool. Keeps me jumpin'. I just found out recently that I won a First Place in Feature Photography from the Associated Press for "Willie the Singin' Ringer." You can watch that story HERE.  I'll give you the back story on Willie and how we met in my next post...which won't be SIX MONTHS FROM NOW!

"Josie's on a vacation far away..." AGAIN

I went through my high school years in the early 80s. So of course I love 80s music. Really. But here's something that really bugs me. There was a LOT of good music made back then. But you would NEVER know that just listening to commercial radio, or by looking at 80s music compilations you might pick up at the music store. By those standards, every great band and artist had ONE big hit that you get to hear over and over...and over...and over...

The Outfield is a prime example. "Your Love" was and still is a great song. But I really got tired of it after the first 2 million times I heard it. And that was just last week. Seriously, when I hear "Josie's on a vacation far away..." I can't change the station fast enough. And I really dig the Outfield--I bought that cassette way back in the day.

But there WERE other great songs on that album/cassette. "Everytime You Cry", "Say It Isn't So", "All The Love", etc.

Sabes que, there are songs that I hated back then, and I hate them now. Why must a brotha be tormented? That's gacho...

But I realize that it's the really big hits that tend to live on--they're the ones that made money, and probably continue to.

And I would guess that, as sick as I am of hearing the same songs over and over... those bands that have to play them night after night are REALLY sick of playing them.

How would you like to make a career out of playing a song that you wrote some 25 years ago?

Depends on how much they're payin'...