April 8, 2026 • 30 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
It's that time, time, time, luck and load until Michael
Verry Show is on the air. On a warm.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Summer's evening, on a train bound met up with the gamble.
We were both too tired to sleep, so we took
turns and staring out the window at the darkness the
boardom overtook us and he began to speak. He said,
(00:44):
sign I've made a life out of reading people's faces
and knowing what the cards were by the way they
held their eyes. So if you don't mind me saying
I can see you out of it for a teaste
of whiskey, I give you some face. So why handed
(01:08):
him by bottle and he drank down my last swallow.
Then he bombed a cigarette and asked me.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
For the day and the night got down in the
choiet and.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
His face lost all expression. He said, if you're gone
and play the game.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
Bully, because that kind of became Kenny Rogers' signature song.
And you think of that song being Kenny Rogers, but
it was now he made it his own with his
vocal phrasing ramon you never kind, but your buddy's a
thing at the table, there'll be That song was pitched
(01:47):
to him Benny Rogers is sitting in a chair and
someone says, hey, we think about recording this, and he
listens to it and it does not the way we've
heard it, so we don't hear what he heard. It's
written by Don Schlitz and recorded by no less than
(02:08):
Bobby Bear at the urging of Shelle Silverstein. Now that
would have been an interesting cat to know, Shelle Silverstein
writing stories for kids and writing for Playboy and hanging
out with country music singers. That guy lived a life.
So Bobby Bear's version didn't catch on. So Don Schlitz
(02:30):
recorded it himself. It didn't do very well, and then
in nineteen seventy eight, Johnny Cash decides to record it.
And I'd encourage you not to listen to it, because
it's painful to hear Johnny Cash do something and not
do it well. The problem is it became Kenny Rogers song.
(02:51):
It is inextricable from Kenny Rogers. It is hard for
people to understand how big Kenny Rogers was during this
period of time, especially into the early eighties. He probably
was about to eighty. I saw a little documentary on
him that he had lepo and facelifts five times during
(03:17):
the eighties. Yep, yeah he was. It didn't take. He
must have busted them stitches loose, or he just really
liked his Kenny Rogers Fried Chicken. I love Kenny Rogers.
Houston Boy, no less Houston Boy. Yes, indeed. Well, on
this day in nineteen eighty, the TV movie Kenny Rogers
(03:40):
as the Gambler, based on his hit song, aired on CBS,
back when the networks would do TV shows. It was
the highest rated TV movie of that year. Now, I
don't know what it beat out. I'm not saying they
were quality movies, mind you, but it was the highest
rated of the year. And it would to a sequel
(04:03):
of Kenny Rogers as the Gambler, and then it would
lead to another sequel because well, we don't have anything else.
And then somebody thought it'd be a good idea to
do a third sequel to The Gambler, because we're just
(04:23):
really not sure if that's gonna be The Ace of
Spades or The Four Clubs. We'd probably get two more
hours of that. We got enough soap commercials, give us
some content. And then after three somebody said, hey, what
the hell, We're already three sequels into this. Thing, Kenny
short on work, We've got two hours to kill. Let's
(04:47):
do a fourth sequel. And then I guess at some
point somebody said, hey, hey, hey, I think we've done
enough of the Kenny Rogers as the Gamble, Glint, Gambler
and sequels. I believe that ought to be about it.
I think I think we can go ahead and shut
that down. Yep, all of them starring Kenny Rogers. How
(05:10):
does that call go? Imagine his agent calling ring Ring, Ring, Ring, Kenny. Yeah, Bobby,
tell me you got something good for me. Well, come on, man,
I know you've been lighting the lines up. You got
many good roles. I got you a roll jelly roll. Yeah, yeah,
(05:35):
we did, we did, we had we we do have
an offer. It's not great pay, but it's it's an
easy role. You don't. We're gonna shoot here in Nashville.
Be easy. Okay, Well, what is it, Bobby? Well imagine this.
Imagine the promo Kenny Rogers as the Gambler. Bobby, we
(06:00):
did that. We did that three years ago, and then
we did a sequel, and then we got we got
a little Leena Rolls, so we did another one, remember,
and then you called and he says, the only thing
they got, And then we did a third sequel? So
(06:20):
what is it? What? What's what's what you got? From
what you got? I'm ready to go to work. Well,
only this thing I got, said another sequel of fourth
sequel to the Gambler. What could they possibly add? What
could they possibly add? What was the TV What was
(06:42):
the movie he made? Kind of Cannonball run Era? That wash?
Was it? Brewsters millions? What was the one that he's
he's in h he's like a race car driver. Not
Cannonball Run Gator?
Speaker 3 (06:54):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (06:54):
No six pack? My goodness alive. Somewhere along the way,
somebody was greenlighting some really bad movies, and I'm here
for it. My life would be less rich but for
those movies Cannonball Run Gator? What was the one that
was Gator? Those things are so cheesy and I loved
(07:16):
him so much. John from Alabama? What you got? Well?
Speaker 3 (07:21):
As y'all under or you know about the Gatling Brothers
being the gang ray for this Coward of the County
which they made a TV show?
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Uh?
Speaker 3 (07:31):
You remember that one? The movie?
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Uh? I feel like I can see it in my
mind's eye. But if you'd ask me before I don't
think I could have mentioned it. John, I don't know
if you were listening. A few years ago, we called
Larry Gatlin on his birthday and I got the bright
idea that I would violate the FCC and call somebody live.
And I called him. He was sitting and having coffee
with his wife, and he's a recovered alcoholic. He doesn't dream,
(07:57):
he loves his coffee and talking. And I don't know
what caused me to do it, but I brought up
that song and he hates that song. And the guy
who wrote that song had it out for Larry Gatlin
because he thought that Larry Gatlin was an arrogant ass.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
You remember the other day when you told me I
was passive aggressive. Oh yeah, yeah. So that guy was
kind of doing that on Larry Gatlin and he wrote
the Gatlings into it, and I asked him about it.
I don't know what was a stupid thing to do,
but he cussed on the air. We had to we
had to bleep it out. You know who wrote that
Ell sneak till drinks root beer. I loved John t y'all.
(08:39):
When I used to sit during the summer at my
grandmother's feet, it'd be so hot outside. I didn't know
the whole world wasn't that hot outside. My grandmother had
shag carpeting in her trailer, and she sit in this
chair where she watched TV. And I sit and watched
(08:59):
TV with her, and I scooched myself back to where
my back would lean on her shins because the ac
vent was right there, and I enjoyed being right up
next to her. So i'd be sitting down in front
of her and the ac vent blowing right on me,
or the heat when it was cold. I used to
(09:21):
lay on the vent when it was cold. That was
that was a good feeling. But I'd lay right up
there and she'd put her hand in my hair. Had
lot of hair back. Then she'd put her hand in
my hair and just kind of scratched my head. I
did that till I was probably I don't know, fifty now.
I'm just kidding. It's good times. But we would She
(09:42):
wouldn't turn on the TV until I think the first
thing we watched was The Price When The Price Is
Right came on and you were allowed to get up
and turn the TV on. It was the old Curtis
Mathis had had to rest. You know, there were times
you didn't just it wasn't like now where there was
a TV on every wall and it's on in the
(10:02):
background at all times. Oh no, it was a production
turning the TV on. Yes, And atop the TV was
a doily, and on top of the doily, a crocheted doily,
was this big silver radio with the green with the
green lettering that it would have your time and what
(10:24):
station you were listening to. And in the morning she
and I would sit in to listen to bbr C
Big Boy Richard Corter. I went to school with his
two sons, Bart and Craig. And Craig to this day
will post on Facebook. He sets his phone somehow and
(10:46):
he will post these time lapse photography videos of him
out fishing. I think it's at Talida Benn. A lot
of people from Orange go to sam Rayburn and Taleda
Ben and he's got his boat, it's a bass boat.
He's out in the middle and he'll be out there
fishing and it will be a time lapse and so
(11:09):
he'll take I guess time off from work and over
the course of three days, like you see the sun
come up, you see the son go down. He just
sits out there fishing, and I don't I don't mind fishing.
I don't live to fish, or I would do it
more often. I enjoy it when I'm doing it, but
I just don't do it very much. But it makes
(11:30):
me want to go fish. It's just a man out
there fishing, like you know, all alone by himself and
couldn't be happier. And I'll watch those things and think, man,
everybody should find I mean, that's his therapy. He is
out there on the water fishing. Anyway. My grandmother sit
there and listen to his daddy, who was BBRC Big
Boy Richard Cord, and I would call and request that,
(11:55):
and my voice hadn't changed, the stuff hadn't dropped, and
I can't remember they'd play my my voice on. That'd
be so embarrassed because you know, they'd pick up and
he'd say, kog tis is bby RC And I say, BBRC,
could you place Snaky's name for Michael out mich Lewis.
(12:15):
It's a sure, can Michael? You just hang on just
a minute. And that was all recorded, and there it
would be. But in my mind it was going to
sound like a great Warrior had called in. You know, Squaw,
you come we make baby. We ain't climbed mountain, but
instead it was BBRC, could you so terrible? So this
(12:38):
email came in before I mentioned Kenny Rogers. Funny how
this happens. Laurie writes, my dad had season tickets to
the Astros back in his day. Back in the day,
one night, Kenny Rogers was there to throw out the
first pitch. I believe it was Saint Joseph Hospital night,
since he was born there, so it was more than
just a Houston connection. The game itself was pretty dull,
(13:01):
so I found myself watching Kenny Rogers instead. He is
sitting a dozen or so rose back from home plate.
Midway through the game, a very well endowed woman walked up,
hugged him, and snapped a photo before returning to her
seat down on that same level, but a bit further back.
Later in the game, Kenny got up and left. Within
(13:23):
about ten minutes, an attendant approached that same woman and
escorted her out as well. I know it was at
Minute Made Park and it was after his face left,
but I can't quite remember the exact year. But well
passed his prime, he was still pulling it in. Kenny Rogers,
you old dirty dog you. What does Vince Vaughn say,
(13:45):
you old sailor you? Oh my goodness, Kenny Rogers, how
does that go? How does that line from the attendant?
Speaker 2 (13:57):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Ma'am, do you know who Kenny Rogers is? You know
the gambler, you know six pack? Well, he has requested
if you could maybe be his lady right down that
(14:18):
aisle right there in the in Uh, he's gonna be
waiting in the diamond in the in the diamond lot outside. Yeah. Yeah,
did he ever shave that beard? You look back to
just you look back to the fifth dimension. I just
dropped in to see what condition my condition was in.
(14:40):
And then shortly thereafter he has I think a mustache,
and then once he hits it with that beard, he
doesn't mess with that at all. Somebody else sent talking
about movies of that era. They were wearing that Burt franchise,
that Burt Reynolds franchise out. Somebody reminded me of stroker Ace.
Remember stroker Ace. It had him and Lonnie Anderson and
(15:02):
it had Ned Batty. So the other day, this is
how pitiful I am. I was watching the nineteen seventy eight.
What's the one where they give the awards for movies?
Is that the Oscars was what the Oscars?
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Right?
Speaker 1 (15:15):
I was watching the Oscars and the Oscar. It was
all white people. Every nominee was a white person. An
American born George Burns was one of them. And the
winner was ned Batty? Is that was it?
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Ned Beatty?
Speaker 1 (15:32):
He was a nominee. I can't remember if he wanted
or not. Maybe it wasn't, but he was a nominee
and she called him ned Beatty and that bothered me,
and I thought, I bet he's gonna squeal like a
pig over that one pipe was a bad dude. You
might be time. You'll never forget it. Sometimes when you're
talking to Darryl Kunda, he will call you or answer
(15:53):
the phone as one of the characters he does, and
it is uncanny. I'm sure Frank does that to his
friends or rich Little. When I was growing up, I
thought rich Little was the most clever fella in the world.
My goodness, was he good? Tell mey what you got, sir.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
Hey. It was exciting yesterday to see the Artemis two
crew go through the shadow of the moon and see
a total solar eclips wasn't it?
Speaker 2 (16:27):
It was.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
I haven't gotten as excited over it as a lot
of other people, but I'm not down on somebody else's joy.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
Well, the funny thing is that there's a total eclipse
of the Sun by the moon happening all the time, constantly.
You just have to be in the right place in
outer space to see it and go through the shadow
of the moon. Sometimes the shadow of the Moon crosses
(16:54):
the face of the Earth and the people on the
face of the Earth get to see it. Total eclipse
of the Sun doesn't happen very often, but I've seen
five of them.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
And how did that happen?
Speaker 3 (17:09):
Well, you had to be at the right place at
the right time. I was in the middle of the
Sahara Desert and I saw a total eclipse of the
Sun nineteen ninety six.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
You have fascinating pacing to the way you speak.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
Tell me, well, it happens all the time. It's constant,
the total solar eclipse of the Sun.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
But I heard Bonnie Tyler all about it.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
But you have to be at the right place, since
outer space are on the face of the Earth at
the right time, and if you're on the face of
the earth. The cloud gods have to cooperate. You can
be I can go halfway around the world to see
a total eclipse of the I'm getting clouded out for
(18:02):
that day. But I've never been clouded out on my
file attempts.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
You know, Tommy, you have the right perspective. I'm serious,
you have. You have like a childlike appreciation for natural phenomena.
The older I've gotten, the less I will spend time
around really negative people, people that just everybody's out to
get them. Everybody's playing politics. Everything is that this because
(18:34):
they'll drag you down. And it's nice to hear someone
that that has a has a an appreciation and a
thrill or whether it be natural phenomena or anything else, John,
I got a message. You got kicked out of your apartment.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
Now, well, first let me say this, Michael, I am
a Kenny Rogers. I got just about all his music.
As a matter of fact, that was one of the
songs that well, it wasn't one of the songs that
that had me kicked out of the apartment, but it
(19:13):
was the other way around. These people at this apartment
was playing loud noise and for years I had been
turning this recent company and they've changed their these recent
companies due to my complaints against them not doing anything
about the noise, and they but but we just go
(19:34):
back to Kenny Rogers. Kenny Rogers. My favorite song by
Kenny Rodgers just loved the World the way. I don't
know if you've heard that song, but I didn't favorite songs.
Oh what about Kenny Rodgers or what?
Speaker 1 (19:48):
Yeah? The song?
Speaker 3 (19:49):
Oh yeah, it's thought Paul loved the World the way.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
It doesn't ring a bell.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
Yeah, you need to hear it. That is a gorgeous song. Love.
It's more like a bad ballad. Oh, man, don't getting
me a sign? It says every now when the war.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
Something like that, But.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
It starts off with the piano. Didn't wan to play it, man,
but it is a gorgeous song. I remember the song. Uh,
I just dropped in to see what my condition was
in and I like that something. Now it's movies I
don't really care for. Uh. I never have been a
(20:40):
movie buff because well it's I was more in the radio, Okay,
I remember all the DJs, h even John Wesley Downing
there used to have a talk show on one of
your sister stations, sports station now and I used to
(21:04):
love talk shows, those talk radio shows. But back to
this NA and this apartment. I don't know if you
want to be named the name of the apartments, it's
called the Life at the Grand Oaks. And for years
(21:25):
when I got there, I got there in sixteen. Now
they were the Lena Vista apartments. Then there over there
off Antoine and De Soto, and they were they would
constantly be I had heard by friends of mine that
(21:46):
were over there, they said, now if they see anybody
that's like a senior citizen, they'd get in front of
their apartments and they played this loud noise, and I said,
I got some bad news. One they won't last with me.
So this guy every that that company with the leasing company,
(22:14):
not the same one now, but then d n C
for Linda Vista would park in front of mine and
in the back of that what they call Little Pattigo
and play a lot of noise. But at the same
time he's sudden drugs. And I seen all them people
coming around there, you know, And so I got up
(22:36):
my apparatus, and to make a long story short, my
system was so loud that it's called broke down right
there at that. After months years of telling them about that,
they never didn't listen. So this last go around, this
this other company leasing office popped up and said living
(22:59):
over the bunker hill. Nobody answered the phone, and they
I was constantly telling them about the noise. And this
particular time about a year ago, dogs started working and
this I had.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
What kind of music was it that they were playing?
Was it like this? Because that's chingo bling? If it
(23:37):
is putting on.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
The stage Michael Berry show the Jello brand pudding pops,
maybe the goodness of real Jello pudding.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
The reason I thought of Brewster's Millions is Kenny Rogers
character was Brewster Baker in six Packs. Diane Lane was
in that Anthony Michael Hall. Remember the TV commentator Chuck Woolery. Yep, Yeah,
he was driving to a race in a motor home
with his race car on the trailer and his car
(24:09):
got stripped to the parts. See that's just quality riding
right there, Quality riding. I tell you, John John, Yes, sir,
where are you living if you got kicked out of
your apartment?
Speaker 3 (24:28):
I am in the tween these motel down here in
uh On, South Maine. At it's a twelve six oh one,
yes road now now on this south coast stroke and
Belford like, that's the whorehouse John down, Uh, look I don't.
(24:54):
I'm not bothered. H And it's very quiet here.
Speaker 1 (24:59):
I did it man on the Southeast Division patrol years ago,
and we went. I thought that was read, but it's
off too eighty eight. I know where it is at
South May You said it was South Maine. That's right, okay, Shift.
It was an undercover unit, but it looked like undercover
unit if you asked me. And we went and parked
(25:20):
across the street. And that was back when I could
see well enough that you could see what was going on.
And as the people were coming in and out, the
officer told me the name of every one of them,
every woman, every man. They already know on any given
street corner, every drug dealer, every gang banger, the officer
working that corner, the Christian Norton of that corner. They
(25:44):
know that guy's name. They know where he stays, They
know where he stays when he ain't staying there. They
know where he stays when he ain't staying there or
staying over where he normally stays when he ain't staying there.
They know they got every address. They don't even have
it written down. He's pull up and they knock on
the door and they got to they got his baby.
Mama's names separated. Oh, they call her by name and
(26:04):
is he in there? And she says, no, he ain't
in there?
Speaker 3 (26:06):
Is it? Now?
Speaker 1 (26:07):
Tell me truth? And there's kind of a code. You see.
You don't lie to him and he won't take your
kid in when he's thirteen on his first offense. You know,
there's a there's a code that Michael.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
Tweet of those kind of people. Yeah, yeah, I never
did foo of those kind of people.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
And I was I was just tweeties cross per day.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
Sixty seven bucks, sixty.
Speaker 1 (26:30):
Seven dollars a day. Yep, my god, that's five hundred
dollars west two thousand dollars a month to be in tweeties.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
I'm not going to be in here that long. And
now I think they got two tweeties Michaels. The one
you're talking about is one that I called the pol
ears on last week before I switched. They told me, well,
they got a better one up the street. This was
on this was ninety eight. That's one you where they
(27:01):
got the Golden Corral across the street.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
I don't remember. That's been over twenty years ago. Are
you from New Orleans?
Speaker 3 (27:06):
Oh no, I'm going right here, justin Davis.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
H I'll be down.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
But let me tell you my vision isn't faired. And
how old are they? Seventy four?
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Are you working?
Speaker 3 (27:24):
I'm retired.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
Where do you get to sixty seven dollars a day
to pay tweeties.
Speaker 3 (27:30):
Out of my money?
Speaker 1 (27:31):
What does that mean? You got a bank account?
Speaker 3 (27:34):
Take an account?
Speaker 1 (27:35):
Is your Indian owned? Who owns it? No? It's first
national who owns the tweeties?
Speaker 3 (27:44):
Oh? I don't really know who owns it all. I
know that these people are gracious to me, both of them.
But the first one over there off of soft Main Man,
they got to I don't They got dogs over there
barking all night. I told this tweet because I had
been to her first, this about ten years ago. This
(28:06):
much quieter then ten years ago than he is now now.
If any people having sex, now, that was the place.
But now the one over here where I am over
here on South Post Belfort, quiet as a mouse?
Speaker 1 (28:21):
Are you black?
Speaker 3 (28:24):
Yeah? They're fro American?
Speaker 1 (28:26):
Okay, I was trying to figure out your accent, and
it finally hit me that used that tweet used to
be owned by Skipper Lee Fraser, who was originally from Orange.
Speaker 3 (28:35):
Yeah, I'm on a Skipper leeve.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
He was on k K before that, he was on
k He used to own kh yeah and then Yeah,
and then he owned Eternal Rest Funeral Home on the
South Loop and he broadtested from his office in there
right right.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
I met him several times, but I was ringing in
the talk shows, and like I said, John Wesley Downey
had had his own show, and it certainly, you know,
I don't want to talk about it, but man, I
love the su because they I.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
Don't want to talk about him. I know John Wesley
down I know the all of you probably do.
Speaker 3 (29:13):
But I'm just saying they had They were violent in
those days. You know, they were say I'm gonna come
down in kick carre of you know, but come on down.
I'm talking about those kind of talk.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
You ever met John Wesley Downey?
Speaker 3 (29:28):
No, No, he's.
Speaker 1 (29:29):
About five six, a up ten sopping wet.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
Yeah, well I'm five nine.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
I used to do Michael Harris's show, you remember Michael Harris.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
Man Michael Harrison then went to South.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
I used to do this show Friday mornings after he
would finish with the gospel and I would come in
and we do that show. You talk about people coming
down and wanting to fight you. Right there on our meeting.
People would drive by, and if they were northbound on
our meeta, they would drive up and they could look
right through that glass at you. And the window from
(30:04):
it was like it was like a Captain Binney's the
way that that. Yeah, and they could see right through
there at you. Somebody wanted to take a shot at you,
they could take a shot while you were on there
and you'd never know it and and probably get off
that good one.
Speaker 3 (30:17):
Mm hm uh. Mariel Harris was very calm, and after
the seventies he changed. It was a song that I
wanted to him to recall.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
In the early eighties he was having marital problems and
he bringing that on it. He'd have personal person.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
Well yeah, person person.
Speaker 3 (30:40):
Yeah, he would man my wife and mind still under stopped.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
Michael Harris is my friend. He's crazy, but he's my friend.
It's that time, time, time, luck and load until Michael
Verry Show is on the air. On a warm.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Summer's evening, on a train bound met up with the gamble.
We were both too tired to sleep, so we took
turns and staring out the window at the darkness the
boardom overtook us and he began to speak. He said,
(00:44):
sign I've made a life out of reading people's faces
and knowing what the cards were by the way they
held their eyes. So if you don't mind me saying
I can see you out of it for a teaste
of whiskey, I give you some face. So why handed
(01:08):
him by bottle and he drank down my last swallow.
Then he bombed a cigarette and asked me.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
For the day and the night got down in the
choiet and.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
His face lost all expression. He said, if you're gone
and play the game.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
Bully, because that kind of became Kenny Rogers' signature song.
And you think of that song being Kenny Rogers, but
it was now he made it his own with his
vocal phrasing ramon you never kind, but your buddy's a
thing at the table, there'll be That song was pitched
(01:47):
to him Benny Rogers is sitting in a chair and
someone says, hey, we think about recording this, and he
listens to it and it does not the way we've
heard it, so we don't hear what he heard. It's
written by Don Schlitz and recorded by no less than
(02:08):
Bobby Bear at the urging of Shelle Silverstein. Now that
would have been an interesting cat to know, Shelle Silverstein
writing stories for kids and writing for Playboy and hanging
out with country music singers. That guy lived a life.
So Bobby Bear's version didn't catch on. So Don Schlitz
(02:30):
recorded it himself. It didn't do very well, and then
in nineteen seventy eight, Johnny Cash decides to record it.
And I'd encourage you not to listen to it, because
it's painful to hear Johnny Cash do something and not
do it well. The problem is it became Kenny Rogers song.
(02:51):
It is inextricable from Kenny Rogers. It is hard for
people to understand how big Kenny Rogers was during this
period of time, especially into the early eighties. He probably
was about to eighty. I saw a little documentary on
him that he had lepo and facelifts five times during
(03:17):
the eighties. Yep, yeah he was. It didn't take. He
must have busted them stitches loose, or he just really
liked his Kenny Rogers Fried Chicken. I love Kenny Rogers.
Houston Boy, no less Houston Boy. Yes, indeed. Well, on
this day in nineteen eighty, the TV movie Kenny Rogers
(03:40):
as the Gambler, based on his hit song, aired on CBS,
back when the networks would do TV shows. It was
the highest rated TV movie of that year. Now, I
don't know what it beat out. I'm not saying they
were quality movies, mind you, but it was the highest
rated of the year. And it would to a sequel
(04:03):
of Kenny Rogers as the Gambler, and then it would
lead to another sequel because well, we don't have anything else.
And then somebody thought it'd be a good idea to
do a third sequel to The Gambler, because we're just
(04:23):
really not sure if that's gonna be The Ace of
Spades or The Four Clubs. We'd probably get two more
hours of that. We got enough soap commercials, give us
some content. And then after three somebody said, hey, what
the hell, We're already three sequels into this. Thing, Kenny
short on work, We've got two hours to kill. Let's
(04:47):
do a fourth sequel. And then I guess at some
point somebody said, hey, hey, hey, I think we've done
enough of the Kenny Rogers as the Gamble, Glint, Gambler
and sequels. I believe that ought to be about it.
I think I think we can go ahead and shut
that down. Yep, all of them starring Kenny Rogers. How
(05:10):
does that call go? Imagine his agent calling ring Ring, Ring, Ring, Kenny. Yeah, Bobby,
tell me you got something good for me. Well, come on, man,
I know you've been lighting the lines up. You got
many good roles. I got you a roll jelly roll. Yeah, yeah,
(05:35):
we did, we did, we had we we do have
an offer. It's not great pay, but it's it's an
easy role. You don't. We're gonna shoot here in Nashville.
Be easy. Okay, Well, what is it, Bobby? Well imagine this.
Imagine the promo Kenny Rogers as the Gambler. Bobby, we
(06:00):
did that. We did that three years ago, and then
we did a sequel, and then we got we got
a little Leena Rolls, so we did another one, remember,
and then you called and he says, the only thing
they got, And then we did a third sequel? So
(06:20):
what is it? What? What's what's what you got? From
what you got? I'm ready to go to work. Well,
only this thing I got, said another sequel of fourth
sequel to the Gambler. What could they possibly add? What
could they possibly add? What was the TV What was
(06:42):
the movie he made? Kind of Cannonball run Era? That wash?
Was it? Brewsters millions? What was the one that he's
he's in h he's like a race car driver. Not
Cannonball Run Gator?
Speaker 3 (06:54):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (06:54):
No six pack? My goodness alive. Somewhere along the way,
somebody was greenlighting some really bad movies, and I'm here
for it. My life would be less rich but for
those movies Cannonball Run Gator? What was the one that
was Gator? Those things are so cheesy and I loved
(07:16):
him so much. John from Alabama? What you got? Well?
Speaker 3 (07:21):
As y'all under or you know about the Gatling Brothers
being the gang ray for this Coward of the County
which they made a TV show?
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Uh?
Speaker 3 (07:31):
You remember that one? The movie?
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Uh? I feel like I can see it in my
mind's eye. But if you'd ask me before I don't
think I could have mentioned it. John, I don't know
if you were listening. A few years ago, we called
Larry Gatlin on his birthday and I got the bright
idea that I would violate the FCC and call somebody live.
And I called him. He was sitting and having coffee
with his wife, and he's a recovered alcoholic. He doesn't dream,
(07:57):
he loves his coffee and talking. And I don't know
what caused me to do it, but I brought up
that song and he hates that song. And the guy
who wrote that song had it out for Larry Gatlin
because he thought that Larry Gatlin was an arrogant ass.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
You remember the other day when you told me I
was passive aggressive. Oh yeah, yeah. So that guy was
kind of doing that on Larry Gatlin and he wrote
the Gatlings into it, and I asked him about it.
I don't know what was a stupid thing to do,
but he cussed on the air. We had to we
had to bleep it out. You know who wrote that
Ell sneak till drinks root beer. I loved John t y'all.
(08:39):
When I used to sit during the summer at my
grandmother's feet, it'd be so hot outside. I didn't know
the whole world wasn't that hot outside. My grandmother had
shag carpeting in her trailer, and she sit in this
chair where she watched TV. And I sit and watched
(08:59):
TV with her, and I scooched myself back to where
my back would lean on her shins because the ac
vent was right there, and I enjoyed being right up
next to her. So i'd be sitting down in front
of her and the ac vent blowing right on me,
or the heat when it was cold. I used to
(09:21):
lay on the vent when it was cold. That was
that was a good feeling. But I'd lay right up
there and she'd put her hand in my hair. Had
lot of hair back. Then she'd put her hand in
my hair and just kind of scratched my head. I
did that till I was probably I don't know, fifty now.
I'm just kidding. It's good times. But we would She
(09:42):
wouldn't turn on the TV until I think the first
thing we watched was The Price When The Price Is
Right came on and you were allowed to get up
and turn the TV on. It was the old Curtis
Mathis had had to rest. You know, there were times
you didn't just it wasn't like now where there was
a TV on every wall and it's on in the
(10:02):
background at all times. Oh no, it was a production
turning the TV on. Yes, And atop the TV was
a doily, and on top of the doily, a crocheted doily,
was this big silver radio with the green with the
green lettering that it would have your time and what
(10:24):
station you were listening to. And in the morning she
and I would sit in to listen to bbr C
Big Boy Richard Corter. I went to school with his
two sons, Bart and Craig. And Craig to this day
will post on Facebook. He sets his phone somehow and
(10:46):
he will post these time lapse photography videos of him
out fishing. I think it's at Talida Benn. A lot
of people from Orange go to sam Rayburn and Taleda
Ben and he's got his boat, it's a bass boat.
He's out in the middle and he'll be out there
fishing and it will be a time lapse and so
(11:09):
he'll take I guess time off from work and over
the course of three days, like you see the sun
come up, you see the son go down. He just
sits out there fishing, and I don't I don't mind fishing.
I don't live to fish, or I would do it
more often. I enjoy it when I'm doing it, but
I just don't do it very much. But it makes
(11:30):
me want to go fish. It's just a man out
there fishing, like you know, all alone by himself and
couldn't be happier. And I'll watch those things and think, man,
everybody should find I mean, that's his therapy. He is
out there on the water fishing. Anyway. My grandmother sit
there and listen to his daddy, who was BBRC Big
Boy Richard Cord, and I would call and request that,
(11:55):
and my voice hadn't changed, the stuff hadn't dropped, and
I can't remember they'd play my my voice on. That'd
be so embarrassed because you know, they'd pick up and
he'd say, kog tis is bby RC And I say, BBRC,
could you place Snaky's name for Michael out mich Lewis.
(12:15):
It's a sure, can Michael? You just hang on just
a minute. And that was all recorded, and there it
would be. But in my mind it was going to
sound like a great Warrior had called in. You know, Squaw,
you come we make baby. We ain't climbed mountain, but
instead it was BBRC, could you so terrible? So this
(12:38):
email came in before I mentioned Kenny Rogers. Funny how
this happens. Laurie writes, my dad had season tickets to
the Astros back in his day. Back in the day,
one night, Kenny Rogers was there to throw out the
first pitch. I believe it was Saint Joseph Hospital night,
since he was born there, so it was more than
just a Houston connection. The game itself was pretty dull,
(13:01):
so I found myself watching Kenny Rogers instead. He is
sitting a dozen or so rose back from home plate.
Midway through the game, a very well endowed woman walked up,
hugged him, and snapped a photo before returning to her
seat down on that same level, but a bit further back.
Later in the game, Kenny got up and left. Within
(13:23):
about ten minutes, an attendant approached that same woman and
escorted her out as well. I know it was at
Minute Made Park and it was after his face left,
but I can't quite remember the exact year. But well
passed his prime, he was still pulling it in. Kenny Rogers,
you old dirty dog you. What does Vince Vaughn say,
(13:45):
you old sailor you? Oh my goodness, Kenny Rogers, how
does that go? How does that line from the attendant?
Speaker 2 (13:57):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Ma'am, do you know who Kenny Rogers is? You know
the gambler, you know six pack? Well, he has requested
if you could maybe be his lady right down that
(14:18):
aisle right there in the in Uh, he's gonna be
waiting in the diamond in the in the diamond lot outside. Yeah. Yeah,
did he ever shave that beard? You look back to
just you look back to the fifth dimension. I just
dropped in to see what condition my condition was in.
(14:40):
And then shortly thereafter he has I think a mustache,
and then once he hits it with that beard, he
doesn't mess with that at all. Somebody else sent talking
about movies of that era. They were wearing that Burt franchise,
that Burt Reynolds franchise out. Somebody reminded me of stroker Ace.
Remember stroker Ace. It had him and Lonnie Anderson and
(15:02):
it had Ned Batty. So the other day, this is
how pitiful I am. I was watching the nineteen seventy eight.
What's the one where they give the awards for movies?
Is that the Oscars was what the Oscars?
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Right?
Speaker 1 (15:15):
I was watching the Oscars and the Oscar. It was
all white people. Every nominee was a white person. An
American born George Burns was one of them. And the
winner was ned Batty? Is that was it?
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Ned Beatty?
Speaker 1 (15:32):
He was a nominee. I can't remember if he wanted
or not. Maybe it wasn't, but he was a nominee
and she called him ned Beatty and that bothered me,
and I thought, I bet he's gonna squeal like a
pig over that one pipe was a bad dude. You
might be time. You'll never forget it. Sometimes when you're
talking to Darryl Kunda, he will call you or answer
(15:53):
the phone as one of the characters he does, and
it is uncanny. I'm sure Frank does that to his
friends or rich Little. When I was growing up, I
thought rich Little was the most clever fella in the world.
My goodness, was he good? Tell mey what you got, sir.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
Hey. It was exciting yesterday to see the Artemis two
crew go through the shadow of the moon and see
a total solar eclips wasn't it?
Speaker 2 (16:27):
It was.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
I haven't gotten as excited over it as a lot
of other people, but I'm not down on somebody else's joy.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
Well, the funny thing is that there's a total eclipse
of the Sun by the moon happening all the time, constantly.
You just have to be in the right place in
outer space to see it and go through the shadow
of the moon. Sometimes the shadow of the Moon crosses
(16:54):
the face of the Earth and the people on the
face of the Earth get to see it. Total eclipse
of the Sun doesn't happen very often, but I've seen
five of them.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
And how did that happen?
Speaker 3 (17:09):
Well, you had to be at the right place at
the right time. I was in the middle of the
Sahara Desert and I saw a total eclipse of the
Sun nineteen ninety six.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
You have fascinating pacing to the way you speak.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
Tell me, well, it happens all the time. It's constant,
the total solar eclipse of the Sun.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
But I heard Bonnie Tyler all about it.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
But you have to be at the right place, since
outer space are on the face of the Earth at
the right time, and if you're on the face of
the earth. The cloud gods have to cooperate. You can
be I can go halfway around the world to see
a total eclipse of the I'm getting clouded out for
(18:02):
that day. But I've never been clouded out on my
file attempts.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
You know, Tommy, you have the right perspective. I'm serious,
you have. You have like a childlike appreciation for natural phenomena.
The older I've gotten, the less I will spend time
around really negative people, people that just everybody's out to
get them. Everybody's playing politics. Everything is that this because
(18:34):
they'll drag you down. And it's nice to hear someone
that that has a has a an appreciation and a
thrill or whether it be natural phenomena or anything else, John,
I got a message. You got kicked out of your apartment.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
Now, well, first let me say this, Michael, I am
a Kenny Rogers. I got just about all his music.
As a matter of fact, that was one of the
songs that well, it wasn't one of the songs that
that had me kicked out of the apartment, but it
(19:13):
was the other way around. These people at this apartment
was playing loud noise and for years I had been
turning this recent company and they've changed their these recent
companies due to my complaints against them not doing anything
about the noise, and they but but we just go
(19:34):
back to Kenny Rogers. Kenny Rogers. My favorite song by
Kenny Rodgers just loved the World the way. I don't
know if you've heard that song, but I didn't favorite songs.
Oh what about Kenny Rodgers or what?
Speaker 1 (19:48):
Yeah? The song?
Speaker 3 (19:49):
Oh yeah, it's thought Paul loved the World the way.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
It doesn't ring a bell.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
Yeah, you need to hear it. That is a gorgeous song. Love.
It's more like a bad ballad. Oh, man, don't getting
me a sign? It says every now when the war.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
Something like that, But.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
It starts off with the piano. Didn't wan to play it, man,
but it is a gorgeous song. I remember the song. Uh,
I just dropped in to see what my condition was
in and I like that something. Now it's movies I
don't really care for. Uh. I never have been a
(20:40):
movie buff because well it's I was more in the radio, Okay,
I remember all the DJs, h even John Wesley Downing
there used to have a talk show on one of
your sister stations, sports station now and I used to
(21:04):
love talk shows, those talk radio shows. But back to
this NA and this apartment. I don't know if you
want to be named the name of the apartments, it's
called the Life at the Grand Oaks. And for years
(21:25):
when I got there, I got there in sixteen. Now
they were the Lena Vista apartments. Then there over there
off Antoine and De Soto, and they were they would
constantly be I had heard by friends of mine that
(21:46):
were over there, they said, now if they see anybody
that's like a senior citizen, they'd get in front of
their apartments and they played this loud noise, and I said,
I got some bad news. One they won't last with me.
So this guy every that that company with the leasing company,
(22:14):
not the same one now, but then d n C
for Linda Vista would park in front of mine and
in the back of that what they call Little Pattigo
and play a lot of noise. But at the same
time he's sudden drugs. And I seen all them people
coming around there, you know, And so I got up
(22:36):
my apparatus, and to make a long story short, my
system was so loud that it's called broke down right
there at that. After months years of telling them about that,
they never didn't listen. So this last go around, this
this other company leasing office popped up and said living
(22:59):
over the bunker hill. Nobody answered the phone, and they
I was constantly telling them about the noise. And this
particular time about a year ago, dogs started working and
this I had.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
What kind of music was it that they were playing?
Was it like this? Because that's chingo bling? If it
(23:37):
is putting on.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
The stage Michael Berry show the Jello brand pudding pops,
maybe the goodness of real Jello pudding.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
The reason I thought of Brewster's Millions is Kenny Rogers
character was Brewster Baker in six Packs. Diane Lane was
in that Anthony Michael Hall. Remember the TV commentator Chuck Woolery. Yep, Yeah,
he was driving to a race in a motor home
with his race car on the trailer and his car
(24:09):
got stripped to the parts. See that's just quality riding
right there, Quality riding. I tell you, John John, Yes, sir,
where are you living if you got kicked out of
your apartment?
Speaker 3 (24:28):
I am in the tween these motel down here in
uh On, South Maine. At it's a twelve six oh one,
yes road now now on this south coast stroke and
Belford like, that's the whorehouse John down, Uh, look I don't.
(24:54):
I'm not bothered. H And it's very quiet here.
Speaker 1 (24:59):
I did it man on the Southeast Division patrol years ago,
and we went. I thought that was read, but it's
off too eighty eight. I know where it is at
South May You said it was South Maine. That's right, okay, Shift.
It was an undercover unit, but it looked like undercover
unit if you asked me. And we went and parked
(25:20):
across the street. And that was back when I could
see well enough that you could see what was going on.
And as the people were coming in and out, the
officer told me the name of every one of them,
every woman, every man. They already know on any given
street corner, every drug dealer, every gang banger, the officer
working that corner, the Christian Norton of that corner. They
(25:44):
know that guy's name. They know where he stays, They
know where he stays when he ain't staying there. They
know where he stays when he ain't staying there or
staying over where he normally stays when he ain't staying there.
They know they got every address. They don't even have
it written down. He's pull up and they knock on
the door and they got to they got his baby.
Mama's names separated. Oh, they call her by name and
(26:04):
is he in there? And she says, no, he ain't
in there?
Speaker 3 (26:06):
Is it? Now?
Speaker 1 (26:07):
Tell me truth? And there's kind of a code. You see.
You don't lie to him and he won't take your
kid in when he's thirteen on his first offense. You know,
there's a there's a code that Michael.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
Tweet of those kind of people. Yeah, yeah, I never
did foo of those kind of people.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
And I was I was just tweeties cross per day.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
Sixty seven bucks, sixty.
Speaker 1 (26:30):
Seven dollars a day. Yep, my god, that's five hundred
dollars west two thousand dollars a month to be in tweeties.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
I'm not going to be in here that long. And
now I think they got two tweeties Michaels. The one
you're talking about is one that I called the pol
ears on last week before I switched. They told me, well,
they got a better one up the street. This was
on this was ninety eight. That's one you where they
(27:01):
got the Golden Corral across the street.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
I don't remember. That's been over twenty years ago. Are
you from New Orleans?
Speaker 3 (27:06):
Oh no, I'm going right here, justin Davis.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
H I'll be down.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
But let me tell you my vision isn't faired. And
how old are they? Seventy four?
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Are you working?
Speaker 3 (27:24):
I'm retired.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
Where do you get to sixty seven dollars a day
to pay tweeties.
Speaker 3 (27:30):
Out of my money?
Speaker 1 (27:31):
What does that mean? You got a bank account?
Speaker 3 (27:34):
Take an account?
Speaker 1 (27:35):
Is your Indian owned? Who owns it? No? It's first
national who owns the tweeties?
Speaker 3 (27:44):
Oh? I don't really know who owns it all. I
know that these people are gracious to me, both of them.
But the first one over there off of soft Main Man,
they got to I don't They got dogs over there
barking all night. I told this tweet because I had
been to her first, this about ten years ago. This
(28:06):
much quieter then ten years ago than he is now now.
If any people having sex, now, that was the place.
But now the one over here where I am over
here on South Post Belfort, quiet as a mouse?
Speaker 1 (28:21):
Are you black?
Speaker 3 (28:24):
Yeah? They're fro American?
Speaker 1 (28:26):
Okay, I was trying to figure out your accent, and
it finally hit me that used that tweet used to
be owned by Skipper Lee Fraser, who was originally from Orange.
Speaker 3 (28:35):
Yeah, I'm on a Skipper leeve.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
He was on k K before that, he was on
k He used to own kh yeah and then Yeah,
and then he owned Eternal Rest Funeral Home on the
South Loop and he broadtested from his office in there
right right.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
I met him several times, but I was ringing in
the talk shows, and like I said, John Wesley Downey
had had his own show, and it certainly, you know,
I don't want to talk about it, but man, I
love the su because they I.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
Don't want to talk about him. I know John Wesley
down I know the all of you probably do.
Speaker 3 (29:13):
But I'm just saying they had They were violent in
those days. You know, they were say I'm gonna come
down in kick carre of you know, but come on down.
I'm talking about those kind of talk.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
You ever met John Wesley Downey?
Speaker 3 (29:28):
No, No, he's.
Speaker 1 (29:29):
About five six, a up ten sopping wet.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
Yeah, well I'm five nine.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
I used to do Michael Harris's show, you remember Michael Harris.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
Man Michael Harrison then went to South.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
I used to do this show Friday mornings after he
would finish with the gospel and I would come in
and we do that show. You talk about people coming
down and wanting to fight you. Right there on our meeting.
People would drive by, and if they were northbound on
our meeta, they would drive up and they could look
right through that glass at you. And the window from
(30:04):
it was like it was like a Captain Binney's the
way that that. Yeah, and they could see right through
there at you. Somebody wanted to take a shot at you,
they could take a shot while you were on there
and you'd never know it and and probably get off
that good one.
Speaker 3 (30:17):
Mm hm uh. Mariel Harris was very calm, and after
the seventies he changed. It was a song that I
wanted to him to recall.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
In the early eighties he was having marital problems and
he bringing that on it. He'd have personal person.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
Well yeah, person person.
Speaker 3 (30:40):
Yeah, he would man my wife and mind still under stopped.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
Michael Harris is my friend. He's crazy, but he's my friend.
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