Richie is such a talent. I first saw him with 10,000 people at Columbia, MD in 1972 and then some 12 years later at a small club in Salem, Oregon that maybe had 60 people in it and he was just as strong and vibrant.
Albert Brooks, on one of his first comedy albums in the early 70's, talked about opening for Richie and being the opening act that no one wants to see. I just found a transcript someone posted. It goes like this: (keep in mind Brook's frantic, nervous delivery)
This concert was supposed to start at 8 o’clock. I was in the lobby of the hotel at 7:30, met Ritchie and his band. Got in the station wagon. Very easy going guy. Talked to me for awhile, talked to the wagon for a bit. Wasn’t a hard man to get along with. At 10 minutes to 8 we get to this place that no performing should have been done in, ever. It was originally built to store manure for the rest of the world. At eight O two, two minutes after eight, not 8:30, not 8:45, 6,000 people are in place going RITCHIE RITCHIE RITCHIE RITCHIE RITCHIE RITCHIE. 30 minutes, 45 minutes you can handle. Two minutes is just silly. How did all these people get organized that quickly? RITCHIE RITCHIE. I’m trying to dance to it, make a rthym song. He’s sitting there acknowledging - hey, that’s me. I know it is, Ritchie.
I was begging for a disc jockey to be there to introduce me. Usually, I hate it. But I wanted the disc jockey there because the audience would get some of their hostility off on him. Audience hate disc jockeys. And they have a right to, because generally, for the most part, disc jockeys are the worst human beings in the world. This is not my opinion, this is a medical fact. So it’s not me who’s saying it. The AMA came out with a report about 6 months ago listing the three worst human beings in the world. First, were incurable lepers; second was disc jockey; third was curable lepers. In between the lepers.
RITCHIE RITCHIE RITCHIE RITCHIE Happy Birthday to you and thanks for all the music and memories!
Terry - former radio disc jockey
Anyone have an update on his health?