For some reason I have recently been trying to remember all the concerts and cultural events I have attended over my life, which means I am supposed to chronicle them as best as possible, so here goes. Some of these events will be mentioned in my journal entries of later years 1974 and on. Perhaps some day one of my brilliant typing children will volunteer to type and digitize those entries, or at least scan the pages into an electronic journal. Who knows if I might even get around to it!!!!.

Robert Goulet (Baritone) at the Circle Star Theater off Hwy 101 on Willow Rd in San Carlos. Mom took me. Probably around 1962 or 63. I have scanned in a copy of the program for the evening of entertainment. I still remember going back stage and getting Mr. Goulet's autograph (see front of program). He was married to Carol Lawrence at the time and she was a marvelous dancer and entertainer in her own right. Norm Crosby was an incredibly funny comedian who would twist and turn the English dialect and interject wrong meaning words into sentences. Catch him on YouTube for a good laugh.

Jerry Lewis (comedian) also at the Circle Star. Mom also took me. I became a fan and still am. He was an amazing talent. Catch some of his routines on You-Tube.

A Shakespeare play at the old Hartnell College little theater. Entrance was on Homestead Ave and the venue was probably the size of two classrooms. Mom Took me

Count Basie Band at Disneyland in the mid sixties. You could get in for $5 and just listen to the music and walk around. To go on the rides, you needed and A,B,C,D,or E tickets. The E tickets were highly coveted.

High School

Santana at the Fillmore in San Francisco-Probably 1968

Grand Funk Railroad also at Fillmore Possibly with Santana as an opening act.

The Who at Berkeley Auditorium-Senior year Very loud, almost deafening.

Canned Heat. Biggest hit-Goin up the Country -Gymnasium at Hartnell College. July of 1969

It’s A Beautiful Day - Summer 1970 - Biggest hit-White Bird-inner court of old Hartnell College, and it was a beautiful day. Their music was different. David and Linda LaFlamme played, he a violin and she played drums.

Sarah Vaughan (vocalist) and the Buddy Rich (Drummer) Big Band. Closing act of the 1970 Monterey Jazz Festival. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I wrote an extensive journal entry for my Senior English Class taught by Mrs. Harris. She commented that I wrote with passion. It was easy, as they played and sang with passion.!!!!

Various Stage Band performances throughout my 4 years. Performed at the University of Nevada (Reno) Stage Band Competition 3 of the 4 years and enjoyed the concluding performances by the University Stage Band. Also at the Orange Coast Jr College Stage Band Competition in Anaheim and on the Carnation Plaza in Disneyland my Senior year. It was a rainy day so not many people attended, but we were there.

College years

Kenny Rogers and the First Edition My very first ‘pillow’ concert as a Freshman at the Wilkinson Center. $1 to get in and there they were singing their hits, ‘I Just Dropped in To See What Condition My Condition Was In’ / ‘Ruby’. I had my new blue jeans on and I was on the lookout for Women!!! Not really. I was too ‘green’ to notice much of anything.

Dionne Warwick - Do You Know The Way to San Jose? In the Smith Fieldhouse

The Don Ellis Big Band also in the fieldhouse. Unfortunately, he died in a plane crash soon thereafter. What a group! He played electronified trumpet and drums-ring modulators and all that stuff and not one piece was in 4/4 time. They did a thing Bulgarian Bulge which you can get on the internet. It was in 33/3!!!!!

Blood, Sweat, and Tears not the original 60's band (You Made Me So Very Happy, Spinning Wheel) fronted by David Clayton Thomas, but still a good mix of jazz-rock fusion. Several of these band members are still kicking around as side men(Lew Soloff-Trumpet), Bobby Colomby-Drums) which is a testament to their playing skills.

The Fifth Dimension-Up Up And Away

Derek and The Dominoes with Eric Clapton fronting the band. At the Utah State Fairgrounds out toward the airport in Salt Lake City..September of 73

Bread at the now Delta Special Events Center. It was the Sports Venue back then.

Roberta Flack - ‘Killing Me Softly’ at the Dee Special Events Center on the University of Utah Campus. Winter of 73. One of the best concerts ever attended . She did an arrangement of ‘Susanne Takes You Down’ that was special. She was a pianist as well

The Carpenters performed in the Smith Fieldhouse in Jan of 72. I did not go but put my ear to the back door of the Fieldhouse for a time so I could hear. I should have gone, because I did not get the chance to see her again before her untimely death from Anorexia in 1983.

Olivia Newton John Late 74 or early 75. ‘I Honestly Love You’ ‘Sam’ many many hits.

Skyles and Henderson- Funny comedic team that got their laughs by creating very funny and odd sounds. Catch them on You-Tube.

Synthesis- BYU’s Stage Band organized by now legendary Newell Daly. I actually auditioned with my trumpet for him my fifth year and he placed me in the 2nd squad. I never followed up however as I met Janis and school life kept my schedule busy.

Robert Goulet once again in Las Vegas. We stopped over en route home for some holiday and took in the show. He had a booming voice and basically knocked the first row out of their chairs. I always felt he was holding back. He could have sung Opera.

Andy Williams (Vocalist) and The Lennon Sisters (Vocal Trio) One of the better concerts also. I have always been attracted to harmonies and the Lennon Sisters did not disappoint. They made their mark on the Lawrence Welk Shows of the fifties and sixties. Andy Williams was simply one of the best crooners of the 20th Century

Cal Tjader Trio Jazz Vibraphonist Summer 1974. Took the then Nancy Ririe on a date to a small dinner club in Monterey.

Post College-Married Life

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir at various venues. No equal especially as I became a singer and began to perform with choirs. Theirs is an unmistakable sound that is so immediately recognizable.

The King and I How about 1983 or 4 going to see the play at the Orpheum in San Francisco. I knew nothing about plays at that time, but when the original King Yul Brynner came out for his 10th curtain call, well, I realized that I had seen something special. Indeed we did. He would die of Lung Cancer in the mid nineties, so... I believe I might even have a journal entry somewhere about this night.

Les Miserables 13 times, once in London, once in New York, once in San Jose. What can I say?

Phantom of the Opera-Ahmassan Theater in Los Angeles. Jan and I drove down to celebrate our fifteenth anniversary in 1990. Michael Crawford was not the lead, Robert Guillaume, a black actor and singer played the Phantom. Staging was unbelievable, Guillaume was ok.

Jekyll and Hyde Once in New York 1997-Linda Eder played the female lead. One of the finest voices I have ever heard / and in SF Not nearly as good and became almost x-rated for some reason.

Forever Plaid A wonderful tribute to the four part harmony of the 50's and early 60's. Saw it professionally done in Las Vegas and not so professionally done at Hartnell Community College-late 90's

Beauty and The Beast Broadway Musical 2001

Cats! Musical East Side London in the theater built for the play itself. 1997

The Lion King 1997. Just opened on Broadway at the Theater that Disney had restored. Wow. What a fabulously entertaining show.

Wicked November 2009. Entertaining to say the least. Dorothy had no idea of the history of OZ. Neither did L Frank Baum. Oh Well.

George Shearing wonderful blind Jazz Pianist / Played for two hours in the Ballroom at the old Hotel Utah in downtown Salt Lake City 1977. Masterful and moving.

Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett 1977 both in Las Vegas. ‘The Voice’ and the one whom ‘The Voice’ said was the best singer in America. Frank at Cesar's Palace and Tony at the Sands with the Count Basie Orchestra.

Judy Collins (Folk Singer) and Leo Kotke (Guitarist) Early 80's at the Paul Masson Winery outdoor Concert Venue in the foothills of Los Gatos.

John Denver twice, once in 1989 at the Concord Pavilion and in 1990 at the Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles.

The Hi-Lo’s My all-time positively favorite vocal group at the 1989 Monterey Jazz Festival.. Mom received a bunch of records from the staff at the school where she taught in 1959, Santa Rita School. The Hi-Lo’s album was in that stack and I can trace my harmonic singing to listening to these guys do their thing. That LP album survived until just recently when I was able to repurchase it in CD form

The Manhatten Transfer. My second favorite all-time favorite vocal group. Also at the Masson Winery venue in Los Gatos.

Tony Bennett, Donnie and Marie Osmond, Mel Torme, The Kingston Trio, all at the Sherwood Community Center here in Salinas as part of the late 80's and early 90's Salinas Concert Association. Donny and Marie were too loud!!!!

The Beach Boys Bob Hawk and son Jared invited Jamie and me to join them at the Great America Amphitheater in Santa Clara for an evening of early 60's nostalgia, at least for Bob and I. Actually, I remember Jamie enjoying listening to the Beach Boys. They did have excellent harmonies.

Sons of The San Joaquin 1996 Cowboy Music!! Go figure. Bob Hawk invited Jan and I to go see them at the Carmel Valley Playhouse-a glorified barn. I did not want to go listen to Country Western Music in any way, shape or form. Was I ever pleasantly surprised at the wonderfully rich harmonic sounds of these two retired school teacher brothers and a son, all from Visalia. We have enjoyed listening to this Cowboy Music for over 14 years now.

Steve Allen and The Louis Bellson Big Band Summer of 89. over a two night period at the La Mirada Civic Center in Southern California. Steve, in addition to being a funny man, was an accomplished jazz pianist and in fact wrote many tunes, both popular and un. His most famous was ‘This Must Be The Start of Something Big’. He performed with 3 other Jazz Pianists of the day including Pete Jolly from the Tonight Show Band. The second night I enjoyed the sounds of the Louis Bellson (drummer) Big Band. I believe I have a journal entry somewhere in my writings regarding these evenings, which were very enjoyable.

Steve and Eydie Gorme in the late 90's with Mom at the Circle Star mentioned above. Certainly two of the finest singers of the mid and late 20th Century. And they were and still are married!!!! The Circle Star has since been razed!!!!.

Michael Feinstein and Rosemary Clooney Late 90's at the Curran Theater in SF. The first being one of Mom’s favorite popular singers of the new generation, and of course the latter as one of the favorites from generations past. Rosie was touring once again and sounding great. She passed away several years hence, 2001, I believe. As for Michael, his alternative life style began to affect his singing and I have not been able to listen to him for some time.

Various local plays and concerts too many to recall, some good, some not... In particular, MPCC’s production of Evita in 1991. Excellent. Hartnell’s original Stage production of Ray Bradbury’s ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’. Watsonville Band concerts at Sherwood Community Center. They have been going strong for over 50 years now.

I am sure I will think of other concerts enjoyed or plays attended, but mine has been a life blessed by the performing and visual arts. And of course it has been a privilege to have been able to participate as a singer and actor of some degree in the local productions of Ariel Theatrical, and as a singer with the Valparaiso Singers and the Broadway Classics Ensemble, and as a soloist with a major recital to my credit (1994-An Evening with David Shipley). So... I give thanks for these gifts and hope that I have used them to bless the lives of others. I certainly never made any money from performing, nor did I really want to. Again, it has been a privilege to share my love of music with others and to have heard and seen some of the finest entertainers and actors of all time.