I’ve interviewed many celebrities in my career, and one of the first was among my most memorable.
I was doing a Saturday afternoon radio show in Chattanooga when my boss said, “Charlie Daniels is in town, and he’s going to drop by in about 15 minutes. How ’bout doing a little chat with him?”
Of course I would! Sure enough, the big man soon lumbered into the tiny studio.
He was booked to play a sold-out show at the city’s Memorial Auditorium that night, and he was riding high with his hit “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” He certainly didn’t need me to draw a crowd. He just wanted to thank the folks who had bought tickets.
I asked him if he was familiar with Chattanooga. He said he did a show at a local club when he was just starting out, almost twenty years earlier in 1961. He was promoting his first single, a novelty song called “Robot Romp.” He said, “Nobody remembers that one, thank God.” (Watch it on YouTube, and you’ll understand what he meant.)
(That’s Charlie in 1961 on the left)
I didn’t ask him anything he hadn’t answered a thousand times before. But one exchange stood out, and I still think of it often. I said, “Your records sell millions, and you could retire right now and never have to work again. What makes you keep going?”
It’s been a few decades, so I will paraphrase. Basically, he replied, “For me, it’s a win-win situation. Everybody needs a win sometime. Those people in that audience, I don’t know what’s happening in their lives. Maybe they just lost their job, or got divorced, or they just buried their grandpa. I have no idea. But I know some of them are having a bad day. I can’t fix their problems, but I’ll guarantee you they’ll be whoopin’ and hollerin’ for three hours tonight.”
“And see, I have bad days too. I get down just like everybody else. But when I go on that stage, and I see the audience stand up and cheer, all the bad stuff goes away. So I get a win too.”
It sounds simple, doesn’t it? We could all use a win sometime. Any win, no matter how small, can change the course of someone’s day, or even their life. The smallest gesture can mean so much.
I am fortunate because my work in the public eye can bring about verbal bouquets from people I don’t even know. Many a day I have slumped around with a frown stemming from the daily grind. Seemingly out of nowhere, a smiling face will emerge. “Thank you for what you do for our community.” “I never miss your newspaper column.” “You have been a part of our lives for years.” I don’t always feel that I am deserving of such praise, but it certainly brightens my day.
With age has come the ability to appreciate compliments that might have offended a younger version of myself. “We watch you every day. Thanks to you, Channel 9 is our favorite station!” That’s a lovely sentiment, and I accept it gracefully, even though I’ve never worked for Channel 9. It’s the thought that counts.
One of my earliest “wins” was in 8th grade. I had enrolled at a new school, and I missed my friends. One of my teachers was an elderly fellow named T.W. Bouldin, who clearly preferred female students. He (rightfully) believed they were smarter, and nicer. Even though I considered myself a decent student, I felt like a second-class citizen. Mr. Bouldin’s test assignments were written essays, which he graded with a critical eye. He never gave anyone a 100.
He handed out the results individually, commenting to each student. Most of the girls got a score in the 90s, and most of the boys were lucky to get a 75. As he handed me my paper with a “91,” he said, “Son, I’m right proud of you.” I beamed with pride. The fact I still remember that moment should tell you how much his words meant to me.
Does someone in your life need a win? Today would be a good day to make that happen.
