HOLLYWOOD TRIP September 2011
I must admit flying again after 6 years was a scary thing for me to do but Virgin Atlantic were great. We arrived in LA at 6.45 on the 3rd September but by the time we got through customs and collected our car we got to the hotel at midnight. We were there for Buddy Holly's Birthday Party but it was also a holiday so I spent some time at the roof top pool of the W Hotel we were staying at and meeting friends plus window shopping on Rodeo Drive. We also went to the hotel in Beverly Hills where Pretty Women was filmed.
On the big day of Buddy's 75th Birthday 7th September the day started in Vine Street just outside the Capital Records Tower where so many top artiste recorded. The crowds had already started to form for the unveiling of the Star for Buddy. We were directed to the VIP enclosure where we met loads of interesting people from the music industry. Albert Lee arrived shortly after us with his wife and daughter. After the unveiling we had some pics with Maria Elena Holly James Burton and Gary Busey. Then it was into Capital records where Phil Everly introduced me to Roy Orbison's son a realy great guy. Some food and chat followed plus the cutting of a very large cake which looked fabulous but was too sweet to eat.
From there it was over to John Thomas's hotel to collect my guitar which arrived in town early that morning. John is a director of the Buddy Holly Guitar Foundation (www.buddyhollyguitarfoundation.org) The guitar was still in it's box and when we took it out it looked wonderful. John Thomas then fitted the fret from Buddy's original J45 inside the body before we had to rush off to the Music Box Theatre for a briefing on the evenings show which was in full rehearsal. After that my guitar was given to Stevie Nicks guitar tech to look after and tune up for the concert.
The evening started at 6 pm when we met Maria Elena who officially presented me with the Buddy guitar. From there we went up to the roof garden for food and drinks and again we met loads of great people including Nigel the judge from so you think you can dance and a great new singer who has just charted in the USA called Laura Warshauer a name to look out for. Laura had just won a Buddy Holly song writers award.
From there it was down stairs for us to find our table for the concert. We had a centre stage spot just behind Maria Elena and Phil Everly. Before the concert got under way Peter Asher showed the audience the Buddy Foundation guitar and introduced me and Albert Lee as recipients of the guitar that day.
The concert was fantastic and included a surprise guest Paul Anka who sang "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" a song he wrote for Buddy when Paul was 18 years old. on the stage that night was Stevie Nicks Peter Asher, Chris Isaak, Lyle Lovett, Patrick Stump, Raul Malo, Graham Nash, Boz Scaggs plus many more. I was included in the finale and picked up my new Buddy guitar and went up on stage with Phil Everly James Burton and Albert Lee to join the others.
There were 6 Buddy guitars side of stage but looking at the video I was the only recipient to pick one up. That was one crowded stage but what an experience to be part of. Afterward I chatted to Graham Nash and Chris Iaask plus Waddy Watchel who was the musical director for the night and a great guitarist. After the concert we went back to the W Hotel where we were staying to find that Paul Anka and a number of others were also staying at our hotel. The next day we went down to Santa Monica for the day to chill out before our return on Friday to the UK.
All in all a great trip. I still have no plans to record and tour but it was good to be part of such a great event and I hope that the organisers on the day Song Masters put it out on video for you all to see. I do have a sneak video of the Finale but as the concert was flimed for TV I can not share this because of copy right.
