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This is a follow up to Jim Currie's story (and Jim, if you are reading this, e-mail me at drumnwalt@aol.com - it's been at least 20 years!). I was with Jim at Disneyland that night and it was the first time that I had seen Buddy perform. What an experience! Jim and I were drum buddies in high school and it was he who really turned me on to Buddy. We were both into Morello at that time but when I saw Buddy, it was one of my life's great experiences!
We got to the Carnation Plaza at Disneyland early enough to get front row seat. Jim had brought his snare to have Buddy autograph the drum head and Disneyland security made a really big deal of it. Finally, we were allowed to come in with the drum as they finally realized we weren't there to do anything wrong. I brought a couple of lp's for Buddy to autograph.
It is a night I won't forget because Harry James' wife, Betty Grable, came and sat in the seat to my right. We exchanged a few pleasant words and then the performance started. I had listened to all the major Buddy albums by then but what I was not expecting was the charisma that Buddy projected from the drumset. It was superhuman!
When he played the solo on Caravan that Jim Currie described, I left my seat and went to stage left so I could watch Buddy's footwork and left hand and to this day, I have never seen any drummer do what Buddy did! I shot several photos of Buddy playing that night and the photo that Jim described of you sitting on your dad's lap behind his Rogers drums was taken with my camera and hangs in my drum room above my white Rogers drum set that I play with my current jazz group. I know that Jim and myself consider that photo of us with you two one of our cherished possessions!
Since then, I was able to see Buddy live at least 25 or 30 times and actually spoke with him on most of those occasions. He was total courteous and nice to me and I always made sure to let him know that his music was a major influence on my life and that each I saw him and his band were some of the highpoints in my life.
I miss him dearly and thank all of you for continuing to spread Buddy's music. I have much of what he recorded in his career and I am always trying to introduce young, upcoming drummers and musicians to what a major force in jazz Buddy was and continues to be. ~Walter Hern
April 5, 1983. It was a cold, wet & windy Irish night in Dublin City. I was 16 years of age and on my way to see my first Buddy Rich concert at Dublin's National Concert Hall. My dad worked nights back then so he drove me to the gig on his way to work which meant that I was at the venue from around 6:45pm. As I stood outside the venue trying my best to dodge the weather, I saw a black limo pull up and drive through the front gate and sitting in the back seat waving at me was Buddy Rich. I froze with the excitement. You see this was just four weeks after Buddy had undergone his quadruple bypass heart surgery. I could not believe that I was so close to the man. At eight o'clock the show started with an explosive Buddy behind the kit, some people find it hard to walk after an operation like that and here was this man in his sixties playing stuff that wasn't humanly impossible. I will always remember Buddy's opening remarks to the audience... "It's good to see you, it's good to see anyone." The capacity audience was treated to mind boggling drumming, music, wit and charm.
The show finished and on my way out I noticed people were queuing at a door, I asked what for and was told that Buddy was signing autographs, so of course I joined the queue. About 15 minutes or so later, just as it was my turn to walk through the door, I heard a voice shout... "Unfortunately Mr. Rich has stopped." I could not believe it.
In a desperate panic I ran out the front door and down the side passage that I had seen Buddy's limo drive down on his arrival. When I arrived at the stage door I froze and hid behind a wall waiting for Buddy to get into his limo. As he did, he was talking to some people and all I remember hearing him say was "Maybe we can meet for dinner tomorrow." With that I made a battle charge straight to him with my show program in hand, screaming, "Please Mr. Rich could I have your autograph." Buddy smiled and looked at me and said... "Sure kid, but lets go back inside, it's freezing out here." So there I was standing side by side with God himself, I was physically shaking. Buddy signed my program and I asked for a photo with him, nothing was a problem. When I took the camera out of my pocket I dropped it, because I was shaking so much. He had someone take two shots, just in case the first one did not come out and because I may of damaged my camera. He gave me a hug and shook my hand, I will always remember his departing comment to me... "Relax kid, don't be so nervous, you'll give yourself a heart attack, trust me I know!" ~Vinny Ozborne, Jr.
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