[at-l] WAS Punk20 Now; Name Dropping

[bluetrail at aol.com (bluetrail@aol.com)]

 About 7-8 years ago I was staying at the Hotel Washington in DC (on business).  B.B. King & his entourage were also staying there, preparing for a multi-artist blues concert at the White House.  I was thrilled to be in the same hotel with the blues master.  Better yet, I got to talk to some of the band on elevator rides.  
 
As we came into the hotel one afternoon, tables were set up in the lobby, badging participants who were to go to the concert that night.  Guessing that he'd be coming to the lobby soon, I skipped out on a postmortem of our business day to hide out in the lobby so that I could see B.B. King up close; I'd already seen him at a distance at several concerts.  
 
I was standing behind a potted palm when he got off the elevator; simultaneously my boss got off the other elevator.  She rushed over to him, told him she was a big fan but that she wanted to introduce him to another big fan.  She litterally steered him over to me and introduced me.  Awestruck (and amazed at my boss's audacity), I stuck out my hand and said, "When you're playing, the thrill is NEVER gone."  (A line I've regretted ever since.)  He headed off to the waiting limo.
 
The next day, I was waiting for an elevator.  When one arrived, off stepped B.B. King again.  He saw me, grinned, and actually put his hand over his eye and saluted me!  The thrill has never gone.
 
Joan
bluetrail@aol.com