Roger Zee Memoirs
2017 Fame 01 02/04/21
Fame's a Bitch! She'll ride you hard and put you away wet. And if you don't dry off, you'll end up much the worse for it. Most people don't react well to instant celebrity. Even those who spend their whole life chasing it. Me it caught completely by surprise. And I never react well to anything, LOL! Always dreamed of making the front cover of Rolling Stone Magazine. Instead, I end up on the back cover of two issues of "Health Matters," the White Plains Hospital (WPH) quarterly magazine! Welcome to another excerpt from my memoirs, "Life and Times of a Pandemic Musician." B-|
I spend a month and a half at home recovering from my open heart surgery on 11/04/16. Tough times, much of which I spend wondering why God reached down and literally plucked me back into this world. What does he want from me? During this period, a number of friends drop by to check on me -- Rudy Feinauer, Larry Handwerger, Thandi Bradix, Ellen Zive, Jeanne Cashman -- who also cooked my meals for the first few weeks. Soon I begin practicing the bass sitting instead of standing, careful not to stretch or pull out the stitches that hold me together. As a matter of fact, they sewed my chest up so tight that my belly protrudes much like a puffed up blowfish! Somehow they managed to give me something akin to a Brazilian butt lift, making it difficult to poop! :-O
On 11/17/16, I make my first public appearance popping by the Thursday Victors Hawthorne Jam featuring International Blues/Rock star Dave Fields. Rudy Feinauer hosts with my sub, Thomas Sprock. Nothing prepares me for all the warm hugs, kisses, and fist bumps. Feel like a returning "conquering hero" when I announce I'm back playing the Jam next week featuring Rock Guerrero! Next morning, boy do I feel sore, LOL! =^_^=
Then the "Bitch Goddess Fame" comes knocking at my door. I get a phone call from Kate Lopez, Senior Director of Marketing at WPH. They want to feature me in the Spring/Summer issue of their "Health Matters" magazine. Of course, it won't pay anything, but I consider it an honor. Feel so grateful after they saved my life and want to give back. Oh Boy! They want to set up an interview at my apartment with the Westchester Journal News (LoHud), then plan some photo and video shoots to use for magazine, radio, and other media ads. OMFG! >:O
So the LoHud photographer, Seth Harrison, calls me to arrange the interview at my apartment. The day arrives and Harrison and Kate Lopez from WPH show up (see photo above by Seth Harrison.) But journalist Karen Roberts can't make it. Harrison takes photos, tapes and interviews me, and writes up notes to give Roberts. A very cool dude. We relate easily. :-)
But when I read the piece in the paper next day, I see an important mistake. Ms. Roberts writes that when I got to the Saturday Victor's gig, the band sent me home before we jumped on stage because I looked so ill. No effing way! I'm no quitter. No way will I bail on the gig and force the band to sacrifice their money. I play through the whole night! Before I pack up and leave, drummer Rudy Feinauer makes me promise to drive to WestMed Urgent Care first thing in the morning. Which I do (see Heart Attack 01).
>:[
First I call Kate Lopez at WPH, explain the article error, and ask her what to do. She says, "If it's important to you, call the Journal News and speak to the reporter or photographer." So I ring up lensman Seth Harrison and tell him the issue. He explains that although he gave everything including his notes to reporter Karen Roberts, she's the one who wrote the piece and I need to reach out to her. Sounds right. ;-]
Starting to tense up, I phone Ms. Roberts at the paper and leave a message. She gets back later in the day. In a harried voice, she apologizes for the delay. The paper's just laid off a bunch of staff and she's running around like crazy. I describe the mistake in the article, and much to my surprise and chagrin, she denies the problem. She says she wrote the piece from the notes Mr. Roberts gave her. "You must have told it to him wrong." WTF? I politely explain that I also work as a writer/journalist. I know what I said. After all it's my life! She continues to argue until I tell her, "I don't care who's to blame. How can we fix this? It's important to me." She replies, "I can't fix or retract the print version, but I can change what's on the LoHud website. And she does exactly that! See the link below. :o)
Today as Covid-19 continues to mutate into even more spreadable strains, I wonder if the vaccine I managed to schedule for 3/01/21 at the Westchester Community Center will actually still work. Will I even get the second required dose? Out of morbid curiosity, I continue to watch Democrats and Republican battle in Congress on multiple fronts -- removing Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene from two key committees and passing a new Covid-19 bill. Really? Will the US ever return to something resembling "normal?" Will I ever feel safe enough to go and play another music gig? I'm not interested in sacrificing my life for a lousy hundred bucks. On that sad note, I strap on my trusty Mexican Lake Placid Blue Fender Jazz Bass and ponder "Fame" as I re-learn the bass parts to David Bowie's "Greatest Hits." One <3
Westchester Journal News - Musician's 'five day heart attack'
YouTube - Fame - David Bowie
©2021 Roger Zee