The Christies were doing three shows a night at some casino and I spent an evening with them, getting to know the bass guy (can't remember now who he was - one of the thousands of people that flowed thru that group over the years.) Bill was playing banjo and acting as road manager for the group and we seemed to click immediately.
Over the years we remained friends, even after he moved to England, keeping in touch with Christmas cards and occasional letters. When Bill came back state-side he'd come to visit on occasion.
When he moved back to Phoenix (where he'd grown up)in the 1990's we were all glad to have him home, and we'd see him occasionally on the road with The Limeliters or when we happened to be in Phoenix for a gig. He and Shane had also remained good friends over the years and Bob was especially glad to have him back in town.
There was another fellow that Shane had introduced us to in Nashville by the name of David Peel. David had been in the business forever, attempting a solo career that never really hit stride in Nashville. Then he and his family moved to Branson and they had a show at one of the theaters there for a few years. Bob had promised David that when he retired, David would take his place.
David even came to Laughlin when we were playing there and Shane had him step in for him to do a couple tunes with George and me one night. We liked him and he seemed to fit. George and I shared a birthdate (Oct. 9th) and our gig in Laughlin encompassed that date. Meri surprised me by showing up there on my birthday with her good friend, Linda. David and Linda hooked up and within a few months David had moved to Denver to live with her.
So David and I developed a close friendship and we often discussed how fun it would be if he someday became Shane's replacement in the Trio. Then Bob, for some health reason that I don't recall, was unable to do two or three Christmas shows with us in 2003. I do seem to remember that he called Zorn first to have Bill fill in for him on those shows, but Bill was committed with the Limeliters. So David became the second choice and we did those Christmas show with David in the Bob slot.
For some reason, George and I didn't feel that he worked out to our satisfaction, and when Bob got sick in 2004 and decided to retire he called Zorn again. Bill cleared his calendar with the Limes and George and I spent a few days in Phoenix rehearsing with him. At that point, Bill and I were getting along great and I even stayed at his house during that rehearsal time.
The rift between us really came as a surprise to me. I'm pretty naive with regard to relationships, I guess. I'm very open and trusting of everybody (except for those Asians who call up claiming they're from the IRS and they've filed a suit against me.) So I didn't have a clue that Bill was manipulating behind my back to get Rick Dougherty into the group. When Meri heard that remark he'd made to Rick when we were on that tour I refused to believe it.
We were booked on a short tour to Japan in the fall of 2004 and it was during that time that I started getting weird vibes from Bill (and George) and I should have paid attention, but I was still in denial that our years of friendship were being sabbotaged. The one telling incident happened during a show in Tokyo when Bill was leaving the stage while I played my musical saw. (That was a bit that we'd added to the show on Shane's request years earlier - it was a departure from standard KT repertoire, but the audiences loved it and Shane thought it was show-worthy.) Anyway, Bill walked by me as he left the stage and whispered at me "It's Howdy Doody time." I sensed it he was being derogatory and I felt a pang of hurt over it.
The ax fell in the spring of 2005 when we were booked for a symphony gig in southern California. Bob and Bobbi had driven out from Phoenix and Bob asked me to leave the dressing room so he could talk to Bill and George. I knew something was up, and later that night I got my pink slip. I will say that Bob was very gracious about it, but he explained that George and Bill felt that they didn't want to work with me and that Rick would be a better fit. To Bob's credit, he gave me a nice severance payment and we've remained friends ever since. I could never bring myself to blame him for this
But I was stabbed in the heart. To be suddenly betrayed by people you thought were your friends, people you'd worked with closely for years, was very disappointing. It set me back emotionally for months. I knew I had to find a way to carry on and Meri and I started going to church, something we'd never done together since we were married. I found refuge and strength there, putting my trust in God to show me the path I was supposed to take. And Meri was very supportive encouraging me to spend time writing music and pursuing local solo gigs.
I tried to work with David Peel for awhile, but, altho he never came out and said so, I think he blamed me for not getting the Shane slot in the Trio. The two of us "rejected Trio members" eventually parted company over a bicycle that I loaned him, which he sold without telling me. Didn't even give me any of the proceeds.
So there's my sad story which I've never really written down before. Chapter 43. I have to say, though, that, as with all things in life, it worked out for the best. I'm glad to be where I am today - God does have a plan for me and it's still developing.
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