FLATT AND SCRUGGS

Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs were a big deal after The Beverly Hillbillies hit TV. Their tune, The Ballad of Jed Clampett, was the show's theme song. And their Foggy Mountain Breakdown, then atop the record charts, was featured in the film Bonnie and Clyde. Everyone knew it. . .except folks in Naples, as we found out the hard way.

Always on the prowl for a quick buck to fund PAL kids football, Sam Bass, then the NPD Chief, said he'd heard Flatt and Scruggs were gonna play Ft Myers soon and had an open date after. He said we could book them cheap.

Sam knew this because he was a long-time country music musician himself. He was in the loop. Sam made the phone calls to Lester's wife, who was their agent, we made arrangements to use the Naples High School football field for the concert, and the deal was set.

The night of the concert things started awful and ended up worse. Flatt and Scruggs were late. Had there been a crowd they might have become unruly, but there wasn't one. Maybe 100 people showed. We were a financial disaster before the show even started. Our only hope was the concession stand.

The band finally arrived, Lester and Earl in the back seat of the Caddy. They were in bad shape, looking like two wilted lilies on a week old grave. Turns out, they'd gone out fishing in Ft Myers that day, had too much booze in the treacherous sun, and were very sick puppies. They were, however, troopers and climbed to the stage and began their show.

The show was bluegrass perfection, Lester picking the guitar and singing, and Earl untouchable on the banjo. They took turns, however, waltzing off to the wings to puke up their guts. Lester alternated his trips barfing or taking long pulls from a fifth of liquid stupid. The audience never caught on and loved the show. We did, too.

Afterwards, Sam, after counting up the proceeds, found we were about $50 short of the agreed fee. Always resourceful, he wrote them a personal check with instructions not to cash it until he covered it the next day. They agreed, and accepted the post dated check which was worthless. But good ol' Sam made it good.

Flatt and Scruggs went on to the Country Music Hall of Fame, Sam Bass to the Florida Country Music Hall of fame, and the rest of us found better ways to raise money for PAL.

Thanks Ray Barnett