OK, you asked for it and now you're gonna suffer...no, no...uh-uh, don't even
think of hittin' that delete button...
It was 1033pm on a mild October 3rd evening in 1964 (that makes me 36, ya'll)
when a 7 pound, 8 oz boy came into the world at Overlook Hospital in Summit
NJ...
Hazel eyes.
Brown hair (well, the hair that was there, just like now).
And they named me Laurin Carter Willis.
The nurse handed me to my father. As he saw me for the very first time he
lovingly gazed into my mothers eyes, kissed her on the forehead, gently
stroked her hair and whispered into her ear..."Honey, save the receipt
because we're going to have to exchange this one".
After long, arduous, and often heated debate with the doctors, the old man
reluctently accepted his fate and agreed to take me home, but not before
offering one final, parting shot, "Yeah, well, see if we ever use THIS
hospital again..."
Yo, where do the Doobies fit into this "biography"?...
Fast forward to late 1972/early 1973...Mrs. Phillips 3rd grade home room
class...J.B. Watkins Elementarly School, Midlothian, VA
An unusually innocent child (once again, just like today), I was approached
by my good friend Billy Walsh who asked a simple question...
"My parents are going to a concert tonight and said I could take a
friend...do you want to go?"
Naturally, I went home and informed my parents that Billy had invited me to
go see the Richmond Symphony with his family that night (who else would be
playing at the Mosque). I bet I looked really cute in those green and white
checked pants and the green izod shirt...I bet I looked TOTALLY out of place,
too...
We arrive at The Mosque (now the Landmark Theater) for the show...No chairs
on the stage...no music stands...just 2 drum kits and amplifiers stacked to
the ceiling...I swear they were stacked to the ceiling...
I was a confused child (yeah, yeah, I know, just like today...but at least I
still got hair...well, ok, maybe not. I'll have a better comeback later, you
just wait).
I turned to Billy (whose parent's were pretty much free spirits if ya
couldn't tell) and said in a halting voice, "Billy, this isn't the Richmond
Symphony...". He replied, "Yeah, this is a band called the Due Bee Brothers
and they really like 'em..."
A ROCK CONCERT!!!
I was at a rock & roll concert!!! Mom & Dad are gonna kill me!!! I'd seen
the news...I knew what happened at these things!!! Ear splitting
music...drugs...and a riot would break out at anytime (I mean, riots were in
the contract, right).
Well, 2 outta 3 ain't bad...
The lights went out and the Doobies came on stage . I swear the first
thought that went through my mind was, "When was the last time these guys had
a haircut?"
I don't remember what song they opened the show with but I do KNOW that the
people down in Norfolk (about 60 miles away) were able to hear the concert
LOUD & CLEAR. As I huddled in fear waiting for certain death (killed by
either flying debris from the imminent rior or at the hands of my parents) I
was able to distinguish the chords to a song I had heard on my sister's
radio..."Rockin' Down the Highway"!!! Then a couple of more songs I didn't
know...then "Jesus Is Just Alright"..."Hey, I know that one too!!!" Finally,
"Listen to the Music"...and this TOTALLY outta place little kid in the cute
green checked pants and izod shirt was TOTALLY into the show (albeit pretty
much deaf)...and it was over!
MAN, THOSE GUYS WERE GREAT!!!!
I went home and buried my clothes DEEP into the hamper in my bathroom.
After that I went to every Doobies concert in Richmond. Seemed as though
every time I'd go there was somebody new in group or someone had left..."Hey,
who's that guy playin' piano...they don't have a piano player..."
They had some GREAT opening acts, too! Loggins & Messina, The Outlaws, Pablo
Cruise, Ambrosia, Knight, Brian Wilson...
OK, a little more "background"... as I grow, not only am I a doobie nut
(apologies to Joe Saab) I'm also a sports nut. Playing baseball, swimming,
and running track and cross country. 2 time national cross country champion,
qualified for the USA national cross country team but can't go to Europe due
to bursitis in the knee, and a 4:05 mile when I'm 16 (yeah, but look at the
spare tire now)...
Then, in 1981 I finally get my drivers lisence!!! I can go to any concert I
want anywhere I want (well, at least if Mom & Dad are on vacation). Then
comes some devastating news...the Doobie Brothers are breaking up!!!
Crushed, my head hangs low...
But wait, redemption the Doobies are going to do a Farewell Tour!!! Many,
many miles are put on the car before heading to Chapel Hill, NC for
college...Richmond, Charlotte, Philadelphia, Washington DC, and the
Meadowlands (Brendan Burne Arena)...all to catch the Doobies on tour...then
off to UNC (lost to Clemson AND UVA this week...it ain't been good).
The first week of college shoulda been my warning...but, as my wife'll tell
you, I never listen! The first day of classes I twist and severely sprain my
left ankle at Cross Country practice...on the plus side, as I'm wheeled into
the training room there are James Worthy, Micheal Jordan, Sam Perkins, & Brad
Daugherty gettin' taped up for a pick-up basketball game.
A couple of days later I'm "crutching" my way past the baseball field when a
home run ball bruises 3 ribs...trip number 2 in the ambulance this week.
Already on a first name basis with the trainers...and I'm only 17.
One week after spraining my ankle I'm sent on a supposed 10 mile conditioning
run...unfortunately, the gentlemen who is suppose to lead the run gets lost
and we're going on a 17 mile run instead...heat stroke and my 3rd trip in the
ambulance and I haven't even been in Chapel Hill for 2 weeks yet...
The final result is this...the heat stroke disrupts my nervous system and I
don't sweat for over 3 years...running career over for now.
Back to the Doobies! 1987 and I'm outta school! The Doobies are gonna play
10 benefit concerts out west. No dough...no shows! That was tough...
In August1988 I move from Raleigh to Greenville, SC to work at WHNS TV. In e
arly September, the lovely and gracious Susie Cooper is hired to take a
publicity photo of a VERY unwilling subject (for those of you not keeping
score, that would be me). 2 months later (early November) we're engaged, and
we're married in August of 1989. (FYI, her real name is Phyllis Susan
Cooper...while she has been called "Susie" all of her life, I think life as
"Phyllis Willis" might have been more than she could have dealt).
2 weeks before the wedding the Doobies play the Richmond Coliseum with the
Fabulous Thunderbirds...what a show!!!
Now, I've been waiting for 7 years for the DOobies to get back together...and
they are all over the east coast...Norfolk, Chapel Hill, Charlotte,
Greenville, SC, Columbia, SC, & Atlanta...ALL WHILE I'M ON MY HONEYMOON!!!
What the!!! It musta really been love!
A son, Edward Palmer is born in May of 1990...that's 10 months after the
wedding people...quit back countin' on you fingers!!!
Go see the Doobies in 1991, 92, 93, 94, and 95 with Michael McD...and have
still NEVER met the Doobies. I call the office every once in a while and
post some info to the AOL Doobie Brothers message board (Marla, Marti, Jim,
Skylark, and I try hard to keep that board from being deleted...).
Around 1995, Palmer (then aged 5) asks me what intrument "Stinky"
plays..."Skinky?" I ask..."Yeah, you know, the guy in the Doobies". Do you
mean "Skunk"? "Yeah, Skunk". Kids, ya gotta love 'em...
1996 Doobies/Lynyrd Skynyrd!!! FINALLY SUCCESS!!! 2 AFTER SHOW PASSES TO
THE SHOW IN VA BEACH!!! Palmer sees Pat's son on stage for "Listen to the
Music" and figures he has just found a friend. Backstage after the show Pat
walks out the door to meet the fans and is met by a 3 ft. blondheaded kid.
No, "great show, Mr. Simmons"...nope. "Where's you little boy?"
Palmer and Pat had a great time running up and down the ramp there...the best
part was meeting Pat for the first time and it was father to father, not
naive to hero!
WOW! DREAMS DO COME TRUE!!! What, you're setting up a website and starting
a fan club? I AM SO THERE!!! When? October or November...
Wouldn't you know it, my computer won't let me get on the website until
February. I sign up for the listserve. Is this thing working right? Hello?
Can anybody hear me?
We got jackets goin' on...fans favorite list poll...fan club t-shirts...I was
in heaven. Has anybody ever thought about a convention? Here's an idea I
have...we gotta get organized...
Big Mike sends out a contest message: What is the color of the motorcycle in
the song "Road Angel". The first 20 correct answers get 2 tickets and 2
after show passes to one of the shows in Laughlin, NV in April 1997. (And
the answer was "Gold"...nah, just kiddin', wanted to see if you were payin'
attention. It's really "white"...oops, "Silver").
A couple of weeks later I get a telephone call. "Hello". "May I speak to
Laurin Willis". "This is Laurin". "Laurin, this is Mike Hossack of the
Doobie Brothers...". "Yeah, right a--h---". Click...
The second call comes in...it is Mike for sure! I've got the tickets...let's
plan a convention
So, we planned a convention for Laughlin...
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