That almost took up the same amount of time as the show on Sunday.
We want more, more, more.
How about someone setting up a chat with Laurin.
Torrey
----- Original Message -----
From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, February 27, 2001 12:23 AM
Subject: My life and other lies...
> 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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