Chuck Yeager & the Oak Ridge Boys nr Oroville, CA

Oak Ridge Boys. Talented. Fun. Funny. We were early so decided we had time to eat. We drove thru downtown Oroville and showed Patty Wagstaff, world champion aerobatic pilot, our guest, where General Yeager met his first wife, Glennis. Patty took the photos above (except the one’s she’s in).

Nothing much appeared to be open and so we decided to head to the casino – probably as good, if not better, restaurant there – and then we’re there in case it takes too long to get food.

We parked in the secure area by the buses, as instructed, and then asked the security fellow if he could put the mango salsa in the buses. I introduced myself and asked where Darrick was. The guy was hesitant – come to find out he remembered meeting Gen Yeager and me. Go figure.

We found Darrick before he did. I was standing next to Darrick when the guy radioed saying we had arrived. I whispered to Darrick to ask the fellow where the mango salsa was. And he did. The guy said he put them on the bus….and then realized what that meant – we had found Darrick or Darrick had found us.

We then ran into each Oak Ridge Boy in turn.

We said hello to Duane who, when he heard we were outside, interrupted watching a couple of ballgames to say hello. Warm hugs.  Then Joe walked up. Gen Yeager did a foreword for his new book coming out in September. Joe genuinely thanked us for it. Warm hugs.

Joe and I bonded a few years ago – we’re both from Philadelphia. At a dinner, Joe had offered to give up his seat next to General Yeager for some guy who was an “entitled” type.

I smiled: No thanks, Joe.

The guy was persistent. Joe, to smooth over the tension, offered again. I said in Philadelphia code just to Joe: “Not just ‘no’, but ‘hell no’.

He gave me a look like allllriiiighhhty then and didn’t offer again. 🙂 “Yes ma’am.”

And I found the other guy another seat at another table.

And Joe got to talk with General Yeager for a good long time.

Yup. Joe and I bonded. In friendship over my protecting General Yeager and Joe and their time together.

Back to last evening: Then we saw William Lee Golden with his gorgeous long beard and hair. And his son, Chris, the drummer. Big hugs. And then Richard. More hugs. We always tease him – that Barbara Bush told he looked evil with his goatee. So I called out: Oh the “evil one” and then “Hey, your beard is different.”

Richard: I cleaned up when I heard General Yeager was coming.

We all laughed.

We went to the steakhouse. Darrick, a great guy and a great friend, the Oak Ridge Boys’ road manager, said the food was great. He sure was right. We ordered quickly. And then our other friends showed up. We squeezed them into our table easily.

I took General Yeager to the elevator – there were crowds on the way thru the casino – to get him backstage in plenty of time to introduce the boys. A wonderful, kind casino employee was getting on the elevator so I put Gen Yeager in his care to his delight while I waited on the others who didn’t have their passes yet.

We made our way to the concert entrance. Dick & Roberta, Gen Yeager’s first wife’s cousins once removed (phew- that’s a long one but they’re also friends), also our guests, spotted us so I got everyone in and to the green room. We said hello to the band – great guys, great talent. And chatted with the “boys”. They all really admire and respect General Yeager. And they were keen on meeting Patty, a beautiful, talented woman, and our other guests equally wonderful.

Jimmy, long hair, great guitar player, asked for a photo with General Yeager – third time. Gen Yeager obliged. Then Jimmy teased Gen Yeager – and put his hair on top of Gen Yeager so it looked like Gen Yeager’s – long brown hair. William Lee did the same with his long beard. It was hilarious.

Not one for anyone to get one over on, General Yeager said: “The good Lord many so many perfect heads, the rest he covered with hair.”

We all laughed!

Chris thanked us for the oral history we sent him – he loved it.

William Lee had a brochure of his paintings and a CD. He is an outstanding painter. Beautiful!

Then it came time for General Yeager to introduce the “Boys”. Our guests, after a bit of to-do because the doors to get back in the audience part of the venue were locked. Security was called and they got into their seats just in time.

They intro-ed General Yeager and he stepped out. And the audience stood up and cheered. A heartfelt standing ovation. He told his history re Oroville – meeting Glennis, and then he told of his history of friendship with the Oak Ridge Boys.

They had invited the 357th Fighter Group (FG) – at their reunion in Myrtle Beach – to their concert. The FG asked how much is it going to cost?

Free! As our guests. We honor you and thank you.

So the whole group and their families attended the concert.

And General Yeager has been most appreciative since. He’s introduced them whenever they and we are nearby – so Alabama, Reno, Oroville…And they have played at his birthday a couple of times.

He then said, when I was growing up in Hamlin, we had great quartets. The Oak Ridge Boys are the best there is today.

(I heard Joe exclaim gratitude or intake breath or something re that statement. I looked back at him and he was truly moved. And next to him, so was Duane. I nodded agreement with General Yeager’s statement).

And then General Yeager said The Oak Ridge Boys”….

And nothing happened. I turned back to Duane and Joe and realized they had an “opening” so couldn’t just run out on stage as they have in the past.

As I was putting this together, General Yeager said: While we’re waiting for them I could sing a solo.

And the crowd cheered – they wanted him to sing that solo! Someone yelled: “We love you General Yeager!”

I walked out & waved Gen Yeager over to the stairs. He walked on over, handed me, then Darrick who had come up too, the microphone. And followed me down the stairs. I grabbed the first two open seats and waited till the lasers illuminated them before we attempted to sit.

And then the spectacular opening with light show, video, and music: The Boys Are Back!

They played many of their old songs and then moved into their new ones.

Joe re-introduced the General. Cheers, applause. And then he thanked General Yeager for those kind words but…Gulp…now the Boys had to live up to them.

They did.

One song was especially very patriotic with commensurate video. When the song ended, the last photo on the screen was of General Chuck Yeager in uniform saluting. The crowd went wild.

And General Yeager smiled from the bottom of his heart.

And I was beaming with joy. It gives me great joy when people appreciate General Chuck Yeager and all that he has done.

After the concert ended, the boys made sure we got up on stage and thru to the green room. I went back to get our guests who were many rows back and in the middle. I waved at them to follow me and waited while they made their way. Security paid close attention as I identified each guest.

In the green room, Darrick very generously gave us a few great t-shirts. I love the new color & design & often wear them as nightgowns. William Lee gave us another brochure for a mutual friend Gen Yeager was seeing Wednesday. Darrick has amazing energy – has a lot of responsibilities. and organizing to do – and a great sense of humor and kindness.

William Lee had changed a lot of hats during the show – different from his usual. Gen Yeager said, “All those hats – pretty old ones. When you picked up that hat, all sorts of bugs flew out of it.”

Everyone laughed. I wonder how often William Lee gets teased like that :-).

More hugs, this time good-bye – it was getting late and we had a 1.5 hour ride home.

Chris Goldin gave us a couple of CDs. His daughter comes on the road with them – he says she is an outstanding musician. Chris is so kind to us. And so appreciative of General Yeager. And very creative.

After most everyone left, I asked Jimmy to re-enact for the camera his hair on Gen Yeager. He was hesitant. And I said “It’s fine. It’s funny, and benign funny.”

Jimmy then said he was planning on cutting it all off.

Me: And sending it to General Yeager?

Jimmy laughed. We considered getting William Lee back with his beard but figured he had already retired and it was late – we wanted to get ho me.

Jimmy pulled his hair into a pony tail to get it in the right spot to cover General Yeager. Gen Yeager loved it. It was hilarious – the kind of laugh till you cry or can’t breathe.

Dick and Roberta were so thrilled to have been a part of all the fun as were Patty and our other friends as were we all.

And the photos…VERY funny.

c. GCYI