NORMA'S WONDERFUL TIME AT THE MEET
Nashville Meet 2002
That night we discovered this great
club “Bourbon Street Blues and Boggie Bar. There
was this absolutely great band “Stacy Mitchhart” and his group…a terrific group of
musicians…all GOOD and Stacy of course was a lady killer… 
Back to
the hotel for my birthday dinner. Kaz and
Paul had also arrived and joined us along with Claire.
Listening and talking to Kaz and Paul only made us more anxious for Saturday’s
concert. After dinner, the ladies were off to
the Blues Bar again for more fun and celebration of my being another year older….L(((((
That night everyone had a chance
to tell how they met Paul and what his music had meant to them.
Next we played the Match Game. I was
the last name called and of course lost…I am absolutely no good at that stuff…lol
The best part of Friday was getting to put names with faces.
All the Connection members are so nice, friendly, caring and come from so many
different backgrounds. Listening about
their lives and stories was wonderful.
So now it is time for the long awaited Concert
w/Paul. Joyce, JJ and I were really laughing
at how we looked and quite excited about doing a tap dance for Paul to “Just and Old
Fashioned Love Song.” A surprise
performance by the “Paulettes.” This was something we practiced across the country via
e-mails and videotapes. Small glitch (my
fault) the music was not quite loud enough and we struggled to keep our taps to the beat.
Months of prep, etc. and to have it not be PERFECT makes me sad…however we were
in sync and had a tremendous amount of fun being a “Paulette.” 
We dressed in blonde wigs, pink aviator sunglasses and tuxedo shirts and vests
trying to look like Paul did years ago…Sometimes I think the months of planning and
giggling about what we were going to do was the most fun of it all.
So our 2-˝ minutes of fun time was over and time for the REAL SHOW
to begin.
Paulette's JJ, Norma and Joyce with Paul and Kaz
WOW…it ended as though it had “only just begun” ….time really
does fly when you are having fun.
Sunday we did the raffle thing before Paul came
down…said our farewells, took our group photo and lots of other pics and gave our hugs
goodbye. Then we ladies finally found the
right streets in downtown Nashville to shop. Did
lots of that, had dinner and back to the hotel.
Off to bed early for our long drive home on Monday…ha, we slept in and didn’t
get on the road till 10 am.
Norma
Thank you to Norma and JJ for the pictures of the Meet.
by Marjorie Krossa
Paul signing Marjorie's Scrapbook
Did you know that if
you really wish hard enough and dream long enough, any dream you wish can come true….
Arriving in
Nashville from Alberta, Canada on May 21rst, my husband Ken and I did the touristy buzz
around Nashville and had a good time but still, I have to admit in the back of my mind, my
focus wasn’t really on taking in the tourist events…it was on what would happen on the
weekend. Thursday afternoon we returned to a message from Claire wanting to get
together. She had gone to buy sneakers and we
were on our way out again to get supper so we left a message.
I was looking forward to meeting Claire before the meet but we seemed to miss each
other.
We returned from
shopping Friday afternoon and in the lobby was the registration desk. We quickly dropped
off our purchases in our room and proceeded back to the lobby.
I introduced myself first to JJ and then introduced Ken.
JJ commented it was so nice to meet us and we had come from so far away.
When she shook hands with Ken she said “Hi, Ken…oh my, you do look like
Paul”. Next, we met Claire and when she
shook Ken’s hand she also commented on the resemblance to Paul. Then a voice in the
background said “See, I told you the guy getting in the elevator looked just like
Paul” (Hannah). Friends and strangers have
been commenting on the resemblance for years. I
told Claire I had brought keepsakes of Paul from over the years and she said to bring them
down a bit early to the banquet room before the evening started.
What to wear…what to wear…does this look good….does this make me look fat….do I have broccoli in my teeth…is my hair OK….should I wear shorts or pants….all the questions of a very nervous girl. After all the questions had been sort of answered, we headed downstairs to the banquet room. Claire was there getting things organized with Stuart helping out. They were both so friendly and welcoming. Claire had me set up my memories/keepsakes on the table beside hers.
Ken,
Marjorie, Stuart, JJ, Maddie and Rosanne
Stuart sat and
chatted with us, making us feel so comfortable. Ken and I got the camera and movie camera ready.
We started meeting everyone…Matti, Roseanne, Miriam..
Picture
this…May 24, 2002….a hot, hot evening…thousands of miles from home in another
country….sitting at a table in the banquet room of the Doubletree Hotel in Nashville,
Tennessee…., feeling like your 13 again… tummy full of butterflies….palms
sweating…body quivering… waiting to transfer 28 years of dreaming to
reality……waiting ever so calmly for your lifetime IDOL to appear…
PAUL
WILLIAMS
After a quick
introduction…in came Paul…jeepers…my heart was pounding so hard I thought it was
going to burst. Yep…he was all I had ever
dreamed…Handsome…Charismatic…Fascinating…Enchanting…Insightful…Funny…Brilliant
and a true gentleman.
Paul spoke for a bit
and then asked us all to introduce and tell about ourselves. The closer it got to me the
more shaky I got. My hands were sweating so
much I kept wiping them on the tablecloth till there was not a dry spot left.
Stuart must have thought I was nuts. My
turn…uh..oh!! Well, shaky voice and all, I
introduced myself, spoke about liking Paul since seeing Phantom of the Paradise in
Edmonton on a hot date when I was 15. Forget the date…who was the gorgeous guy in the movie.
3 months later at a friends house Paul came on TV for a upcoming concert at the
Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton. Now, I knew
who Paul was and I wasn’t about to miss that concert.
I attended two of Paul’s concerts in 2 years and had tickets to a third but it
was cancelled. When “A Star is Born” was
being shown in Edmonton at the theatre, I drove my Camaro 60 miles in a blizzard to see
the show just because Paul had written the music. I
wasn’t disappointed. How we only had peasant television and most of the shows that Paul
would appear on would be on Saturday nights and I would have to fight with my Dad for the
TV over “Hockey Night in Canada”. I told
Paul I had brought my scrapbook with me that I had started when I was 15 and had kept up
as long as he was visible. I thanked Paul for
everything he has done. Ken’s turn…he
spoke about how much of a strong presence Paul has been in our household for the past 20
some years and that our youngest Halli goes around the house singing his songs. How he
remembers Sunday mornings with me and I am singing “Sunday” and “Rainy Days and
Monday’s”.
“Match Game”.
Jeepers, my turn and I am sitting like a foot from Paul…how is a girl supposed to
think!! Blank…my mind was blank.
I didn’t even get one point but it was so much fun.
Ken did better than me and got a couple of points. The celebrity panel of Kaz,
Claire and Paul were hilarious.
Saturday morning,
we watched shows that Paul had been in: Baretta, Win, Lose or Draw and the Odd Couple.
We had a lovely
lunch and then Paul came in. He let us all
ask questions. Quiet…yes, I was quiet for a
while…I had so many questions I had wanted to ask for so many years but I was so afraid
to put my hand up…but Stuart…he told me not
to be nervous and to ask them. Once my hand
went up the first time, it got easier. Paul
was so interesting, I could have listened for hours.
It was then time for autographs. I was
the last one to get autographs. I wasn’t
feeling as nervous as I thought I would sitting right next to him….well…lets take a
look at the pictures I got developed….how many red splotches can one body produce.
EEK…
Paul was
terrific. He signed postcards of his albums I
had got when I was 18 in Los Angeles (my friends were clothes/souvenir shopping and I was
Paul Williams shopping), a picture I drew of him in Art Class in grade 12 (others were
drawing landscapes..I was drawing Paul Williams). When
it came to signing my scrapbook he looked through it and thanked me for all the years of
caring and even signed it “Marjorie…I can’t begin to thank you for all the years of
caring...Love Always…PW”. I got my first
hug. A hug from Paul Williams….dreams
really do come true. Except…I am a very
emotional/sentimental person who every time gets hugged by someone I get choked up and
teary eyed. Well…I was blinking very fast to keep the tears from falling…….
Paul
with the Paulette's:
J.J., Norma, and Joyce
After supper downtown we headed to the Tennesee Ballroom for a private concert with Paul and Kaz. Norma, JJ and Joyce performed a tap dance to “Just An Old Fashioned Love Song”. It was terrific and they had mastered it. The concert……I was mesmerized.
Paul and Kaz (Chris Caswell)
I had waited so long to
hear him in concert again…I was in “heaven”. Kaz…what
a beautiful pianist. I love to hear the
piano…reminds me of my Grandpa playing every night before bed for my Granny.
I was ready to go back to the room after the concert but Ken wanted to thank Kaz
and Paul. I was too shy to go over. After
thanking Kaz he headed off to thank Paul for a terrific concert.
Then Paul said he needed to give me a hug…uh..oh…choky, teary time again.
Then Ken and Paul had a picture of them taken side by side. I actually think Ken
was a smidge shorter than Paul.
Sunday
morning…the door prizes and the raffle draws. Ken
and I won several wonderful keepsakes. I crossed my fingers and won the BBC episodes of John Denver’s
television special from England with an appearance by Paul.
We took home a photo album with lots of Paul pictures in it, a beautiful pottery
bucket with “Save Me A Dream Festival” on it, a poster from a Paul benefit, a 2003 PW
calendar compliments of Claire and best of all….A CD with the meet from 2000 on it and
the Loser’s Lounge 2001 concert. I am
in love with the new songs “It’s All Been Said Before”(my favorite), “Love
Dance”, Anything Less Than You”, “The Way We Say Goodbye” and “This is Making
Love”. I have the two CD’s memorized off
by heart…even the talking parts.
Paul
with Marjorie & Ken
Picture time…Stuart
took pictures of Ken and I with Paul. I was so nervous I didn’t even smile…just this gooky looking smirk.
Then Paul hugged me again and thanked me for the scrap book and told me how much it
meant to him. Well, I was so choked up I
couldn’t even speak (or I would start crying)..just nod my head and said UH..HUH… We
then had a group photo. Once that was over Paul left ……left… how could he leave…I
had so much more to ask him…so much more I wanted to talk to him about…where did those
3 days go….
Sunday night,
Norma invited us to the blues bar with her and Sandy and Joyce.
What wonderful friends we made.
Monday while
waiting for the van to take us to the airport, the nicest little lady came in the entry
from the parking lot, and with a real southern drawl started asking the bell hop…did he
see “that Paul Williams….he was here and I was off…he’s my very favorite..not like
them other stars…he’s just a normal person…and Paul didn’t drive this time he was chauferred…and when Paul comes
here he phones me up and says…Trish..this is Paul…and I take the very best care of
him…and I missed him…he’s just my very favorite…and I missed him”.
I told her we had come all the way from Canada just to meet him and she thought
that was pretty cool. Paul…your loved by
everyone.
Claire, you are
one terrific lady..we thank you for all your hard, dedicated work for the festival and for
all you do for the Fan Club. Thanks for
welcoming Ken and I into the fold.
JJ..thank you for
welcoming us also. You are a sweetheart.
Kaz…what a
beautiful pianist. Thanks for coming to the
festival with Paul. You two play beautifully
together. By the way…I love your song
“It’s All Been Said Before”.
Paul…from the
bottom of our hearts…thank you for letting us share in your music, your life and your
heart. You’re the best!
Marjorie and Ken
Thanks Marjorie for your account and pictures. Glad your dream came true.
I first met Kris Kristopherson in the early 70's when he was nice enough to record `I Never Had It So Good' with Rita Coolidge. Our next meeting was a nervous one for me. I was writing his songs for `A Star Is Born' and didn't know what he'd think of the work.
Here's one of America's great poets and I'm about to play the songs that his character has supposedly written. Thankfully he loved the work (or said he did) and made it all very comfortable.
Meeting backstage at the theatre in San Francisco for our recent gig we were amazed that 26 years had passed since we'd spoken. We talked about kids, our health and having survived the wars together. Then Chris Caswell and I slipped onstage and played a short set to a wonderful audience. Standing in the wings watching Kris sing `Me And Bobby McGee' I thought .. this is a moment to file away. This is a bit of history.
Very Nice.
INTERESTING LINKS
An article about the concert in the Contra Costa Times, here, just before the concert.
Thanks to Joe Hester for permission to use the above pictures of Kris Kristofferson. More pictures of Kris Kristofferson at the concert, are on Joe Hester's great Kris Kristofferson web page, here
I'd love to 'post' any reports, and pictures, from those who were there. You can email me at:
Davidswebpages@paulwilliams.co.uk
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PAUL WILLIAMS
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Email me, David Chamberlayne, at:
Davidswebpages@paulwilliams.co.uk
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