As the youngest child of five, I often did things to get attention growing up in the 1970's. My Older brother Ric, was 10 years older and often provided me my attention getting ways. Usually, laughing when I'd imitate Dean Martin from the night before, drink in hand while telling jokes, to letting me listen to his party records. For you younsters out there, a record was a plastic disc that you'd run a needle on and it would play thru speakers! On with the story!   He was a connisuer of comedy records. REDD FOXX, GEORGE CARLIN, LEWANDA PAGE (TV's Aunt Ester) MOMS MABELY, RODNEY DANGERFIELD, and of course, CHEECH and CHONG.

Folks, my parents taught Sunday School and were Southern Baptists. One Sunday evening after church, the folks had a few church friends over to visit. My sister and brother and I decided to put on a show for our guests.  My sister would sing, my brother would dance, and 6 year old Stevie would tell jokes. Now, my father loved my Dean Martin and I'm sure he promoted my doing that. Little did he know about the party records.

When it got to my turn, I got up in front of the crowd of 10 or so people. Mostly older folks. I led off with Dino, but soon went south. I told a few good ones...and then, pow! Right into "Dave's Not Here " and other asorted bits.  My brother died laughing because of the language, and content but my parents and their church friends were stone faced and mortified! Soon, I was yanked off stage taken to another room and dealt with accordingly!  My brother got his records taken and given to good will.  Now, all these years later, I think of comedy records and remember my sore Ass.

Flash forward thirty some years. Still love all the classic comics, especially the legendary Cheech and Chong. I've seen them perform on stage a few times, but was never able to get the elusive autograph. I'd heard Tommy Chong was great thru the mail, but Cheech Marin didn't really care for signing.

When I heard they were going to perform at the Macomb Music Theater in Mount Clemens, Michigan I knew I wanted to try for the autograph by any means necessary!  My best friend lives near there, so we decided to go to the small venue early and try to catch them coming in.  We sat behind the small building, and after two hours saw, and heard nothing. Then, a guy shows up with audio equiptment, Mics, and stools.  We asked what was going on, and he laughed and talked about working for the theater, and was tring to get them to sign his records too.  During the course of the conversation, he let it slip where they were staying and when they were to be picked up.  The hotel was 20 minutes away, and off we went.   This was a very swanky hotel...holding a reception of some kind. Wearing jeans and sweatshirts, there was no way we were going to crash that lobby!  So we waited...and waited...and waited. Ten minutes before they were supposed to be picked up, a large black-out windowed SUV pulled up. We knew it for them.   It wasn't long before security came out and looked around. "Oh crap. Not gonna happen." I thought to myself.

We decided to jump out and casually wait in front of the building off to the side. Shelby Chong, Tommy's wife, and opening act came out with Tommy in tow.  And we were right there with him!  Very cool guy. He talked for a few and signed and took a pic with us. They jumped in the SUV, and now we waited for Cheech. We were stressing because we knew he could be moody.   There he was. Alice Bowie in the flesh. Smiling, laughing asking how we were. Wow, he isn't as bad as collectors said!  He posed for pics and signed our stuff (we only had one thing each)  with a smile!   Tommy got out of the SUV and stood around and the four of us talked for a few. I even told then the story about the records.  "You guys got me in so much trouble with your party records. My Ass still hurts!"  Cheech laughed and said was it worth it?  And of course it was!

Collectors told us they didn't sign on the way in to the venue. So we thought we'd have a chance to get them again at the meet and greet after the show. Wrong!  They charged $150 per person (the fee going to charity) to meet, get autographs, etc. with a limit of 30 tickets. Of course, dealers tried to sneak in, and were made to leave. And the ones that paid, got their money's worth getting several items signed for their ebay friends. Needless to say, we didn't get them at the meet and greet. But we did see a great show, and had a great experience meeting Icon's of American Comedy.