Prior to the concert on May 10, 2008, I received a phone call from the president of the Rock and Roll HOF, Terry Stewart,  to come to Cleveland and play at Public Hall for this year's education endowment fund raiser that not only included the following artists whose pictures are below, but several others.  It was such a humble honor when he also asked me to be the one to close the show.

Rob Arthur, Will Lee, Me, Liberty De, Jeff Carlisi

Rob Arthur (on the left) is not only an excellent keyboard player that's worked with Peter Frampton, but also a real nice person and lead singer. Jeff Carlisi (on the right) was in 38 Special, and along with Ricky Byrd, guitar for Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (not pictured), Will Lee, who plays bass on the David Letterman Show and also played bass on every Barry Manilow hit, and Liberty DeVitto, drummer for, and on all Billy Joel's hits,  made for a pretty lethal house band that night. 

On Stage with a killer band

crankin out the solo

After PTFM, saying goodnight and thanks

Terry Stewart, Pres of the R&RHOF on right

Louie Prima Jr., Rob Arthur, 1hit wonder, Will Lee

Louie is neither a "shoe gazer", or a "wounded bird"..inside joke

Louie Prima Jr. did all his dad's tunes, and His father and those songs he wrote that he and Keely Smith did are (in my opinion) among the very deepest buried roots of rock and roll.  Right before we took this picture, Rob Arthur was explaining to both Louie and I that in doing live work in NYC, they have a code for describing people they may get a call to work with who just stand on stage and look at their feet while performing as "shoe gazers", and a girl that just broke up with her boyfriend and wrote 12 fresh tunes about it as being a "wounded bird".  Both Louie and I were happy to be told by Rob that we fit neither one of those profiles. 

Lou Gramm, one of the greatest

A true to the core soulful white boy. The voice of Foreigner

with Jeff Carlisi

I added this one because it's a good pic of Jeff. Meanwhile, I look like I just saw Big Foot

Jeff and Patsy Maynor

Jeff is the Anchor at WKYC, NBC affiliate in Cleveland and Patsy's his very lovely wife

I did an interview on the Saturday morning of the show with Jeff Maynor, and besides us instantly hitting it off because of us both having wacky senses of humor, the way I was dressed in my usual black suit, he told me I looked more like an insurance salesman than an ex rocker.  After I offered to sell him and his entire family a policy, I tried to explain to him what a lot of people close to me have come to know over the years... that I'm always dressed for a funeral in case I bomb.  Where some may demand a limo to and from the hall, I, on the other hand, always ask for a nice black Hearse, just in case.

Roy Head on left/Still full head of hair on right

Treat Her Right kicked butt, and Roy still does, as well

Dave Ellington, and Kim Carnes

Dave and Kim wrote "Don't Fall In Love With A Dreamer". "Betty Davis Eyes" is a timeless tune

Interview w/Jason Hanley, musicologist of the Hall

First one they've done recorded in HD

What a humbling and thankful for weekend

This night will go down as being in the top ten of greatest nights of my life, thusfar