We’ll never know for sure. It’s a good story, though.
I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, and you’ll call him a liar.
But he did make $80 prize money on the show, and he got a free can of tobacco.
He really cashed in.
He got a free trip down the stairs also.
“But he did make $80 prize money on the show, and he got a free can of tobacco.”
That’s the equivalent of about $700 today. Not exactly an American Idol payoff, but he did not do too badly for a night on national televison.