My Merle Haggard story: Back in 1984 I was with the UCSB College Republicans and we were asked to work an event for President Reagan called “In Concert at the White House.” Only it wasn’t at the White House, and it wasn’t at Rancho del Cielo, because the facility was too small. It was over the hill at the ranch of a friend of the Reagans.
My job was driver. The Secret Service cleared me to drive the celebrities, namely Merle and his band, plus the hostess, Beverly Sills, in the van up the highway after they got through the SS checkpoint. I saw Merle, but he rode in a different van. I took his band and Ms. Sills up.
When I got there, I awaited my next assignment on a bale of hay, when in walked Ron and Nancy, about six feet from me. I wanted to jump up and shake his hand, but this was not long after his assassination attempt and we had been told (warned?) that there were SS snipers on the hills. I honestly was afraid that if I made a movement toward him they’d haul me away, so I missed my chance to shake RR’s hand.
The concert was good, Merle did “Okie from Muskogee” and had a great fiddle player. Among those in the audience were Bo Derek (looking hot!), Mike Connors (”Mannix”), Ron Ely (”Tarzan”), and sitting right behind me in the bleacher was Fred MacMurray (”My Three Sons”).
pretty amazing story. thanks for sharing.
i always kind of thought merle was a liberal. nice to know he played for RR.