Page 60 - The Westerner Magazine Halloween 2018
P. 60
the early 60’s. He looked like a guy who RCA always had [Elvis] Presley, our
was dressed a hundred years ahead of front guy, and classy things that were
his times. “Harvey… I have twelve considered the best of the best. We were
hundred dollars in my pocket. The way the ones who first had HAIR when it
I live, that’ll take us to dinner so this was shown at the Cheetah lounge before
better be a hit record.” it came to Broadway. We had the Sound
of Music, The Boston Pops all those
That was Sherry by the Four Seasons.
great people. RCA prided themselves
We had four top forty stations playing it with the best.
and it busted all over the place. Two
You had a great country division, too.
weeks after his visit he sends me a
That was one of the strengths of the
leather case with my name in gold
company, right?
printed on it. I open it up and there’s a
check for a thousand dollars in it. In Yes, yes, we did. Chet Atkins headed it.
1962 that was a lot of money. We have He was a master guitar player and an
two more hits and they’re all on Vee- interesting guy. I remember at one time
Jay. The first three big hits were on Vee- I used to visit him while I was the
Jay. The second hit was called “Walk national promotion director of radio and
Like A Man” I’m at my apartment and a artist relations. I used to visit him from
delivery guy comes with a giant plant time to time in Nashville. He just had an
from Bob. He turned me into this greedy album out that I loved. He said, “You
person. I dug up the plant because I think I’m pretty good?” I said, “Yeah, I
thought there might be money in there. I do!” He said, “Meet me tomorrow at
remember thinking, “What has this nine o’clock at the studio.” I went to the
business turned me into?” He was a studio to meet him. He had an old
great producer. We all ended up in Los Cadillac and he said, “Come with me.”
Angeles and I saw him all the time. We drove an hour and a half (or forty-
five minutes, something like that), and
Later you worked for RCA. Why do
we ended up in the rolling hills and
you think RCA was such a powerful
mountains. We came to this
force on the market?
amphitheatre and I see these people
I think the name was so powerful they streaming down with banjos and guitars
tried to feature the greatest artists they and they were playing. He says, “Do
could in every field. The class artist. you get it?” “Get what?” “DO YOU GET
