1967

I don’t know if I ran out of old stories or just got tired of them for a while.
I graduated from Huntington Beach High School in June of 1967. None of the plans I had tried to put together to stay in California by myself were working out so it was decided that I should go ahead of the family and stay with Aunt Carolyn and Uncle Jimmy for a couple of months until the family could move to Montevallo. This move served several purposes. One, I got away from everyone for a while. Two, I could adjust to the new environment of Alabama (not). I have no idea how much this inconvenienced Jim and Carolyn. I was not very sensitive to the folks around me at the time.
I rode the train to Montgomery! I left the train station in downtown LA and traveled for three days and nights. I had a seat, no stateroom. I can’t remember the name of the train route now but when we got to New Orleans it became the City of New Orleans and went north to Montgomery, Birmingham and points north on its way to New York.
I do know that part of the plan was that I would find a job for the summer, not just sit around on my whatever. I became one of the last of the door to door salesmen for the Fuller Brush company. I sold tooth brushes, hair brushes, vegetable brushes, toilet brushes and brushes that I could only wonder what they could be used for. I wasn’t very good at it. I walked a route everyday, knocking on doors carrying my bag of brushes and my catalog. I don’t remember making any money at it and I don’t remember lasting very long at it but I can keep Fuller Brush Man on my resume forever.
Paul Harvey (the rest of the story) was the speaker at the 4th of July celebration at Crampton Bowl that year. Smack in the middle of the fireworks display something turned over and all of a sudden the fireworks were shooting into the stands. Jimmy jumped on top of a couple of the kids and I got on top of a couple until it slowed down, then we ran for it. I don’t think anyone got hurt but it sure was scary.
1967 was a summer full of Big Bam shows. Back then, a touring concert might have 8 or 10 name bands in one concert. There was always one super band but everyone else was at least on the radio. As I remember, 1967 was Herman’s Hermits as the headliner. Sam the Sham and the Pharos were on the bill as was Billy Joe Royal and the girl who did Billy Joe jumping off Talahatchee bridge. 1968 had Paul Revere and the Raiders with Billy Joe Royal and a bunch of unknowns with a lead singer who broke his guitar on stage and yelled a lot (can you say pete townsend). It was a different kind of rock concert but it sure was popular around here.
Let’s save some for later. Uncle Westy over and out.