Dean Martin

Almost every bandleader has come across customers that have wanted to sit-in with their group on a gig.  These were usually people that had convinced themselves that they really could sing. 

They see the musicians in the band, night after night doing their thing, not realizing that these same musicians are pros and do this for a living. This is their home turf and it's what they do.

The problem with this idea of letting people perform with the band, that if the "guest" is terrible, the management will complain and you many lose your job and if the "guest" happens to be great, you may lose your job to this same guy that just walked in off the street.  They call this a lose / lose situation and it may turn out to be a sure-fire way to join the ranks of the unemployed.

I was working at a club some time ago and this congenial young man had been coming in several times a week to enjoy the entertainment. After several months, we all had become friendly on a first-name basis.

This happened to be Latin club and that is what we played. We did however manage to squeeze in a dance set of standards every once in a while.

Well, this guy, who incidentally did look like Dean Martin, got the idea that since he looked like Dean, it wasn't that much of a leap that he sounded like Dean.  This idea must have percolated in his imagination for some time. He was getting a high on the idea of singing with the band and experiencing what it was like to be in the "spot light."

Finally after several weeks he talked the bandleader into letting him come up to the stage to do his "Everybody loves somebody" routine.  He admitted that he had no experience singing with a band and that he only sang along with records and the radio to learn the words of a song.

Well, this particular evening he got the courage to become a "star".  It also helped his courage (ego) that his girl friend was with him that night to wallow in his soon-to-begotten-success as a singer.   The band guessed at his key and gave him a four bar intro. (Maybe it was eight or sixteen, I don't remember).

Well, our look-a-like Dean Martin turned to face the audience after the intro and completely froze. I mean he was in shock. Unfortunately this was a Saturday night and the place was packed. It must have felt like being in front of a firing squad and these people were going to be witnessing his execution.

His mouth was open. He was turning pale and nothing was coming out. Absolutely nothing.  Sweat started to roll down his creased forehead.  The band continued to play the song and waited and waited.  Eventually the ordeal was over with the guy, white-knuckled, mouth open, still holding onto the microphone in a death grip.  

Human nature being what it is, I guess some musicians find it difficult to find sympathy for such "pedestrians" and feel slighted by their "Oh well, I can do that" attitude.  Our drummer, that may have had a bit too much to drink, remarked to our "rising star", "That's nice Dean.  Do you know any more songs?"  

Ouch!

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