Life On the Road

Playing the Hits

Back in the 1960s, I worked with Dionne Warwick, playing a lot of Rhythm-n-Blues shows. We'd play our stuff and a lot of times these acts (Wilson Pickett, Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder) would be opening for Dionne. I did that for two years. Mike Nock and me!

Anyhow, she did the record Do You Know the Way to San Jose. She comes in to rehearsal with this record, crackin' up herself, saying "You guys have got to hear this! I don't know what made me do this." It was so sappy! I said, "If this song ever gets famous and we have to play this every night, I'm out of here!" I was just joking, because I was sure it could never become a hit. But it became a hit and I was playing this dopey song every night. What a joke. All these Rhythm-n-Blues players playing this sappy tune.