LEWIS THE ENTERTAINER

My Mother, Bless Her Heart, thought I ought to be an entertainer!

She made me "tap-dance" in the living room even though I knew absolutely nothing about tap-dancing. Thank God I never had to "tap" in front of anyone. Ann Robinson took tap dancing lessons and danced at every opportunity. I would never have been caught dead "tapping!" However when I was a Junior in high school Betty Ann Kemp (Moore) asked me to the Home Economics Square Dance and we won second place because I quickly saw Jimmy West doing a "buck step" and it was very much like tap dancing.

When I was twelve mother insisted that I enter the talent show at school. I had been in the band for two years and had a harmonica; evidently that was sufficient criteria! I played "O'Suzanna" on the harmonica and "Taps" on a rubber hose that was used to drain water from our Maytag. I didn't win the five silver dollars for first place in the ten to twelve category, but I did get a silver dollar for participating. You know it's strange that you never hear any, really good Maytag drain-hose played any more. I guess I was ahead of my time.

With that auspicious beginning I was launched into the world of musical entertainment. I played in the Smith County High School Band, "The Pride of the Upper Cumberland", from grade seven through high school.

Band trips: Ah yes those forays into never never land! I viewed these trips to remote locales such as Lebanon, Lafayette, Cookeville, Livingston, Sparta and Watertown as opportunities to explore the "environment," i.e. GIRLS!

The band bus was a place for singing and cheering and getting "up for the game.” Where in the world did the song, "Salty Dog" come from? Another band bus favorite was "Do Lord." The Majorettes knew all those songs and always led the singing.

On the way home the band buss was a place for demonstrating one's smooching technique! Sophomore girls would kiss the freshmen boys to find out what it felt like since they had never been kissed by anyone. I never really learned how to kiss very well on the band bus. Come to think of it I didn't learn to sing or do anything very well on the band bus!