One of the most memorable experiences I had as a musician was performing with Bill Hill and The Silver Wings Express for then First Lady Barbara Bush at an exclusive re-election fundraising event at the secluded private estate of then Senator Mike Dewine of Ohio. The minimum luncheon plate was $1200.00 and was a cute little wicker basket with a blue checkered cloth, a chocolate covered strawberry, a plastic cup of chicken salad , a cheese stick, a cracker and a cookie, or something close to that. How we were selected, and how we passed the Secret Service background check is beyond me. Suffice to say we were probably the most competent and least offensive professional band available. It was an afternoon , weekday event which also narrowed the competition. The location was not disclosed until VERY shortly before the performance. In those days, getting off work was a real big deal. I was allowed favor to get off only because the owners of the factory, International Steel Wool, were not only supporters of the Republican Party but we even stored a lifesize paper mache replica of the Elephant Mascot at our company warehouse. BTW! They moved to Mexico after NAFTA and are now out of business. Karma? Oh what an experience! My wife went with me. We had our own Secret Service agent assigned to us. He was not there to protect us, but to keep us in line. We set up all the equipment, stage etc., then at the last minute, they made us move it all to another location several feet away. This was some sort of security move to throw off any nefarious plans. During Her address, Barbara mentioned how much She loved the country sounds of Bill Hill and The Silver Wings Express. We looked over at Bill and he had these teary blue eyes . I thought the buttons on his "Elvis vest" were going to pop. I hate name droppers and I don't like to share these stories often because most don't believe. Sometimes, I have trouble believing where we have been. Now about that VP Dan Quayle gig in Xenia Ohio.... If I out live him, you might hear that story too.
