At any rate, Mike Rodgers had a Writer's Night at The Boardwalk way back when and he was kind enough to help a certain group. They wanted to raise money to buy a head stone for a lady who had been in the publishing business for many years and had passed away pretty much broke. You may or may not know I am also an auctioneer. Mike knew I was and asked me to help out as they raised money to pay final respects to their long lost friends. Labels donated the obligatory fare of C.D.'s, T-Shirts with autographs and like to offer at auction that night. Respective songwriters would sing a round and then I would sell for maybe 5 or 10 minutes as the evening progressed between sets. Casey Kelly, co-writer of the "This Is Where the Cowboy Rides Away" sold the bumper off his Toyota pick-up. It's always stuck with me that he did that and I don't really know why. I guess because I've never seen anyone donate a bumper for a charity. Quite unique really
Later in the evening between my times to shine I was shooting pool. A guy with a pigtail and wearing a beret walked up and asked if he could shoot with me. We did the typical small talk of "are you a singer, musician, writer or what combination of the for-mentioned would you like to be". This gentleman asked what I did to make a living to supplement my quest for stardom. I told him I was an auctioneer. He was quite amused by my reply. You probably have never carried on a conversation with me but chances are I wouldn't give the impression that I'm an auctioneer to you either. I've gotten better but it used to take from Monday until Tuesday to say Wednesday. He laughed and said, "You're an auctioneer? Do something for me!" So I spit out a mouthful of numbers quicker than you could say, "Grand Ol' Opry". The pool game was over, the benefit was over shortly afterwards and that was that.
About three months later I stopped by The Boardwalk to hang out for the evening when I bumped into a very unassuming gentleman. He proceeded to tell me that he had two young sons who sang. I think they were maybe 8 and 10. I said, "That must be The Denim Boys!" He was flabbergasted that I knew who his sons were. His reply was, "That's right. How did you know that?" I then proceeded to tell him of the night when I served as auctioneer for the benefit in the same establishment where we stood those few months prior and I remembered seeing his sons sing. With amazement he looked at me with wonder and said, "Oh my gosh! You're the one!" With a very puzzled look I leaned back on my heals trying to quickly figure what I was "the one" of and "why I would have been "the one" in the first place.
This very enthusiastic chap then proceeds to explain, "You were selling that night and Richie Fagan was here watching you sell and he said what a great idea for a song. It's called "Sold" and it coming out on John Michael Montgomery's next album. It great and it's about you!" Richie wrote "Be My Baby Tonight" for John Michael. The first time I heard it on the radio I was sick to my stomach. I had been begging writer's to write an auction themed song with me and I was turned down like a bed sheet on the idea every time. Leroy Van Dyke had "The Auctioneer" many years ago and it was and still is very popular.
Well the rest, as they say, is history except for my "Rest of the Rest of the Story". A friend of mine, by the name of Andie Fishel, lived in the Kansas City area at the time and I had told her the story about the song. She was a country music nut and every night she watched the TNN Country Music News on The Nashville Network and taped it. One night she calls me up screaming like crazy saying, "They're talking about you on T.V., They're talking about you on T.V." My wife and I turned on the television and there was Richie Fagan's co-writer sitting beside him in an interview talking about his inspiration for the song. His name was Rob Royer. Rob was one of the members of the group, "Bread", from years ago. Rob talked about meeting this big old slow talking country boy who was trying to get a deal and said he made some money on the side auctioneering and how this auctioneer gave a sample of how he did it. However, he never mentioned the game of pool they played, the beret and the pigtail he wore, or who won the pool game but I will always remember that night, that game and Rob. Hey, Rob, I sound country but not nearly as much as I used to and I talk faster now too! And who were you calling big? I weighed 190 pounds at the time. I'm big now! And Now you know the Rest of the Rest of the Story! Later....
-Jeff "Ding" Stansberry
