Random Musical Facts

Lately I've realized that mostly because of my father's vast musical knowledge I've accumulated a vast span of random musical facts. Part of the reason I write is because I've always been slightly afraid of forgetting a lot of things when I get old (and I'm very nostalgic). Also musical knowledge is a somewhat useless form of knowledge (I mean let's be serious, it sure didn't help on the SAT, and at a school like BC where music isn't really a serious interest for most people, it doesn't come up too often in conversation). Anyway, so that I don't forget everything I've learned, and so that I have some way to share the fun facts I've been accumulating, I've decided to every so often document a random fact on this blog. Today's was a story my father told me just the other day that he got a kick out of. I'll admit this one is more story than fact, but that's alright:

The other day my father walked into my room and asked if I'd ever heard of Waddy Wachtel. Needless to say I hadn't. But I had heard of someone he's closely associated with: Warren Zevon. Waddy Wachtel has played with James Taylor and Keith Richards, and I guess in his day he was quite in demand as a musician. Anyway he used to play with Warren Zevon, and I guess my father saw them live at one point. I guess Zevon has a drinking problem, so Waddy did most of the talking during the concert. As the show went on, Zevon got more and more intoxicated, and so, obviously, the last thing they played was "Werewolves of London" (because who doesn't want to howl when they're falling down drunk?). Anyway before the last song, Zevon, who hadn't said much the whole time, decided to do the courteous thing and introduce Waddy Wachtel, but instead of the usual introduction, he simply said, "Waddy Wachtel: he isn't gay ladies, but he is accounted for." For whatever reason my dad always remembered that, and to me that (and the fact that it is so out of the box) makes it worth passing on.