154
Item
-
Title
-
154
-
Transcription
-
College brought a new dimension to my experience as an entertainer, I met a man who was to remain a friend for life, Ray Magnuson from South Dakota. I saw Ray for the first time on July 4, 1927, at Ardmore South Dakota. Ray entertained a 4th of July crowd, when President Coolidge was present. The President was using the Black Hills for his summer White House.
When Ray and I were rooming together in 1927, at the University of Nebraska, we paid some of our college expenses with our Banjos, guitar and harmonica. Most of our entertainment was in and around Lincoln, but we did go out of town on special occasions. Some of our trips did not make- us much money. It cost more to get to the town and back home than we made [sic]
In Feb., 1928, we had an engagement at Stromsburg Nebr. The radio had announced that there was a blizzard on the way, but since it was still as far as Lusk, Wyoming, in the morning, we thought that we could make the trip before the storm would reach eastern Nebraska. The blizzard reached Stromsburg about the same time we did and our audience consisted of less than a dozen people. I think they felt sorry for us, they gave us $5.00 and it took all of it to pay our friend who had loaned us the car. We had to ask him to wait a few days until we got enough money to fill the gas tank.
Ray and I tried out for the Red Path Chautaqua [sic] circuit and were offered a contract for the summer of 1928. Easter vacation changed our plans, Verna and I were married and Ray had an offer from the University of Nebraska for a summer job, so the contract was never was signed.
For 40 years, the banjo, guitar and harmonica lay quiet, I would occasionally play for a Christmas party, or for a family gathering, Silent Night, or Happy Birthday was all I seemed to remember.
In 1976 we came to Sonoma. Dan Ruggles, the music man of Sonoma, some times pushed me to play for a program he was sponsoring. Ray Magnuson was living in Santa Rosa, and occasionally we would get together for old times sake, but most of the time the harmonica, banjo and guitar were quiet. I have had the fun of playing with a dance band and a blue grass group, and I have played harmonica solos with the pipe organ. It takes more practice than I seem to be willing to put in.
Dan Ruggles, I need you to give me a boost. I want to hear again the singing, the clapping of hands and stomping of feet from the kids on the front row. I want to walk off stage and hear them shout, [sic]"MORE MORE."
-
Rights
-
To inquire about usage, please contact Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries. These images are for educational use only. Not all images are available for publication.
Metzger Memories
