Dees Sleaze!

Late Saturday morning, I made a couple calls to let some friends know I had moved back onto Manhattan, to a temporary situation, and was now getting some sleep.

Stephen, my friend of some 12 years, phoned me back a bit later.

"Oh, I meant to call and check on you again. I'm glad you're safe and back on The Island. We'll have to meet up next week. I'm actually in Kentucky right now golfing with Rick Dees."

"WHAT!?" I exclaimed. "Rick Dees!? I love Rick Dees!"

"Really," he stated. Stephen knows me well enough that this oddity amidst my celebrity heroes should be really no surprise. "You wanna talk to him?"

"Oh my gosh!"

"Hang on..."

(rustle, rustle, mumble, mumble...)

"Hi, Amy! This is Rick Dees coming to you from the Dees property in Central Kentucky," he said in full radio voice. "How are you?"

"What!? Oh my gosh!"

"It's a brisk 42 Dees degrees here this afternoon."

"Oh my gosh! Are you kidding me?" I giggled.

"I have family in Kentucky. Where are you exactly?" I asked.

"Oh, where's your family?" he asked me.

"Owensboro and Lexington."

"Well, we've got quite a few acres and 7 restored old homes here in Danville."

"That's close!" I said. "I have to tell you, when I was a little girl I would tape your show while I went to Sunday school, 'cause I had to hear as much of it as possible when I got back!"

"Well, Amy, that makes it all worthwhile. I'm glad you've enjoyed it. I've heard a lot of great things about you, Amy, and I guess I'm hoping next year will be better than this one."

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, let's hope. But this is good start already!"

"I've been hanging out with your friends here, and well," he continued, "I think they're going to turn the music industry upside down."

"Yes! Yes they are! Are you going to help them!?"

"I just opened my wallet and said, 'Take whatever you're going to need.'"

"Oh, that's great!" I exclaimed. "I'm so glad you're helping. That's so cool!"

"Well, they're good people. I'm glad to be involved."

"You can go back to your golf game," I said in disbelief he has just talked to me for this long. What a nice guy!

"Good to talk to you, Amy!"

"Thanks! You can put Stephen back on."

And so there it was. A conversation with one of the most influential celebrities of my life. Seriously, I've loved music all my life. The "Weekly Top 40" was such a highlight of my weekend from... well, ever since I can remember! I'd have never thought Rick Dees would be talking to me on the telephone one day! I'm sure I sounded like a goofy little school girl.

I called all my friends to tell them about it.