The coolest thing that ever happened to me...

I got to meet Bo Diddley. Funny story. I was outside in my white trash outfit (no shoes, hippy skirt, tank top with no bra). And this old black man in a huge white Ford Dually drove up. One of my roommates was selling his vehicle on 6th st. and the old man asked me how much the owner was willing to take for it. So I put out my dew bidge and ran inside.

Mandocello, this luthier and performer that lived in the house I just moved into, asked me who was outside. I said,"Some old black man. Why?", and Mandocello peaks out the window....

Then jumps 3 feet in the air, grabs my arm, and orders me to give him my CD and tell him I am a musician. And I reply, "But Mandocello, I have to find our roommate to ask how much he is willing to ta....."
"JUST DO IT!!!" Exclaims Mandocello.

So without any explanation, I did as I was instructed. I gave my CD to the old man, and introduced myself. He shook my hand and politely said, "Well hey there!!! Alright Alright Alright. So you play the gee-tah huh? Alright Alright. Well I play a little myself. My name is Bo Diddley." And I shook his hand, having never heard his name before in my life, wondering why the hell this crazy person Mandocello wanted me to give my CD to an old black man named Bo Diddley.

I then told Mr. Diddley that I would give his phone number to my roomate, and he will give him a call about the vehicle as soon as he could.

Mr. Diddley drove off, and as Mandocello was running out of the house to tell me who EXACTLY Mr. Bo Diddley was, Mr. Diddley pulls up in front of the house almost at that exact moment, jumps out of the car, and asks Mandocello and I to come over to his house that evening at 7pm, and bring Fat Free Vanilla Ice Cream, and a 6-pack of Smirnoff Triple Black.

So I did as I was told. And it was a beautiful experience. He invited me in his home where I sang a new song he just wrote, and he cried and sat me down, looked me in the eye, took off his glasses and started to cry. He told me, "You sound just like Janis... Janis.... my lord I have been waiting 35 years for you to come back... ". I was humbled and speechless, and I shared his tears.

I believe he is one of the most genuine, beautiful, sweet, kind, caring, giving, and intelligent men I have ever met, and WILL ever meet in my life. I am HONORED to have sang with him, and been able to be in the DOWNTOWN PLAZA of Gainesville, Florida to see him accept a key to the city and recieve recognition that he deserves.

I highly suggest seeing him "perform". In fact, Mandocello was crazy enough to ask him to come to my birthday party (All my birthday parties in Gainesville celebrated my 21st birthday. ha), and here he is performing and playing Mandocello's Mandocello:

BIRTHDAY