LOCAL SAXMAN HAS RAY CHARLES CONNECTION

Click on this link http://firstcoastnews.com/news/news-article.aspx?storyid=28070  and see Mark Spain's piece on local musician Al Waters that recently aired on First Coast News/Channel 12.

Al performs locally at the Habana Village Cafe with Luis Mario & His Latin Jazz as well as on occasion with SMC's own Bruce Stewart.

 Saxaphonist Al Waters

BRUSH WITH GREATNESS: STEWART & STARR!!! Ha! Ha! Ha!

by Bruce Stewart

So my buddy David tells me that Ringo Starr is coming to his shop soon right here in St. Augustine.   He says, " When I call you, you better drop whatever you're doing and come right over!"

Well sir, when I get to Stewart Music Center & check my telephone messages on Thursday August 5th, David has left a message at 9:40AM saying that I should come over.   Trouble is that by now its 11:00AM; almost an hour and a half later.

I call David up and ask him " Is there any need for me to still come over?"

David says to " hold on a minute..." and puts Ringo Starr on the phone!

"Hello, Bruce" says Ringo. "How are you today?"

I say," David, that is the absolute worst Ringo Starr impression that I have ever heard!" 

Ringo roars with a heavy chuckle and we both have a good laugh.   Ringo quizes me a bit about the music scene around town and my involvement in it and then asks me, "Where are you tonight?  Maybe I can hear you play before we get out of town."

"I'm off tonight.   Where are you at tomorrow night?"

"We're off tomorrow, headed back home," Ringo says.

"Too bad," I say, "you could have come out with me to my gig at the Milltop and sat in with the Mike Hart Trio."

"Maybe next time." he said.

Pretty cool way to start off a Thursday morning. 

And yes, the St. Augustine Record reports that Ringo's presence in town was a hoax.   Why should a man have to register his every move with the media?   Can't a fellow take a little trip to buy some stained glass in a specialty store in the nation's oldest city without any prior notice to local officials?    Till Ringo calls me & tells me that he wasn't in town, I'll just have to act like he was.   Bobby Turner, drummer in Matanzas,  says that he thinks that the hoax might be a hoax itself.

The National Enquirer thought enough of the story to send a team of reporters to St. Augustine to check Ringo out;  word on the street is that they are ready to confirm his visit to the city.  

One of Stewart Music Center's customers that is employed at the Casa Monica Hotel reports that he checked Ringo into his room while he stayed in St. Augustine.

Another of Stewart Music Center's music industry insiders reports that Ringo was in town.   He also reports that the Ringo that was in the Record, at the Lightner and at the Tradewinds was a Starr staff member that was acting as a decoy in order to draw attention away from Ringo as he goes about his business when he's in a strange town (like shopping with my buddy David).   Seems like this is a pretty common thing in the world of suprestardom.

For more information on Ringo's stay in St. Augustine including his/his double's jam with Matanzas at the Tradewinds Tropical Lounge, visit the St. Augustine Record's site at www.staugustine.com and type Ringo Starr in their search engine.

But wait; there's even more to this crazy tale!   Now it seems as though that a hoaxster has indeed come to light.   According to New York paper the Sun, a Canadian by the name of Chris Tassone now says that he was the guy seen around St. Augustine, but he says that he is the one who has been duped by crooked 1960's memorabilia dealer Norman Karp who set himself up as "Ringo's"  manager.

The fake Ringo fooled a TV station and the local paper, signed autographs for fans and even sang with a local band in St Augustine, but he insists he thought people knew he was not the real Ringo, reports The Sun.

Police have now cleared Tassone and issued an arrest warrant for Karp who is also wanted in New York, as reported by the Sun.

Tassone, of Toronto, said: "I feel stupid. I was playing a role, thinking the guy just wanted a bit of fun. I had no idea he passed me off as the real thing."

To read more about this zany twist as reported by the New York newspaper The Sun, click here:  http://www.photos.mccartney.net/ringo.htm .

For more information on Ringo himself, go to http://www.ringostarr.com/ .

                                                                    UPDATE!!!!!

Here are two links showing news articles on how hard you hit when you try to dupe the public.    Norman Karp really bit off a little more than he was able to chew here!!!      Check these out!   
http://sos.state.nv.us/information/news/press/2008/20080620.asp and
http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?s=8531540.

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