It all started in a 5,000 watt radio station in Fresno,
California. ... Oh no, wait; that's Ted Baxter's bio! Where did
that come from? I don't know what I can possibly say about myself
that hasn't been said 1,000 times by my father ("Elaine, you're
not applying yourself!"). Is it my fault that Social Research
Methods couldn't compete with Motown? Is it my fault that no one
else was willing to start an anti-war organization on my college
campus but me? I think not!
It's not that I didn't study....but then there was that semester
where I did only take ONE course; and I didn't even have the prerequisites
for it at that! It was African History--I still know the capital
of Nigeria to this day--it's Lagos, right? See? What could be more
impressive! Then there was the night we thought it would be funny
to have the fire alarm go off in the middle of the night. How did
we ever get away with that? Have I used up my 500 words yet?
Let's move on to the '80's. I was the bass player for the Silhouettes
on the "oldies circuit"--you know, they had a #1 hit in
'58 called "Get A Job"? I got to meet all the people whose
records I bought with my lunch money: The Flamingos, The Drifters,
The Shirelles--Shirley is soooooo nice, by the way--Hank Ballard,
The 5 Keys, The Jive 5, The 5 Satins--I am not making this up! I
had so much trouble with "house bands" taking me seriously--they
didn't think I could possibly know anything; I was the only one
who knew how to read a lead sheet, but they kept looking to the
group to tell them what chords to go to and I'd be saying, "For
God's sake, they don't know! The chords are C-Em-Am-Em-Dm-G7!"
and they'd be, like, "She's a girl, isn't she?"
Oh, I should probably also mention that I'm a homeopath. I'm a
graduate of the Hahnemann Academy of North America. After my daughter,
Shana, was born, my career as a bass player, band leader and road
manager was over! Actually, I've always been interested in medicine;
my whole family is in the medical field--my grandfather was a doctor,
my aunt was the first woman to graduate from The Philadelphia College
of Pharmacy, my uncle was a pharmacist, I have numerous cousins
who are doctors and I actually have a cousin in Australia who's
a homeopath! Seriously! Maurice Finkel, where are you?
I'd love to go on talking, but, it's time for me to pick Shana
up from school--thank God!
Elaine "Snoopy" Lewis |