dispatches from the new world of work

In Memory of George

We lost a giant in the entertainment industry this week with the passing of George Carlin, the brilliant countercultural comedian and social critic. His iconoclastic genius was well known, if not always appreciated. (His "seven dirty words" comedy routine became the focus of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on obscenity 30 years ago.) But not as well known was his generosity to friends in need, as I witnessed 34 years ago.

In 1974 I was performing with a Los Angeles honky-tonk & boogie band, Uncle Crusty and the Venice Canaligators, which featured Hook McGuire—a grizzly one-armed singer/harmonica player (who lost his hook in prison)—and a colorful cadre of musically talented misfits. One night after opening for Freddie King at the Starwood Club in Hollywood, someone in the band packed the guitar amplifiers too close to the rear door of our Econoline van, which jiggled the rear door handle open as our driver/guitarist Butch Mudbone sped home to Venice, oblivious to the trail of musical equipment spilling onto the streets of West L.A. behind him. Once Butch reached home and saw the open door and the missing Fender amplifiers he hastily retraced his route, but it was too late. The band's capital goods were apparently redistributed to aspiring musicians along Venice Boulevard.

So what can a poor band do? Well, as every innovative business team knows, it pays to have a sponsor. And we had a generous one in George Carlin, who years earlier had become a Canaligator booster after seeing the band perform for tips on the Venice boardwalk. So the next day the band members were at George's Pacific Palisades doorstep, tin cup in hand. Because I was meeting George for the first time (I had only recently joined the band), I was a tad intimidated. It didn't help that the mat outside his front door read "Go Away" instead of "Welcome." But it turned out that George and his wife Brenda were completely delighted to see us. For the next several hours we were treated to an impromptu show, with George at his wackiest and most improvisational as he impersonated some of his favorite musicians at double-time speed. Afterwards he magnanimously wrote us a check for what we needed to restock our equipment truck, and sent us merrily on our way. It seemed as if he had paid us to watch him perform.

Thanks for your wit, wisdom, AND generosity, George.

[Read more by John O'Leary at his blog, Rock and Roll Lessons.—CM]

John O'Leary posted this on 06/24/08.

Comments

Lovely, John--I loved George, as a sidesplitting pricker of baloons badly in need of pricking!

Posted by tom peters at June 24, 2008 8:57 AM

Carlin was a true innovator and risk-taker -- in the great politico-comic tradition of Lenny Bruce and Richard Prior, two of his idols. He got kicked out of Vegas twice for operating outside the box of "acceptable" humor.

Posted by rtp at June 24, 2008 11:07 AM

Yup, George pushed the envelope - gently at the beginning, outrageously later. As a footnote to my story about the band, they're still disagreeing about who was responsible for stacking the equipment against the rear door of the van. Maybe I'll need to do a conference with the surviving members and conduct an After Action Review. (I wonder if any team has done an AAR 34 years later?)

Posted by John O'Leary at June 24, 2008 12:49 PM

John...thank you for your memories and the beauty of your words. Of course I know who George Carlin is and have heard others speak of his cutting-edge comedy, but I have never heard his comedy myself. Now, I will find some clips on Youtube. What a wonderful story of a generous man.

rtp...Richard Pryor is my mom's cousin. As deeply rooted she in to all things spiritual, she had a wicked sense of humor gotten from their grandmother of whom Pryor often spoke. And...speaking of "acceptable" humor and perfect comedic timing, Redd Fox must be included among these.

Posted by Judith Ellis at June 24, 2008 4:06 PM

Judith: George was more of a radical than most realize. Here's an excerpt from a blog I was just sent, quoting George in a darker moment in a recent interview. (http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat/331953) "I think this species had great, great promise, with this great upper brain that we have, and I think we squandered it on God and Mammon. And I think this culture of ours has such promise, with the promise of real, true freedom, and then everyone has been shackled by ownership and possessions and acquisition and status and power."

Posted by John O'Leary at June 24, 2008 8:15 PM

John...I understand these words. I got the tail end of Jerry Seinfeld speaking of Carlin last night on Larry King. He said that Carlin was not only a great comic, but a serious thinker. Most great comics are. Thank you for this post.

Posted by Judith Ellis at June 24, 2008 10:43 PM

I have a good article from the Nation magazine and a streaming video of George Carlin talking about U.S. government on my website.

Posted by Joe, Webmaster 911insidejob.net at June 25, 2008 6:47 AM

Thanks, Joe.

Posted by Judith Ellis at June 25, 2008 10:22 AM

To me George Carlin was alot like Cheech and Chong. He always did alot of pro pot jokes throughout his career. He surely favored legalization of cannabis. Is it true Tom Peters was employed by the office of the Drug Tzar under William Bennett. I wonder if T.P. played his favorite George Carlin albums for Bill Bennett?

Posted by Biff at June 25, 2008 5:41 PM

To me George Carlin was more Che than Cheech, more pamphleteer than entertainer, especially in his later years.

Posted by John O'Leary at June 26, 2008 8:04 PM

John O'Leary:

Did William Bennett and Tom Peters hangout and listen to George Carlin albums?

Posted by Biff at June 27, 2008 10:43 AM

I have no idea. But I'm sure George didn't listen to Bill's "Morning in America" radio show.

Posted by John O'Leary at June 28, 2008 7:35 PM

George wasn't a member of the cabinet. Come clean Tom Peters.

Posted by Biff at June 29, 2008 10:20 AM

Simply, George Carlin was a master of smashing illusions.

Posted by gayle at June 30, 2008 2:25 PM

George did more for the band than just that...once our Cadillac got towed with all our equipment in it. We were stuck, and had a gig that night (just Hook and me). We went to ask george for help to get it out of the impound, and he gave us a $100 bill, and told us to bring back the change, if there was any, We went to the lot, and no one was at the gate. I went to the Caddy, and it wouldn't start, so Hook and I pushed it out into the street and erased the white painted numbers from the windshield, got a jump, and went to give George his hundred back. When we told him what had happened, he had a belly laugh and told us to keep the cash and buy strings and harmonicas. there's many other stories...but this is enough for now.

Posted by Butch Mudbone at December 16, 2008 9:35 AM