7
This was an especially fortuitous evening for Kathy Valentine, the bass player. She had been asked to join the group as a replacement only six, short weeks prior to this moment and was now facing this incredible opportunity that stood before her. This would be her chance to fulfill a lifelong dream of being somebody, anybody, no matter what the category, and show the world what she had to offer. She was wild with enthusiasm.
Kathy was the final piece of the puzzle to round out the Go-Go’s. She was a spirited girl, full of fun and adventure, who also brought along a level of musicianship and professionalism that every band needs.
With her, the team was complete. There would be no need to look any further.
In the huddle, Kathy didn’t care what play was being called as long as it worked: a button-hook, a screen pass, a television show. It didn’t matter to her. Her pioneering spirit was in full display when she suggested to everyone—
“Let’s just do this and see what happens,” she said.
In poker terms, Kathy was “all-in.”
The rest of the Go-Go’s, however, had their usual list of 100 concerns. Belinda was worried that the television cameras would make her look too fat: Charlotte was worried that the show might stereotype them and make them look foolish: Jane was worried about everything: Gina was pissed because her lighter wasn’t working.
In getting back to Kathy, meanwhile, and her favorable qualities, it should also be duly noted that she was the only one of the five who was taking the proper precautions when dealing with a total stranger who claims to be a talent agent, or a photographer, or some other show-biz biggie.
“Hey, guys, how do we know this guy is legit?” she asked. “I mean, c’mon, he could be a pervert, or a serial killer, or some other kind of weirdo. How do we know?”
Gina felt strenuously compelled to chime in after that prudent observation.
“You mean— that guy?” she asked, pointing to Philip. “C’mon, Kathy, I could kick his ass myself.”
“All I’m saying is— if this guy has a van, I’m not getting in it,” informed Kathy.
In what might be construed as a comical sequence, all five girls stopped talking at once and slowly turned their heads to look at Mr. Thielen.
There was Philip, standing in the cool, February air with his hands in his pockets, looking in every direction because he had forgotten where he parked his car.
Almost feeling sorry for him, Jane spoke up—
“Okay, ladies, let’s go over there and tell this pencil-neck that we accept his offer….. Then, let’s go make the best, fucking television show anybody’s ever seen.”
The girls broke huddle and advanced to the line of scrimmage. Belinda acted as the quarterback.
“Okay, we’ll do it,” she said.
“Oh, that’s fantastic!” exclaimed Philip, raising his two fists in the air. “You won’t regret this, I promise,” he added. “But I feel I owe you girls an apology.”
“Why?” asked Belinda.
“Because this is show-business and you’re going to have to audition just like everybody else,” said Philip, with a pained look on his face. “I get the feeling I didn’t make that clear enough.”
“But, you made it seem like…..” returned Jane, hoping Philip might finish her sentence with something more positive.
“I know I did and I’m sorry. That was my fault,” stated Philip. “But, you have my personal stamp of approval. That goes a long way,” he added.
The girls all felt a sudden surge of relief. They liked the sound of that.
“I’d say your chances are.. oh.. eighty-five percent. How does that sound?” asked Philip, with a distinct tone of optimism.
The girls liked the sound of that even better.
“In fact, I feel so good about this, I’ll send a limousine over to each one of your houses to pick you up Monday morning. Does that sound even better?” he asked.
Indeed, it did, they concurred.
And so, as their evening concluded, the six of them exchanged their gratitude and appreciation for the opportunity to be involved in such a magnificent journey. Philip was nearly as excited as the Go-Go’s. He couldn’t wait to get back to CBS and show his bosses what he had found. This would surely put him in good graces with the network. There were certainly plenty of superlatives to mention about the Go-Go’s: they could sing, they could play, they could write songs, they were personable, and they were adorable.
They even had the ideal name— The Go-Go’s.
It would be the perfect name for the show.
After they said goodnight to Philip, the girls understandably stormed back into The Whiskey to celebrate. Little did they know, this would truly be one of the most memorable and enjoyable nights of their lives. Soon, they would be national celebrities and things would be measurably different. Soon, they would discover the dizzying heights of fame.
And, the unfortunate lows.
But, most importantly— innocent, true freedom would be gone…..forever.
Copyright 2020
by Clark Wright