Guitar and chair

by Regis Boff

I began in the music business working for a singer named Melanie Safka. She took the stage with her guitar and a chair. I made sure the chair was there and exceptionally well centered. She was loved by her fans and her audience was as gentle as she. She played two or three thousand seat venues of which there are hundreds scattered across America because of some forgotten design.
When she played my hometown of Pittsburgh in a place named the Syria Mosque my family was proud and excited. I was a big shot.
She would invite the kids to come onto the stage to sit at her feet while she performed and they would stampede to get close to her chair.
I am big so I would mosey out onto the stage and sit behind her. Just to be on the safe side.
Right in the front row was a big burly Italian guy who was a guard on the football team I played on in high school. He was singing right along.