Hype Bites

My first job in Nashville was with a company called Spectra Distribution. My boss was the legendary record producer, Bob MacKenzie. I so wanted to make a good impression. My job was to promote new choral releases by clients like David Clydesdale and Camp Kirkland. I traveled to choral workshops and led music directors as we sang through selections of their works. I learned how to hype anything new as being the biggest and best ever! Hype is really not something I came by naturally. I’ve never been comfortable promoting myself and have always opted to let my work speak for me. But at this time in my life, I needed to be a salesman so I dutifully rose to the occasion.

One of our clients, George King, had just signed a celebrity to his Diadem record label – none other than Shirley Jones – you know, the star of “Oklahoma!,” “Carousel,” “Brigadoon,” “The Music Man,” AND the mom on The Partridge Family. Record distribution was not a part of my job description, so I didn’t make it my business to follow the progress of her project. I only knew enough to know that she was recording a Christian album and our company was distributing it.

As fate would have it, one afternoon I came bounding into the office after lunch – spun around a row of cubicles and ran right into Shirley. Right there, in my face, was Mrs. Partridge. She was every bit the polished “Old Hollywood” star you would imagine. I stuttered, stammered, smiled, froze, stuck out my hand and tried to sound professional – since we were representing her. All I could think to say was, “It’s so nice to meet you Miss Jones – I love your new album.” She sort of half smiled, while tilting her head a bit to one side and looking confused, yet gracious. She simply said, “thank you – thank you very much.” I had nothing else, so after a brief moment of painful silence I nervously shuffled sideways - not knowing what to do with my hands or my feet.

All afternoon I wondered why she looked so puzzled and awkward when we met until someone told me that she had not yet recorded the new album. Lesson learned. Hype bites! But Shirley's goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my life.