The Paramount Theater in Seattle is an old style theater. A main floor and balcony with several side boxes. It was ornate and the stage was wide and deep behind a heavy velvet type curtain. Since it was an old building the dressing rooms and other rooms were downstairs and that’s where I found Randy and the rest of the crew after he had brought the house down with a blazing night of rock and roll.
The capacity crowd was in awe, I ran into several promoters in the lobby and they were giving me the “hey I’ll give you a call” sign. It was by all accounts a total success. After I’d paid the agents and promoters I’d headed down to the dressing room and when I opened the door I saw Al Hendrix, Jimi’s Dad and Jimi’s sister. There were tears in their eyes and they were thanking Randy for a vivid and powerful memory of their Jimi.
It was very moving and eerily quiet for an after show dressing room. It was in the air, the spirit of Jimi Hendrix, one could feel it, it was that intense. At that moment I also felt a spirit, Randy Hansen was destined to become a star, one that would blaze as long as Randy wanted it too. He might not ever reach mainstream fame; no top forty songs or best selling albums, but there would always be a place for a man as talented as he is.
Jimi Hendrix music will never die and to this day no one does it better than Randy. It’s as if the same star that dropped notes for a young Jimi in Seattle to hear also dropped those notes for a young Randy in Seattle. A unique and magical combination of people, places and music; rare at best.
However, for me I saw that I had peaked out. The next step was going to have Randy, Phil and Ray come to terms on who owned what, and who was going to reimburse Phil for his initial outlay. I had done my part in getting everyone together, an agent’s function, but the next step was going to change the foundation of Randy Hansen and Machine Gun Music forever and as agent my hands would be tied for awhile.
There was no way an offer for Randy and the band was going to include me and until they got into the next frame it would be hard to book them because life could change quickly and the bookings would be useless.
There was real money involved now and seeing the packed and raucous Paramount meant dollar signs to Phil and Ray. My interest had basically been coordinating what I thought was a great group of guys and a couple businessmen.
Now I was going to step away and let the cards fall as they may. It had been a great experience and having dealt with both Randy and Jimi I felt the rock Gods had been good to me.
Within two months I was no longer involved with Machine Gun Music but never lost my connection to the musicians who helped pull off some great rock and roll!!!
I still remain convinced it was Something in the Music and today Randy Hansen is still rocking in America and Europe.