Good Times at the Eagles

My late husband became a member of the Eagles so that we would have a place to go for good food, a few drinks, and great music along with friends.  At the time there wasn’t a lot of dance clubs and such in that area of Oregon and most of the bars that had live bands attracted individuals looking to “hook-up” with someone.  Several of the guys my husband worked with were also members so our Friday night outings at the Eagles became a great way to socialize and relax.
 The Eagles had a great dance floor and did their best to bring in local talent that was good.  Those that were received the best usually stayed for three or four month; those that didn’t were out in a month or less.
 My husband was not a dancer.  For him it was work, but for me it was as natural as breathing thus I usually danced more fast songs with the other women than slow ones during the course of the evening.  Though he didn’t dance or sing, he was a true music lover and critic, so I knew that every new band could expect at least two requests from him during their first night.  One was to test the drummer which I’ve written about in another memory.  The other was for the lead guitar and that was Johnny B. Goode.  Since I was a fan of Chuck Berry’s music I was always anxious for him to make his request.
 There was no way I could sit still when they played it and some evenings I was out on the floor before the first note if I knew it was about to be played.  Chuck Berry had a style and sound that was all his own.  Even now when I want to rev up my mental engine I’ll pull out Chuck Berry to get me started.  Whether it’s Johnny B. Goode or Maybeline or Rock and Roll Music it gets me going.