Comments on: Bobby “Boris” Pickett http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/index.php/archives/2007/04/27/bobby-boris-pickett/ First in Music Analysis Tue, 22 May 2012 02:08:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Mark Shimmel http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/index.php/archives/2007/04/27/bobby-boris-pickett/#comment-57933 Mark Shimmel Sun, 29 Apr 2007 06:25:51 +0000 http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/index.php/archives/2007/04/27/bobby-boris-pickett/#comment-57933 I remember several years ago I ran into Bob Greenberg at a funeral and we talked golf. He told me "Boris" was working as the starter at that little nine hole on Rose Ave in Santa Monica. Bob told me what a sweet man he was (How's Ahmet? was his first question when he recognized Bob) __Great record. Especially if you grew up with Million Dollar Movie. I remember several years ago I ran into Bob Greenberg at a funeral and we talked golf. He told me "Boris" was working as the starter at that little nine hole on Rose Ave in Santa Monica. Bob told me what a sweet man he was (How’s Ahmet? was his first question when he recognized Bob) __Great record. Especially if you grew up with Million Dollar Movie.

]]> By: Brian Ray http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/index.php/archives/2007/04/27/bobby-boris-pickett/#comment-57932 Brian Ray Sun, 29 Apr 2007 06:25:36 +0000 http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/index.php/archives/2007/04/27/bobby-boris-pickett/#comment-57932 I am also one of those kids who's life, like yours, was forever changed when he heard a sound.. My sister Jean, (1/2 of Verve Forecast's 'Jim & Jean') played me her early Elvis, Everly Bros., Teddy Bears and Little Richard 45's, and at the age of three knew exactly what I wanted to do when I grew up... I got very lucky and did just that. Bobby "Boris" Pickett gave me my first break in the biz when as a teenager I went on tour with him, doing the "Monster Mash", "Me and My Mummy" and a number of other great novelty twist rockers at the Six Flags amusement parks.. Man, I had really made the big time! I did my own ghoul make-up and we performed as Bobby Boris Pickett and The Crypt Kicker Five (as named in the last verse of his song) ... even though there at least 6 of us. One of the last shows we did together was ironically at a benefit show to help defray the legal bills for one Phil Kaufman, yes, that Phil Kaufman (of Gram Parsons in Joshua Tree fame)... legal bills for... wait for it.... Crypt Kicking Gram's casket! It was Phil who took me in after that day and introduced me to Etta James, with whom I worked for 14 years after. All I can say is without Bobby Pickett's kindness and support for a green teenage toe headed guitarist I would not have met Etta... I might not be touring in my current band (with Paul McCartney) and life would be very very different today. Bobby was very funny, very smart and as gentle a person as you would ever want to meet. The world will miss him. I will miss him. He has great book, just released called, "Monster Mash, half dead in Hollywood" and it is full of the best stories from a life-loving maverick in the biz when it was young. It caught on in a flash... best, Brian Ray I am also one of those kids who’s life, like yours, was forever changed when he heard a sound.. My sister Jean, (1/2 of Verve Forecast’s ‘Jim & Jean’) played me her early Elvis, Everly Bros., Teddy Bears and Little Richard 45′s, and at the age of three knew exactly what I wanted to do when I grew up… I got very lucky and did just that.

Bobby "Boris" Pickett gave me my first break in the biz when
as a teenager I went on tour with him, doing the "Monster Mash", "Me and My Mummy" and a number of other great novelty twist rockers at the Six Flags amusement parks.. Man, I had really made the big time! I did my own ghoul make-up and we performed as Bobby Boris Pickett and The Crypt Kicker Five (as named in the last verse of his song) … even though there at least 6 of us.

One of the last shows we did together was ironically at a benefit show to help defray the legal bills for one Phil Kaufman, yes, that Phil Kaufman (of Gram Parsons in Joshua Tree fame)… legal bills for… wait for it…. Crypt Kicking Gram’s casket!

It was Phil who took me in after that day and introduced me to Etta James, with whom I worked for 14 years after.

All I can say is without Bobby Pickett’s kindness and support for a green teenage toe headed guitarist I would not have met Etta… I might not be touring in my current band (with Paul McCartney) and life would be very very different today.

Bobby was very funny, very smart and as gentle a person as you would ever want to meet. The world will miss him. I will miss him. He has great book, just released called, "Monster Mash, half dead in Hollywood" and it is full of the best stories from a life-loving maverick in the biz when it was young.

It caught on in a flash…

best,
Brian Ray

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