THE STAN HITCHCOCK 1963 STARVING MUSICIAN DIET
by Stan Hitchcock
My first record had got quite a lot of air play, but didn’t sell diddley-squat, a condition not uncommon, at that time, in the business of Country Music. I soon realized that while the $50 a week salary I was getting from Si Siman to run the publishing company was better than a sharp stick in the eye, it did not go very far in the big city. I was sending $30 a week home to the family, and paying $10 for my bed, and by my calculations, that only left $10 a week for food, gas and walking around money. I realize we are talking about 1963 here, but dang, even by those standards, that is bout as close to starvation as you can get. No wonder I can look back at pictures of myself then, and say, "Boy, was I ever skinny." Malnutrition is more like it.
There was a restaurant downtown, on Broadway, just across from Tootsie’s, called Linebaughs and it kinda took the place of a Rescue Mission for pickers. I mean you could order up a bowl of chili, for 50 cents, eat about half of the bowl, fill it back up with Ketchup and crackers, wolf that down, then top it all off with a large glass of milk, for an extra 20 cents, and man you had a meal that would get you there. Trouble is, when you did get there you were so full of gas that people would just look at you, kinda move away and say, "Been to Linebaugh’s again, huh?" To this day, chili does not taste right to me until I empty about half a bottle of Ketchup in it.
Being so close to the old Ryman, the Opry crowd would always come in to Linebaughs on Saturday night after the show, and it was just kinda like going home to a family reunion every weekend. Tompall Glaser would be at the pinball machine, Captain Midnight, a local DJ and certified character, hovering over his shoulder, driving him nuts, City View, the homeless man that lived on the roof of Tootsies, cadging for drink money, Carl and Pearl Butler having a big plate of bacon and eggs, and Pearl’s big laugh sounding out above everything, Faron Young, by this time of night, about half looped and trying to gross everyone out with his cussing, Johnny Cash drinking coffee, not eating anything cause he didn’t want to spoil the pill buzz he was on, Roger Miller, high as a kite, traveling at the speed of sound, and just mesmerizing everyone with his genius, Ernest Tubb, dropping in for a minute for a cup of coffee, then going next door to his Record Shop, Marty Robbins setting with some of his band, laughing at some road stories, and the new kids, like me, just soaking it all up and loving it.
If it sounds like a family reunion to you too, then your family must be as funny as mine.
Your friend, Stan!
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