Happy Birthday Linda Lou!!!

Today is the birthday of a very dear and close friend of mine Linda Lou, alias Baby Doll, whom I have also referred to in this blog as my friend the former beauty queen.

We will not go into her numerological age or mine for that matter but our friendship goes back a little more than three decades.  I have often mentioned that I used to be a Disco Duck and that the 70's was my era. When Disco died a little bit of me died alongside with it.

When a chapter in your life closes another opens and sometimes it is even more amazing than the former. It was the 80's and I decided I wanted to get in touch with my Tejano roots. Tejano music like the name alludes was born in Texas and is basically Mexican songs that our parents grew up with but with a new and updated sound.

I met Linda Lou in a unique Tejano night club in Houston, Texas.  I say "unique" because unless someone specifically told you about it, you had no way of knowing of its existence. They did not advertise, it was just word of mouth something different for that time and period. Once you went there, you fell in love and you did not want to share this well-kept secret with anyone except your closest friends.

There were many Tejano venues at the time, some quite large that accommodated some of the better-known bands of the day, like Little Joe y La Familia, Mazz, Ruben Ramos and the Mexican Revolution, Freddy Fender and so many others. This little club could not afford bands of their caliber, but you often saw the aforementioned relaxing and having a drink for they too wanted to check it out.

While now divorced Linda Lou was in good terms with her ex-husband who was a local high school band director and musician who was often invited to sit in with big name as well as local bands.  He knew them all and by default so did she. So many musicians had crashed on their couch or been to their home after a gig that we usually got into events free of charge.

Sorry to go into so much detail but with my CRS who knows if in the not too distant future I will also forget how I met her!

Going out with her was always an adventure, you never knew who you were going to meet or where you were going to end up at. Often told her that we were creating memories for our golden years at the nursing home.

Linda Lou always did things big.  I remember arriving at her apartment after one of her infamous birthday parties and not finding a single parking space. There were people in the courtyard and on the stairs leading to her apartment, people we did not know. Of course, she had invited them all to her party and the word had gotten around. I told her "You are aware that we do not have enough beer or food to go around?"  I do not remember how that turned out...sometimes it's good to suffer from CRS!

Linda Lou, you know that I would be there celebrating with you if I could. Maybe in five years in what will be your milestone celebration, I can say present and help build those anecdotes.  Have a great birthday Baby Doll!