Since my world in Mineral Point began there has been a ton of questions of my past world as being an Event Chef...although my descrips are pretty brief and we were not allowed to take any pics, I guess I can tell some stories and release photos that aren't mine...this is a pic of me jamming with a couple of my best friends in a basement in Virginia...me on mandolin,Chip plays whatever her freaking feels like, here it is on guitar and his beautiful Wife Mary is playing the upright bass, but she is not in this pic but will include some of her also...Chip is freaking phenomonal, if it's got strings that guy can play it...was a huge inspiration to the musician I am today....
I have cooked and played around with a lot of musicians...Alison Kraus was probably my biggest buzz...(I stole this pic from somewhere, am not sure where, but this is not mine nor do I claim responsiblity for it)
Man, I love that woman...
First off, about my job...
I was just a Chef....I cooked, cleaned, supplied dining rooms and dressing rooms...fed the bussers, the truckers, the roadies, the staff and ultimately the Band...
The job really was a pain in the butt, but every now and then we could catch a show and get back stage passes..
We would drive up in our truck, find the event coordinator, pitch a tent, unload a kitchen and cook three to five meals and supply dining and dressing rooms in our stint....although it sounds glorified, sometimes it wasn't that pretty...
I have worked other jobs that was not involved with Knoxville Events when I have cooked and hung out with other musicians/dignitaries...let me tell you most of them were not pretty...it's just a freaking job...
Here is a list of a couple of the people that I have cooked for, but am sure that I am missing a ton of them....
Alison Kraus and Union Station
President George W. Bush
Senator Lindsey Graham-(R-SC)
ZZ Top
Dierks Bentley
Poison
Ratt
Willie Nelson
Kenny Chesney
Tim McGraw
Faith Hill
The Black Crowes
Dizzy Gillespie
Mose Alison
The Counting Crows
Lucinda Williams
George Carlin
Henry Kissinger
Jerry Falwell
The Shriver Family
Dale Jarrett
Kid Rock
Gretchen Wilson
Sheryl Crow
Bonnie Raitt
Sam Bush
Aerosmith
Metallica
George Burns
Jerry Seinfeld
Tim O'Brien
Johnny and Edgar Winter
Fiona Apple
Dachs Fuchs
Melissa Etheridge
Jewel
Blah, blah, blah....there is a ton more that I am missing, but you get the picture...
I loved that job, but I think the biggest buzz is when you can make your own music and touch someone elses heart with your words...
Last night I played at the Old Royal Inn in Mineral Point and it was kind of cool that after I played the woman that inspired me to write this entry into the blog had tears in her eyes because she understood my story behind my song....
Hugz out to Monica and her beautiful family...
As far as stories go...hell, I have a ton of them....
From me sitting with Jerry "oh my freaking Buddha" Douglas and Dan Tsaminski over Coffee talking about my Lobster and Filet Dinner that I was doing in Nashville, to having Secret Service Agents hanging out with me at the bar after work (cuz they weren't allowed to leave my side), to George Carlin coming into the kitchen and telling me that was the best burger he ever had (with Cheffy replying "Dude...it was only a fucking burger"...was worth a couple chuckles...is fun when you can make George Carlin laugh...) To Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top telling my dishwasher that was the best omelette he ever had....
There's a ton of stories....
By the way, did I tell you I love Alison Kraus...and her son (an up and coming Chef that makes the best grilled cheese sandwiches that he ever did eat...ha ha)
She loves me too, she just doesn't know it yet...
On the tour with Alison I didn't get to go to any shows until her final show last year....yeah, I saw Tony Rice come up driving his own truck with all of his gear...crazy fucker....yeah, I hung out with Jerry and Dan...but never got to see a show until the last one in Nashville and got back stage passes and got the leaning post a couple feet away from Jerry "oh my freaking Buddha" Douglas...I was devestated...Jerry probably is my favorite guitar player of all time and I had no idea that that afternoon when talking about lobsters and filet's that I was having coffee with Jerry and Dan...what a freaking moron I am...
The thing about doing the shows is that you are not allowed to take photos, you are not allowed to be star-stuck, or imply that you are. Backstage and behind the scenes is their "Holy" ground that they want to be real people and just go out and perform and not feel like they are dealing with fans...so I was kinda stuck in that regard, but it is all as well...If I would have known that I was having Coffee with Jerry Douglas I would have freaking flipped...man he rocks my world...
Now with Alison it was different...I did a couple shows with her, she was comfortable with who she is and what she does and I was comfortable as well (regardless of how hot I thought she was...it was a respect thing...)
Although I am getting off on talking about Alison, there were a bunch of others that were just freaking phenomonal...
Alicia Keyes would be a big one, what a sweetheart and hottie...
Melissa Etheridge another hottie that was a more than beautiful person...
Jewel whom is as poetic with her style as she is with her words....
George Carlin who always is a funny fucker...
Mose Alison a great pianist and story teller, even if you made him do bong hits by himself...
Dizzy....a great gentleman that breathed music
I could go on and on, but you have the general gist of it....
This is part of my story anyway...
Love you guys and thanks for asking...
Chef...
Me, Chip and Mary playing Bluegrass in Zeke's Basement...
Me and Chip have so much fun playing together it is hard to drink beer....
And I couldn't end this post without another pic of one of the most beautiful women in the world....(stolen picture again...I claim no responsiblity...)
Ms. Alison Kraus
Thanks for logging in...
Love,
Cheffy
