There was much excitement in the city of Saint Paul, Minnesota, The date was March 26, 1941 and a new ballroom was opening that night and the band that had been chosen for the opening was none other than the greatest of the big bands, Glenn Miller and his orchestra !!
I wasn't there for that opening. Heck, I wasn't even born yet, but there is a connection between that opening and me that my friend Paul discovered recently and made me aware of. Anyone who really knows me knows that I am a bit sentimental, especially when it comes to music. I love rock, R and B, classical, and jazz, but my favorite music of all is that of the big bands. Dorsey, Goodman, Krupa, wow !! music you could relax to, romance to, dance to.
I picked my date up about nine, and told her I had a bit of a surprise for her. We went for dinner at a now defunct steak house. and then went to the Prom Ballroom where my my friend Paul was the night maintenance man. Paul let us in and as we entered the main ballroom I saw that he had exceeded my expectations. The lights were dim, there was a bottle of wine chilling and he had even figured out how to rig my cassette player to the Prom's speakers. Paul left us and went downstairs to his other duties.
As I pushed the button the air was filled once more with the sounds of Glenn Miller and his orchestra! We danced many dances that night, so many that my feet hurt the next morning, but I came away with wonderful memories. The lady is long since married to someone else, the Prom Ballroom has been torn down, but the memories of a night that my friend helped arrange, a night of romance and dancing to the greatest of music, remains. Thanks Paul !!
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