3. The Poe Kat Loses His Day Job

Jensen Pump JackMy mother recently reminded me of this story. My mom Ora Mae was a telephone operator. Two small kids (myself and my younger sister Teresa Kay). My dad worked at a pump jack manufacturer while trying to get the band off the ground. One day he called in sick so he could appear with the band on a local TV show. You can guess the rest - people from work saw my dad on TV and he was fired immediately.

My dad losing his job was very stressful on my parents. But he wanted to pursue his dream. And he swore that he would never work for someone else ever again - a promise he's stuck to for over 50 years. Yet my dad couldn't have gone after his dream if my mom hadn't worked so hard to support the family. This is a drama re-enacted every day in the entertainment business...