Bloggy Update 12/19

Forty years.

I have been a fan of Sha Na Na, the band, for 40 years. If you could have seen my bedroom as a teenager, you would understand just how SURREAL my latest interview for the music section of the blog, The Flip Side, was to me.

As an off-the-cuff idea, I thought I would give a crazy idea a shot and contact one of the founding members who is still very much active in the Sha Na Na world – Jocko Marcellino (the drummer).

I never in ONE MILLION YEARS thought that anything would ever come of it. I mean, come on, he’s famous. He has a list of Hollywood and musical credits that some people can only dream of. There would be no chance in my lifetime that someone like him would actually contact someone like me (and my little blog) and offer to give their time.

Well. Here we are.

Mr. Marcellino emailed back and said that he would be willing to do it. We set up a time for a phone interview and it happened. I was thrilled, terrified, and in shock – all at the same time. Listening back, as I formatted the interview (which can now be found on The Flip Side section of the blog), I didn’t “fan girl” too terribly much, but I could detect a bit of the “17 year old me” coming through. It might be 40 years later, but nothing will sink you back into your high school days faster than talking to one of your idols from that time period.

He was gracious and kind and we had a wonderful chat. Twenty minutes later, it was over. I thanked him and waited for him to “okay” the posting of the interview (which happened today).

We’re all older now and have lived through much in our collective lives. I don’t have their posters plastered all over my walls anymore and I don’t consistently write their names on the covers of my notebooks. But now, perhaps in only the smallest of ways, I can give back to someone who had given me so much over the years – an opportunity to reach some readers and spread the word about his musical history and what he is doing now.

Thank you, Jocko. It was truly an honor.