SYN-CHRO-NI-CITY: the coincidence, in time, of events that appear to be connected, but have no demonstrable causal relationship. aka FATE, DESTINY, DIVINE PROVIDENCE, KISMET, DUMB LUCK.

Episode One: (The Book Soup Incident)

As I consider myself to be a life-long ‘music man(iac)', I attend occasional music-related events like cd and book signings, in-store appearances, inductions and such. Last March, I went to Book Soup on the Sunset Strip for the release of "Faces Of Music", a book by "Mr. Bonsai"/David Goggins, featuring photos and interviews with music biz legends. The event advertised guest appearances of members from The Police, Devo, Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Traveling Wilburys!

I was certain that Sting, Dylan, Harrison, Petty and Orbison wouldn't show, but maybe Jim Keltner, the Wilbury drummer, or Stewart Copeland, ex-Police man. And since Mr. Bonsai-Goggins had written the biography of drummer Hal Blaine a few years earlier, I figured I should go and check out the scene.

By the time I arrived, the discussion/Q&A session was over and the author and the invited musicians were signing books, memorabilia, and schmoozing. I spotted Jim Keltner, and went over to say hello and resume a conversation I'd had with him about drummers Hal Blaine, Earl Palmer and Charles Connor. I've met Mr. Keltner a few time over the years, and we both share a tight relationship with Hal Blaine. A few minutes later, in walked Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith. Chad is also a good friend of Mr. Blaine, and had recently conducted an interview with Hal, Jim, and Earl for Modern Drummer magazine a few weeks earlier, at Hal's Palm Desert home. I asked Jim if he wouldn't mind posing for a picture with Chad.

Jim was up for it, so we made our way over to Chad. Jim asked me if I'd seen Stewart Copeland. I noticed Stewart standing outside, smoking a cigarette and chatting with a fan. After Jim and Chad greeted each other, I suggested we three go outside to take a couple ‘snaps' with Stewart. I went to wrangle Stewart away from a Frenchman who was asking questions like "What have you been doing since The Police?" and "What's your favorite Police album?". Stewart looked bemused as he struggled to find an answer.

I introduced myself to Mr. Copeland, and asked for a minute of his time for a photo-op with Jim and Chad. Stewart put out his smoke and followed me over to Jim, who was standing by himself, unrecognized, as most studio musicians are, and the two greeted one another, having never met before. They joined Chad, who was talking to a couple of fans. I introduced Chad to Stewart, and fired off a few frames. I congratulated Chad on his upcoming Modern Drummer piece as well as his
interview with the studio drum kings. As I walked off into the night, Jim, Chad and Stewart were surrounded, then engulfed, by a small crowd of fans.

Episode Two: (The Chad Smith/Modern Drummer Issue)

When the "Chad Smith Issue" of Modern Drummer hit the newsstand in late April, I bought a copy to read and pass along to my friend, Charles Connor. One of the founding fathers of Rock'n'Roll, Charles was Little Richard's original drummer with The Upsetters. He is also a long-time friend of fellow New Orleans native Earl Palmer. A year and a half earlier, at Earl's 80th ‘surprise' birthday party, held at The Sportsmen's Lodge in Studio City, Jim Keltner sprung from his table to meet Charles, and to have his picture taken alongside Charles and Earl. Now, as I read Chad's ‘summit meeting' with his heroes of Rock drumming, I couldn't help notice a missing puzzle-piece.

After all, Charles Connor supplied the powerful, locomotive-like, 4-bar drum intro to "Keep A-Knockin'" in 1957, copied by Earl Palmer for Eddie Cochran's hit "Somethin' Else" two years later, and then taken and tweaked by John Bonham of Led Zeppelin for "Rock And Roll" (which was later ‘driven' into the ground by the annoying and incessant Cadillac Escalade tv commercials). Determined to set the record straight, I decided to send a letter and a press/publicity packet on Charles' behalf to Modern Drummer. The question was, who do I direct it to? The writer who interviewed Chad (Adam Budofsky) also wrote the "Editor's Notes" at the front of the issue. His focus was the history of rock drumming that many young drummers are unaware of. He also edited a new book "The Drummers", with a foreword by Chad and published by Chad's brother Brad Smith for Hal Leonard Publications. Now all I had to do was come up with a letter of introduction. Hmmm....

Episode Three: (The Mayfair Market Meeting)

A few weeks later, in early May, I was informed by Hal Blaine that Nancy Sinatra was going to receive her ‘star' on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. Hal was Nancy's longtime ‘drummer man,' both in concerts and on "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'". The day of the dedication I grabbed my camera and headed down to Hollywood Boulevard. Driving west on Franklin Avenue, a little past 10am, decided to pull into the Mayfair Market parking lot and get a morning paper. Having a few spare minutes to burn, tossed the sections of non-interest to me, sports, classified, and advertising and walked across the parking lot to the trash receptacle outside the market's entrance. As I was stuffing the container with my unwanted paper waste, the automatic door swung open, and....there stood Chad Smith! Holding a bag of groceries! At 10:15 a.m.! Two days after the release of the Chili Peppers' long-awaited (and soon to be #1) cd "Stadium Arcadium", and two days before their headlining appearance in Irvine at KROQ's annual Weenie Roast concert.

For the last couple of weeks I'd been wondering how to get info about Charles to Chad and also get him a copy of my photo of him, Jim and Stewart outside Book Soup. I sputtered "Hey, Chad! I'm Hal's friend, Robert." He said, "Oh, yeah. From Book Soup." We spoke for a few minutes about Hal, Jim, the Chili Peppers, Modern Drummer, and Charles. I told him about the package I'd prepared for Modern Drummer, but wasn't sure who I should direct it to. Chad said to send it to the guy who interviewed him, Adam. And by the way, Chad said, he was going to call the writer in a few days, and he would put in a good word and introduction for Charles. When I told Chad Charles' history, he agreed that John Bonham would've loved to have met him. I also told Chad that James Brown told Rolling Stone "Charles was the first to put the funk in the rhythm. I wished Chad good luck and headed on to the Walk Of Fame.

I couldn't get over the serendipitous and surreal encounter as I walked to the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, where Nancy Sinatra's ‘star' would be unveiled.

Finale: (The Nancy Sinatra "Star" Induction)

I made it to the Roosevelt Hotel entrance in time to get a good spot to observe and photograph Nancy's induction. Friends and family gathered on The Boulevard for Little Nancy's big day. Among the throng were brother Frank Jr., sister Tina, "Big Nancy", and friends Keely Smith, James Darren, JoAnne Worley, Rodney Bingenheimer and Don Randi, Nancy's longtime pianist and owner of The Baked Potato jazz club. After introductions and remarks by Johnny Grant and Frank Jr., Nancy approached the podium.

No boots, go-go or otherwise, were on Nancy's feet as she acknowledged her role as Rock's original feminist/women's libber/biker chick. Lastly, she also thanked her mom, Big Nancy, for making it all possible for her very existence. After her star was revealed and the large crowd began to disperse, I snapped a few more shots of the special guests, passed greetings from Hal Blaine to Don Randi, Keely Smith, and Mrs. Sinatra, then let my well-worn boots walk across the ‘stars' as I made my way along Hollywood Boulevard and back to my car. Synchronicity...what a concept!

Copyright 2006/Robert Leslie Dean