Meeting Someone Famous

Well, I'm back and I've got a lot to write about. Only, I don't really have the time right now. We got home really late Wednesday night (our flight was delayed, I'm sure as a result of the incident on Tuesday at Pearson) and spent Thursday relaxing, doing laundry and cleaning up.

I've started painting the windows (more about that later) but I just had to blog about meeting one of my childhood heroes last night. Here in Winnipeg, Folklorama is in full swing. We wanted to got to the Irish pavillion and because it is one of the more popular ones, we went early and stood in line for about 45 minutes. We watch a wonderful show-bright costumes, energetic music and great dancing-all emceed by none other than Will Millar! Yeah, Will Millar!

For those of you who don't know Will, he was the lead singer/musician of the Irish Rovers. I knew all of the words to their album "Children of the Unicorn." I had the LP record AND the 8 track tape (anyone remember 8 tracks?). I still have the LP but our turntable is not working well and the record is quite scratched so sadly, we can't listen to it anymore. We also watched the show, faithfully, every week (sometime in the 70s) for as long as CBC aired it.

Anyway, there he was. Will Millar in the flesh. I bought his CD which has some of the wonderful songs that I remember (although "Purple People Eater" isn't on this one-sigh). I even met him and he autographed my CD-"Linda, love Will" and then he drew a shamrock. My heart's all aflutter. Maybe I should go back tonight and see if I can get a picture with him.

Isn't it funny. Here is an older man (he must be in his 60's), past his prime probably living in a 3 bedroom bungalow somewhere in Canada. He probably mows his own lawn, buys his own groceries and has to paint the trim around his windows-just an average guy who was invited to come to Winnipeg for Folklorama. For the children there and many of the audience, he was nobody special.

But for me, Will is a hero. He always will be. Unknown to him, he was a part of my childhood and he helped me during those angst ridden teen years to laugh at myself and the world. How can you be miserable when you're listening to "Purple People Eater?"

Well I saw the thing coming out of the sky
It had one long horn and one big eye
I commenced to shakin' and I said oo-wee
It looks like a purple people eater to me

It was a one-eyed one-horned flying purple people eater
Sure looks good to me

Well, he came down to earth and he lit in a tree
I said Mr Purple People Eater don't eat me
I heard him say in a voice so gruff
I wouldn't eat you 'cos you're too tough

It was a one-eyed one-horned flying purple people eater
It sure looks strange to me

I said Mr Purple People Eater what's your line
He said eating purple people and it sure is fine
But that's not the reason that I came to land
I wanna get a job in a rock 'n roll band

Well, bless my soul rock 'n roll flying' purple people eater
Pigeon-toed under-growed flyin' purple people eater
one-eyed one-horned it was a people eater
What a sight to see

Well, he swung from the tree and he lit on the ground
he started to rock really rockin' around
It was a crazy ditty with a swinging tune
Wop bop a lula wop bam boom

He was a one-eyed one-horned flying people eater
Ooh, it sure looks strange to me

Well he went on his way and then what do you know
I saw him last night on a TV show
He was a blowin' it out and really knockin' them dead
Playing rock 'n roll music through the horn in his head.