The Fox Rocks

One day, I want to walk into Madison Square Garden, step up to the merchandise counter and see my photo in The Who’s tour program.

I wished this often, especially when standing on the corner outside of Madison Square Garden in the late ’70s, the only girl selling copies of her concert photos.   40 years later, my wish is coming true.  As a very little girl, my mom would bring me home newly released Beatles albums.  She cautioned me that if I scratched them, she wouldn’t buy me any more.  I’d smile sweetly and grab them out of her hand.  Before I was even in school and my mom just in her early 20s, she bought me my first little red portable record player and taught me how to carefully place the needle down on the record.

I treasured every record I owned.  I still have those kiddie 45s and The Beatles albums without any scratches!  I even had my own little radio in my room for as long as I could remember.  I also spent many hours holed up in my older cousins’ bedrooms listening to their rock albums, hearing their music critiques, and taking it all in.  I didn’t have Sesame Street, but learned all I needed about life through lyrics.

Last year, The Who asked fans to send in photos for selection in their The Who Hits 50! anniversary tour program.  I sent in a few of my photos from 1979 and two were chosen to be included.  The black and white one above was taken in September of 1979 at Madison Square Garden while I was singing, dancing and trying to take photos on a folding chair in second row.  It’s a miracle that I have any clear shots.  I’ll do another post and upload all of the photos from those shows.  The second photo chosen, this one to the left, was taken the morning after all of the September 1979 Madison Square Garden shows.  On a lark, a friend and I went to the Navarro Hotel to see if we could catch a glimpse of the band leaving. To our surprise, no one else had that idea.  It was the 70s.  No crowds.  No security.  No one.  One by one band members and crew came out.  We had so much fun chatting with them while they waited for their cars to take them to the airport, but that story too is for another post.

My photos in the The Who Hits 50! Tour Program

So on March 3, I’m going to walk into Madison Square Garden and even though I have bought a VIP ticket for The Who that comes with a tour program, I’m going to walk straight up to that merchandise counter.  With all the excitement of a 15 year old girl, I’m going to buy a tour program and open it to the pages with my photos and the Special Thanks.  I’ll stand there and smile remembering what it feels like to be a teenager with all her hopes and dreams ahead of her.

Thank you The Who.