Last night, Donny Osmond and his sister Marie, finished a stint at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas. I shoulda been there. I gander around this house, sigh at the electric bill, smile at the new car in the driveway and wonder if I can lift the 50 lb bag of Tidy Cat litter in the utility room—that’s why I’m still here in Dallas. In the midst, I do smile. Because of the Osmonds, this was before Donny and Marie became Donny and Marie, I experienced my first ever plane ride. That destination on July 23, 1974 was from Des Moines, Iowa to Las Vegas. My Dear Dad explained, as the plane flew thousand of feet above the Earth, I wouldn’t feel as if we were even moving. He was right, until we hit a bit of turbulence—then that didn’t seem as bad.
The Osmonds performed at the Tropicana, yet we couldn’t stay there due to some convention or some such. So we were down the street at the Hacienda. It was all bright lights and big city to a girl from small town Iowa. Nonetheless, because of the Osmond’s I saw my first pair of platform shoes. They actually had sequins on the platforms! Oh MY! Sequins….ON shoes??
The morning of the July 24th, 1974 my Dear Dad took us to breakfast at the Tropicana. I just know there had to be an Osmond somewhere. I didn’t care about seeing any of Las Vegas. Which was a good thing because this was way before it became ‘family friendly. After breakfast, as we began to leave the restaurant, a girl came up and asked my name. Turns out I’d sent her a picture to put in a scrapbook she planned to give the Osmonds. In about two minutes I asked Dear Dad if I could hang with her and her sister. There was also a small group of girls that sat and waited. Dear Dad hesitated, and then agreed. I think one of the girls’ moms was there and reassured him.
That was the end of just posters on the wall tacked up by dreams to the beginning of dreams come true—Osmond style. Just to get an autograph wasn’t enough. Oh no, I learned during that first jaunt to Las Vegas, that a picture with an Osmond was the ultimate-especially with Donny. About 15 minutes after my Dear Dad left exited, my first picture snapped with an Osmond: Alan and his bride of eight days, Suzanne happened. That picture became one of the hundred of personal Osmond pictures through the decades.
July 24th, 1974, I witnessed my first ever Las Vegas show. Dear Dad tipped the maitre’d$40. The maitre’d led us to seats up front, which sat at the bottom of a few steps. The steps were against the stage. Butterflies flapped inside my tummy. I was going to see the Osmonds for my second time and in Las Vegas to boot. The maitre’d announced as he pulled the chairs from the table, “These are the best in the house.”
The guy was right.
Before a particular song started which I’ve forgotten, maybe “Puppy Love,” all these girls crowded around the bottom of the steps. Right around me. I was clueless. WHY? Then it happened. Donny began to sing. The girls started to scream. I didn’t. Then Donny came to those steps and walked down a few. Pandemonium. Girls went nuts. They reached for him. I did too. He took my hand and squeezed it. I looked into his eyes. The closest my 16 year old self got to Heaven.
The best $40 bucks my Dear Dad ever spent-at that moment, anyway....
We left Las Vegas on July 26. Heartsick. Sure, I tried to talk Dear Dad into staying longer. Nope. Las Vegas presented me with the memories of having my picture snapped with each Osmond—including Donny. I was bummed when it was developed and the picture was fuzzy. At that time, I didn’t know I would visit Las Vegas three more times before the 70’s ended. A better picture with Donny would be had.
Las Vegas gifted me with friendships that continue to this day. I met these girls, from Allentown, Pennsylvania, who took a bus from their home to Las Vegas. We waited, for Osmonds, in the hallway that led to the backstage door of the Tropicana. That next August, I visited those same girls in their Pennsylvania homes, so we could see the Osmonds at the Great Allentown Fair. Tasted my first funnel cake and perogie. Yep, BFF’s.
Because of the Osmonds, my memories are countless. Yep, I wish I woulda been at the MGM Grand for Donny and Marie in 2008. Aren’t they going to be at the Flamingo later on this year? Maybe it’s time I put my cats to work so they can earn their keep and I go make some new memories. Would be nice to re-visit the scene of the first crime. :) And with a digital camera, heck, I’ll know right then if the picture is fuzzy or not.
Ready for my close up.
The picture posted here is from the 30th floor of the Las Vegas Hilton, in 1977. We called it Heaven on the 30th floor. Six of us stashed away inside a bathroom until a server found us out. Miraculously, we got the chance to talk chat up Donny outside their suite---in the service hallway.
Yep—Dear Dad didn’t know what he started when he OK’d my first ever plane ride.
I am blessed.
