User talk:Rogerhouston

I was stationed with O.B. McClinton at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, SC in 1970-71. We both participated in the local base competition of "Best In Blue" for the annual talent show sponsored by the Air Force. We both went to the Tactical Air Command competition at Seymour Johnson AFB. O.B. and I performed for local and Columbia, SC charities when our schedules allowed. He would sing some of the songs he had written for other artists, including Clarence Carter and Otis Redding and do impersonations of other singers, country and R&B, and always got a standing ovation at the end of his performances. He loved to tell the story of buying his brand new 1971 Eldorado from the local Cadillac dealership. He had just received a royalty check from a song he'd written and decided to have some fun with the only salesman on the lot. He had on his 1505 khaki shirt with three stripes (sergeant) and started talking with the guy about the cash price. After they'd had a little conversation, O.B. told him to call the president of the local South Carolina National Bank in downtown Sumter. O.B. watched from outside while the man went into the showroom and made the call. He could see the salesman talking and motioning toward him in the lot...the guy's jaw dropped and he came running outside to tell O.B. "your car will be ready at five o'clock". The story was funnier every time he told it.

After we both left the Air Force, he was appearing with Marty Robbins and Jeanne Pruett in Savannah, Ga. where I worked for the local CBS affiliate television station WTOC. I called and left a message for him and he called me back, inviting me to bring my wife backstage to meet Marty and Jeanne. It was the highlight of our night, seeing him onstage and meeting two major stars backstage. After a great show that night, I told my wife some of the stories about our Air Force shows and travels. He loved to entertain, onstage and off. He was a genuinely nice man and great entertainer, well respected by other artists. He was the best opening act a "star" could ask for...the crowd was ready by the time O.B. left the stage. The entertainment world could use another few men like him. I am proud to have known him and shared the stage with him on several occasions. Rogerhouston (talk) 15:08, 28 April 2009 (UTC)