My latest gig was for a guy that looked almost exactly like Bill Clinton! That's why his friend hired me, actually. It's been a running joke between them for a long time. He was out of town but wanted to celebrate his friend's 70th birthday so he sent me to surprise him.
It was a big turn out! Probably 25 or 30 people on the terrace of a trendy Italian restaurant in Ahwatukee. It was windy, so I had legitimate fear that I might inadvertently recreate the scene in The Seven Year Itch where Marilyn's skirt blows above her head.
Luckily the restaurant had a microphone that I could use because otherwise only the few people near me would have been able to hear me sing. I maxed out the volume on my jukebox and had Mr. Clinton sit in a chair in front of me. After the performance, a waitress was trying to get his attention to see if he wanted a refill, which I accepted for him. I think half spilled by my feet while we were posing for photos. 😆
I'm not supposed to promote myself when I'm on a gig that was set up by the entertainment company, but as I was leaving, another table asked me to take a photo with them and requested a card. I gave them my card and the entertainment company's card. Since they weren't related to the party that I performed for, I don't think it crossed any ethical lines to share my business information with them.
It's difficult for me to get any photos while at a gig, but I got a picture of the terrace from the restaurant's website. Imagine this but filled with people, and a slightly anxious Marilyn Monroe impersonator trying to keep her skirt from billowing above her head:
I didn't get any photos with Mr. Clinton because it's just too awkward to ask, but I did want to get some photos before I left, so I was trying to quickly take some selfies outside the restaurant and someone from the party saw me as they were leaving. A little embarrassing, but a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do! How else will I have photos to go with my blog posts? Maybe someday I'll be able to have a regular photographer to accompany me on my gigs, then I'll have lots of photos to share!
Until next time! 😘
xoxo
"Marilyn"