When I was first married and moved to the Palm Springs area, I worked for a Public Relations agency.
We were housed in a small building named for Bob Hope on a hospital campus that has President Eisenhower’s name. A number of rich and famous were associated with the hospital including Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope.
One of the accounts we worked on was the Bob Hope Classic, a golf tournament that raised millions for local charities.
The first year I was working the Classic, I answered the phone and got a request from Rick Dee’s secretary that he’d like to play in the tournament. At the time, Rick Dees was a local Los Angeles DJ. It was before he went national. I had moved from Washington state and never heard of him. I told the woman on the other end of the phone, “No.”
We were well into organizing the tournament and I didn’t think we could allow more players.
Next, I got a call from Rick Dees himself. I told him no. He called back two more times and I hung up on him!
One of my co-workers overheard and asked, “Who were you talking to?”
“Some guy named Rick Dees. He wants to play in the Classic and he called me three times!”
“You hung up on Rick Dees?”
The boss immediately found Rick Dees number and called him back and apologized. Guess what? He was allowed to play in the tournament.
Fast forward six or seven years, and I was at the Classic with my husband, who had our one- year-old son on his shoulders. We walked along the golf course and I spotted Rick Dees.
I walked up to him and said “I’m the woman who hung up on you years ago.”
He laughed and said he remembered. My husband asked for his autograph. Rick Dees was friendly and signed my son’s baseball cap.
What are some of your funny memories during your early working years?
Haha! Great memory EA.
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When I worked as a surgical assistant for a long time local Oral Surgeon we often had as a patient a local and national musical celebrity. He was one of the founders of the 60’s group The Ventures. Think heavy guitar, Beach Boys sort of music. My boss would bend over backwards for this guy, tossing him in the schedule at whim, making other patients wait… He gave off an attitude of being rather “important” and special if you know what I mean. I would always try to avoid being the assistant during his procedures. He really rubbed me the wrong way and so did my boss for coddling him. To me he was just an old guy with really bad teeth like so many of our other patients. I wasn’t going to give him extra attention. And- I really didn’t like his music either!
You gave me a good laugh! I worked as a dental assistant in my dad’s office when I was in high school. You really get to see what people are like — good and bad.
That’s too funny. Glad he had a sense of humor!
He seemed to be a really nice guy! Other celebrities might have not been so good about it.
I grew up listening to Rick Dees. Great memory!
Thanks!
I used to enjoy listening to Rick Dees on the radio. Hearing that name was like stepping back in time. ❤️
I did too. I loved the top 40 countdown.
I could tell a few interesting stories about my first years working after college in Manhattan but I will choose the first year I came to Florida. I was teaching a rowdy group of heavily Hispanic students reading skills as they were below level. For some reason, I was chosen for a new teacher recipient to receive a luncheon date with the New York Yankees for myself and one of my deserving students. Well, they highly frustrated me leading me to turn down the tickets. I never forgot my AP’s face, as he sputtered, “You did what. We could have gone. The Yankees!!” He was from Spain and used to ride a bicycle chasing down students skipping classes or causing havoc. Most of my students were from Puerto Rico, Cuba, El Salvador. Years later, a roofer called out to me, “Hey, Ms. D. is that you?” And it was, I . He told me, “You were the bomb!” I guess they liked me for some reason but I am glad the story did not get out to them. Although not everyone is a fan of the Yankees this way.
Wow that would have been exciting. But it’s almost more exciting that you turned it down!
And years later, I would meet that AP again and he did not recognize me but he knew he knew me from somewhere. I just kept quiet. He was annoyed with me!
Ha! 😅
The Army did not do “funny”.
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Wow! He definitely caught my attention.
I have to ask who? The bobcat or Rick Dees?😀
Rick Dee’s was a great musician.
😂😂 Glad he handled it so well! The pharmacy I worked at had a Fax machine. I had never used one. My husband and I were still newlyweds and I told him how he could send notes to me on his break time to our fax machine. He said that he wouldn’t want the pharmacist to read the notes. I had a solution, easy …. Brace yourself for it . I told my husband to just fold and staple it before he faxes the note! 😳😳😳
Hahaha! Best laugh I had all day!
Glad to oblige! 😄My husband still gets a kick out of it and I still “smack my head” about it!
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Omg I totally forgot about Rick Dees, but you triggered a long-dormant jingle ‘Rick Deeees, and the weekly top fortyyyy, yeah!’
That’s it!!! My hanging up on him was before he was promoted to the top forty!