American journalist George Ames Plimpton is my hero. In fact, I’ve modeled much of my own life after his. Plimpton’s concept of “participatory journalism” combined with the diversity of his experiences brought to life for me Anne Frank’s belief that, “life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”
Plimpton’s palette of pursuits included competing in professional sports, acting in a Western film, performing a comedy act at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and playing with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.
George Plimpton was the first editor-in-chief of The Paris Review, he pitched in the 1960 baseball All Star Game (Out of my League), sparred for three rounds with boxing greats Archie Moore and Sugar Ray Robinson, he attended preseason training with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League as a backup quarterback running plays in an intrasquad scrimmage (Paper Lion), joined the Baltimore Colts and played against the Lions in an exhibition game (Mad Ducks and Bears), trained as an ice hockey goalie with the National Hockey League’s Boston Bruins and appeared in a preseason game, played professional golf on the PGA Tour (The Bogey Man: A Month on the PGA Tour), attempted stand-up comedy, played tennis against Pancho Gonzalez, wrote the libretto to a new family opera-musical “Animal Tales,” and appeared in a number of feature films as an extra and in cameo appearances such as a small role in the Oscar-winning film “Good Will Hunting.”
Taking my own Plimptonian approach to personal reinvention, I have been inspired by him to participate in my own life by:
Becoming a singer-songwriter and performing at Nashville’s legendary Bluebird Café.
Opening for the Four Tops and the Beach Boys at college concerts.
Producing and engineering for London Records, Inc. during the height of the British Wave, working with such artists as The Moody Blues, Dave Edmunds, John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, VanMorrison with Them, Al Green, ZZ Top and others.
Appearing with the self-named rock band, The Garrison Project, at New York City’s iconic CBGBs and other Big Apple venues including DownTime and the C-Note.
Starting my own record company and producing, performing and writing the songs for The Garrison Project CD.
Hosting and producing my own AM news-talk radio show at WSTC/WNLK for which I was featured on the nationally marketed Pepsi refresh Project which was promoted on the Super Bowl XLIV National Football League website.
Hosting and producing the “DINERS” TV show on Connecticut Public Television (CPTV) and being featured in the AMA’s “MotoStars: Celebrities and Motorcycles” exhibit and book along with Brad Pitt, Carlos Mencia, Keith Urban, Peter Fonda and other celebrities and bands including Journey, Rush and Foreigner.
Leading business professionals on an extreme leadership and team building expedition in the White Mountains which was filmed for ESPN2’s “Extreme Magazine” TV program.
Studying with award-winning director Stephen Rosenfield (“the best-known comedy teacher in the country,” The New York Times) to become a stand-up comedian and appearing at Manhattan’s famous Gotham Comedy Club, host to such comedy legends as Robert Klein, Jerry Seinfeld, Lewis Black and Jackie Mason and producing and hosting a TV documentary about my experiences (“Comic on a Half Shell”).
Holding senior-level leadership positions for such notable corporations as MCI Telecommunications, DSL.net and Grand Circle Travel.
Eating and motorcycling my way across the Nutmeg State, chronicling my favorite eateries in the book, Classic Diners of Connecticut.
Trekking across Egypt by motorcycle and writing about my experiences in a two-part feature story in New York rider magazine.
it’s dreams, no matter how grandiose or seemingly silly, that hold the seeds of our own greatness as defined by our personal meaning of success, so long as we relentlessly and uncompromisingly go after them. We owe it to no one other than ourselves to listen to the whispers of our own inner voice reminding us of our dormant passions that yearn for self-expression and the ultimate prize of being able to say, “I did it.” Life is not about how much money you’ve got, what kind of car you drive or what you look like. Life is about going to bed at night being able to say, “I did it” and waking up in the morning wanting to experience more of what life has to offer and saying, “I want to do it.”
It is a sad irony that shortly after praising David Bowie’s career as being hallmarked by reinvention and visual presentation, we should lose yet another music icon who epitomizes reinvention: Prince.
When will you realize the full potential of you?
David Bowie’s self-named debut album on the Deram label of London Records was released on June 1st 1967, the month and year of my graduation from high school. Three years later I would be overseeing the mastering and production of re-releases of that first album. Ironically, David Bowie and I met one day at the studio when he was working on Space Oddity shortly after Deram Records had dropped him due to poor sales in 1968. Somewhere between conversations about his first album and what fans deem his first masterpiece, Space Oddity, we talked about his lyrics; a conversation I will never forget.
In 1973, London Records repackaged the album “David Bowie” and combined it with various singles and B-sides to create the compilation album “Images 1966–1967” (London Records BP 628/9). By then I had become an avid listener of his music so when I had to listen to test pressings from pressing plants across the country there was no reluctance on my part; only joy. David Bowie’s career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, his music and stagecraft significantly influencing popular music.
Among my many musical influences was The Rolling Stones when I was performing solo and in bands during the ’60s. The albums The Rolling Stones, 12 x 5, The Rolling Stones, Now!, December’s Children (And Everybody’s), Aftermath, Between the Buttons, Their Satanic Majesties Request, Beggars Banquet and Let It Bleed were my treasure chest of musical inspiration. So, walking through the doors of industry giant London Records at 539 West 25th Street in New York City for the decade of the ’70s and past the Rolling Stones gold records hanging on the walls of the hallway to my office was living the dream.
Working on the mastering and production of Hot Rocks 1964–1971 moved the dream from real to surreal. Released December 20, 1971, the double album compilation was The Rolling Stones’ biggest-selling release of their career spending 262 weeks on the US Billboard 200 chart and peaking at #4. The album sold in excess of six million copies and was certified twelve times platinum.
You can’t always get what you want
One of my rock & roll influences growing up was listening to Fats Domino’s 1961 hit cover of the Dave Bartholomew and Earl King penned, “I Hear You Knockin.'” Although Fats drove this song on his keyboard, my parents didn’t have the money for a piano so I learned the chord progression on my guitar and played along with Fats endlessly.
You can imagine my thrill in 1970 when I worked with Welsh singer, guitarist and record producer David WIlliam “Dave” Edmunds at Media Sound Studios in New York City to master his version of “I Hear You Knockin'” which reached #1 on the UK singles charts and #4 here in the States. The unique guitar sound meshed incredibly with his voice effects and that augmented piano chord strike on the turnaround never fails to grab me.
On April 12th, 1954, Bill Haley and the Comets had their first recording session at Pythian Temple studios in New York City after signing with American Decca Records. The landmark recording session almost didn’t take place when the band was traveling on a ferry that got stuck on a sandbar en route to the Big Apple from Philly. The 12-bar blues song, written by Max Freedman and James Myers, became a number one single on both the US and UK charts and opened the door to rock & roll as a commercial tsunami.
Too many people believe that if they keep their heads down and work hard they’ll be recognized on the merits of their work. But that’s simply not true anymore. “Safe” jobs disappear daily. To make a name for yourself, to create true job security, and to make a difference in the world you have to share your unique perspective and inspire others to take action. And, Dorie Clark is THE person to show you how.