Reply #216: I met him 3 times. I win!

[progmom]

I met him when I was 16, 17, and 18.

He was always very kind to me. The first time I met him, I had just read his autobiography (I was the geekiest of 16 year-olds!). I saw that he had gotten hit by a car in Geneva NY, and spent time in the Geneva General Hospital, which is where I was born and spent a little time when I was in 1st grade. I sat at a table with him for 20 minutes or more laughing about Upstate NY. He was awesome.

What I loved about him, besides his very serious approach to music, was his amazing sense of humor. And he always had a sparkle in his eye - like he had three or four more little bon mots he was holding back.

Ray Brown and I talked about Diz one of the last times I saw him. He and I agree - Diz should be worshipped at least as much as Bird is for what he did in jazz.