From:  Parrot Pete

San Antonio Parrot Head Club's Newsletter

'Parrot Poop" column



Happy Hour this month will be special and a super way to kick off this New Year of monthly phlockings. Parrot Poop continues to dump valuable information upon our phlock. This edition is about our Happy Hour guest, Don Middlebrook. He will be at Sideliners on 24 January 2013.  A MUST-DO Happy Hour!!!

I first came upon Don Middlebrook and his band from Michigan, Living Soul and the Pearl Divers, at the 2001 Meeting of the Minds. In fact, their CD, Native Tongue, is playing as I write.

Don Middlebrook started his musical career in 1991 and is currently on his Southern BEACH LIFE Tour, with a few gigs mixed in with his band, Living Soul. His new CD, Talespin, was voted #2 on the Beachfront Radio Trop Rock Top 20 albums of 2012, and his single, Beach Life, ranked #11. Don has had the good fortune to survive the hard times of the music business and has added to his credit   opening for Reba Macintyre, The Doobie Brothers, Hall and Oats, Jefferson Airplane (oops, Jefferson Starship), Meatloaf, and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Linda and I recently ran into Don Middlebrook one evening at the Conch Republic in Key West during MOTM 2012. Always sharing time with his audience, a cold beer and a few stories graced our table. The obvious question of Jimmy's TV Guide arose. Perhaps Don's best known song, and certainly his most ballyhooed story, took place in Key West.

JIMMY's TV GUIDE CAPER.

For those who do not know this famous fable, here is the "truth" from the man involved, Don Middlebrook. Come to Happy Hour and we'll certainly get "the facts, ma'am, just the facts." Anyway, while performing at Sloppy Joe's in Key West, Don and a friend decided to take a moped ride around the island.  The ride soon turned into a celebrity hunt for Jimmy Buffett's house. They thought they found it, but weren’t sure until they saw a TV Guide laying on the ground addressed to Jimmy Buffett. Really? Years later, Don recorded and , toured with the famous Coral Reefer and Buffett friend, Greg "Fingers" Taylor.   Fingers claims Jimmy knew of the theft and wanted his TV Guide back. Don wrote a song of apology, I Stole Jimmy Buffett's TV Guide.  Don still claims he does not have it, but I heard it on the Coconut Telegraph that it was matted and framed, and he always has it with him when he is on tour. No charges against Don were ever filed, but Jimmy has since rented a P.O. Box in the Keys. As the song goes, "You can always steal from a pirate…."  Since Native Tongue is no longer available, this song can be heard on his Changing Lanes CD, which will be available at our Happy Hour.

As our own Cooler Dave frequently laments, "You can't make this stuff up!"

Trop Rock is said to have started with Don Middlebrook. Don't miss this rare appearance from one of Michigan's finest troubadours, 24 January, 6:30-10:30, at Sideliners.  Don't be late!  Parrot Pete

Footnote: TV Guide was first published in 1953. The initial issue   featured the infant child of Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball.