My Dad, Billy Joel, and Al Forno

For as long as I can remember, my dad has bought and sold vintage instruments. After a brief stint as a science teacher, he got fed up with the system, bought a banjo, and decided to spread his belevolence on more appreciative crostini - in this case, musicians. I credit my dad with my hippie soul, and for my musical slant. As my mom, who herself could not carry a tune to save her life (couldn't resist, I know it's inappropriate. If she were still alive, she would call me a bitch), would say, I was always very "musically inclined".

From the very beginning my life was filled with music, and music-making machines. There were always multiple guitars, banjos, and mandolins hanging around the house. (You want to take violin lessons? Here you go, take this violin. You want to play trumpet in the school band?
Okay, I've got one somewhere...) Occasionally he'd break out something more exotic and unusual, and my childhood memories include playing around with dulcimers and dobros, tubas, trumpets, and trombones. Once, I appropriated a clarinet, and wouldn't put it down until I could make a sound, any sound, other than a screech. I even broke out the old Minolta and forced my little sister to pose with this clarinet. (The pictures came out really well, actually. I made her wear my old prom dress and put her head in her hands. It was my first time using pantyhose over the lens as a filter. What a prodigy I was. How do I digitize these images???)

Anyway, my dad was, is, and always will be the Music Man.

As such, we always had music playing around the house and in the car. After my sister was born, we got a brand new mint green 1978 Chevy Impala station wagon with an 8 track tape player. This was just the best thing to me! We'd sit in the "way back" and hang our heads out the window. There were speakers back there, so I was able to hear all the Harry Chapin, Linda Rondstadt, Eagles, and Billy Joel that was playing.
Billy Joel was a favorite of mine and still is. The first album I remember buying was Cyndi Lauper's She's So Unusual. But the second was Billy Joel's An Innocent Man. I didn't realize it then, but now I know I am drawn to dynamic, dramatic, percussive musicians. He certainly fits the bill. (So does Elton John. My third album was Too Low For Zero.)

Anyway, the entire point of this post came from my perceived connection among the three title characters.
My dad showed me music. That music included Billy Joel. Billy Joel notoriously goes to Al Forno. My dad saw Billy Joel at Al Forno once in 1999, while having dinner with his wife, her aunt, and her husband (also known as her uncle). My dad didn't want to bother him, but his wife's aunt did, and did. I certainly wouldn't have. I wouldn't even approach a celebrity to say how much I love their work. But my dad's wife's aunt did. I heard this story ad nauseum over the years. So my dad, Billy Joel, and Al Forno are forever linked in this head of mine.

I love them all, in different ways and strengths.