Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
The Apple Tree - 20. Chapter 20
The tour went exceeding well. Tony appeared on several radio stations, plugging his music, did a few local television shows and he did something else that showed a special side of Tony. In every city were we went, Tony visited the children's hospital with his guitar and played music for them. He had sing-a-longs, took requests and his favorite was to take one of the kid's name and make up a song about them. I think Tony became even more popular as a result of doing this. The odd thing, Tony never told anyone. We'd show up at a hospital during visiting hours and he would be the Blue Minstrel.
When the tour was over, Tony went back to school, continued to utilize the school's recording studio, and played every Friday night. The agents want him to make albums where Tony prefers single-side disc. Eventually, the agents convinced Tony to make an album and gave him songs to sing. These songs were not the ones that Tony had written. I had our lawyer look over Tony's contract and by contract, he was obligated to produce two albums each year. The contract was to expire upon Tony's graduation.
"Tony, your agent will begin to pressure you to sign another contract before your current contract is up. Don't sign anything till I tell you it's ok. Under the provisions of the current contract, you are obligated to make two albums a year and they have the right to select the music. I'll make sure that any new contract will not contain any requirements and that you have the sole choice of music. They might not like it and in fact, they won't like it, but we have an ace up our sleeve, the music department's recording studio. We could build our own and the public will like you just as much. From now on you sign nothing without my approval."
"They're not going to like that."
"So let them yell at me. I'll get the lawyer to draw up a contract between you and me that prohibits you from signing any contract without my approval."
"They won't like that."
"Just tell them I'm your manager. They are familiar with the term, they have assigned one to you right now under the pretense of working for you when in reality he's working for the recording company. If all else fails, we have the shack and Annie's café. We won't starve."
Tony had just completed his second year. The music department put him on a fast track to finish all of his major requirements even giving him credit for the music he composed and the tour. Now Tony had to focus on his electives. When he changed majors, he classified some of his previous major requirements as electives. The bottom line, Tony had 1 and a ½ year to go to graduate.
The pressure to perform according to the contract was mounting. But Tony just simply told them to talk to me. That they didn't like. Tony did make two albums that year. Although they picked the music, he was able to slip in a few songs of his own. The following year, they wanted him to do another tour. I told them that it wasn't covered in his contract and he had decided to focus on working on his degree. Of course, they didn't like that but I showed him there was no contractual obligation to go on tour. His manager assigned to him by the recording studio tried to get him to agree, he'd tell him to see me. It took a month before they got the message, if you want Tony to do anything, better talk to me.
Tony continued with his studies. Thanksgiving we spent on the farm and enjoyed the solitude of our shack. Over the Christmas break, Tony did go on a tour, but not what the agent and recording company wanted, we toured children's hospitals sometimes twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Although we never advertise, I'd call one day ahead and get permission from the hospital administration to perform for 1 to 2 hours. I wanted this not to be a publicity stunt. But even as I tried to keep it low-key, the papers found out after we left a hospital, then they started to stake out hospitals trying to find which ones we had on our itinerary. We came close a few times but I'd walk in with a guitar and they would chase me while Tony snuck in. When they realized I wasn't Tony, they would leave.
The result of spending our Christmas holiday with these children paid off in ways that we had never envisioned. The hospitals sent Tony a plaque made by the children thanking him. Of course, eventually, the word got out and the papers began trying to get a story from him. Tony was delighted with the plaques and I had to take a picture of him holding the plaque to send back to the hospital. The newspapers, Tony left word to contact me.
- 29
- 21
- 1
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
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