Driver, T. C. (43 page)

After approval from Bermuda, we embarked for shore, many hundreds at a time using barge like harbor boats ferries. We could not dock or use any ultra-light planes on Bermuda because island officials had very many rules and even more paperwork. The Ark anchored only six hundred yards from shore. One old British destroyer and a big destroyer sized yacht pulled ship protection duty for us by patrolling the sea. It was R&R time for many of us. Word was that “Becka” was in Bermuda for the whole weekend shooting movies and video’s and would do a concert! All of my college age kids had downloads of “Becka.”
 
The hottest selling name and face in all of music history. Nothing in show business as big as “Becka” had come along in the modern era or at least in the last fifty years. Students often chanted, “Becka, Becka, Becka” at the top of their lungs at the ship’s Gospel Café to make the band play her songs. This world wide “Becka” craze was now only two years old. Her fame started when she was only eleven years old. Now she is described as twice Madonna, three times Disney, and bigger than country music. She’s about the same age as Jediah and even bigger in some ways (ha-ha). When I told some students at the Gospel Café one night that I knew the Great Becka personally, they found it hard to believe. Many of them also wore her clothing line and could not imagine the “old school” anti-professor ever being in the same crowd. She was very “IN” and I was not! I found Becka hard to believe myself back then and still do sometimes. I laugh at her videos all the time today.
      

In the lobby of a large resort hotel Jediah stopped his entourage, waved his security, and we shook hands, and then hugged. He locked me down with a one arm hug that picked me up off the floor, and shocked the workers at the hotel. “That boy could kill somebody by accident with a hug like that” I thought to myself. He looked to have gained five or six inches and two hundred pounds! I understood the fear of his handlers now for the first time. Jediah looked to be five years older. Four of his Asian girls tried to make me jealous, something they are very good at. Jediah called them down and sent them away. Yes, Jediah was different looking, his face was shocking even. One of his girls was one of the two I had refused back at his
palace
 
and
she did not seem happy. Jediah and I talked in passing and I promised him faithfully to stop by his place soon after the “Becka” show ended. Patel not only owned this big resort but he had a private resort or home adjacent to this one which was “not for the public.”
 
I learned that South of France, Kauai, England, Williamsburg, Va. and the Black sea were just some of the places that Patel could “go public” without being seen by the public. I wanted to ask him about his father. I promised him once more that I would see him after the show.
    
          

In the big ball room of the ‘Public” main hotel, the
  
band was warming up, and testing out the stage.
“Becka” was not there, she was under close heavy security at all times. It was much too dangerous for her to be in public. On stage were some dancers and the original Gospel Café Band from the mountains of Virginia. I have all of their old CD’s back home and I know every member. Tommy Turner was still singing and leading the band. I had figured him to be dead by now. He must be old as dirt but he looked great. I got Jackie Robers autograph to prove to the people on ship that I did really know her. The Durrett family were all still with the band; Buddy, Dorothy, and Joey. My old friend Buddy had just become the most successful song writer in the history of recorded music with a little help from “Becka!” Buddy’s top one hundred Gospel songs download had been number one for over ten years now. When Joey came in the public entrance he was mobbed by young gals from the ship. Joey unaware that the public had arrived was quickly cornered. This was a funny scene but Joey soon got back on his feet and started signing autographs. Both generations of Kovacks were there also, I looked around for my old friend Chuck, his wife Christina said he had lingered in the casino trying to lose his pocket money, but kept winning instead. Chuck was the original Dobro player in the band and also “Becka’s” dad. His family has cut many music CD’s in their own studio including one nasty Rap video of the Osoma daughters, that was too sick to even name here, but paid very well. His older daughter named Summer had much success in Nashville, but now his daughter “Becka” was in a world wide class all by herself. I had hopped that the spoiled little “Becka” had not “gotten worse” for all the wear and attention of fame, but I feared there was little hope. “Becka” was always a hardheaded child before her fame she was just a little tot back then. The last time I saw her she was only five. “Becka” started singing every weekend night at the original Gospel Café the day she turned one year old; before she could even walk or talk much. “Becka” was in charge of the little Café gospel singing spot by the time she was two, or so she thought. No wonder she became a singer, she was born to it. Yes Becka was only five years old the last time I saw her. I asked her mother if she might still remember me, and Christina said “sure.”
 
I wasn’t so sure it had been years! Tonight in Bermuda the old Gospel Café Band was going to open up the show for “Becka” and even back her up in some numbers at her request. Each of them would be featured solo to this “older” crowd here in Bermuda. Security slowly tightened up as band practice started. This ball room could seat five to six thousand people. One thousand five hundred had come ashore off of the Great Ark. The show was now over sold and that might be a problem for security. The ballroom had two sides facing the ocean and beach. These walls were surrounded by a patio about the size of two football fields built on the
  
sand. Three double sets of French Doors on each side opened onto this brick patio with hundreds of cement benches and small shade trees. This made a good over flow area.
          

Students on ship found it hard to believe that old Corney, the anti-professor, was a personal friend of the popular young “Becka.”
 
We seemed to be from two worlds apart. The little Becka I knew was a wild headstrong, healthy, too cute four and five year old brat that beat up on her eight year old brother and told her parents what to do. She was famous for throwing her toys across the Café floor and or onto the stage.
  

“Back in the day” before Jackie quit the band for the first time, I was a regular at the old Gospel Café. I even sat in with the band playing rhythm guitar many nights. In those early days Gary Litton ran sound. He was my witness if the kid has forgotten me. She might make me out a liar (ha-ha). The band made a recorded live CD for me of my songs. I never sold any but I still keep one on my wall back home. Looking around I saw Linda Howell, Ronnie Howells wife and went over to say Hello, and yes, Ronnie married very well!

“Where’s Ronnie?” I asked as I walked up to Linda.

“Right here,” shouted Ronnie from the sound booth and “you stay away from my wife you old cuss.”

Ronnie had a great since of humor and was known in Gospel music as the “Words greatest drummer”. Ronnie waved me back towards the sound booth. He was sitting in the sound booth at the back wall of the auditorium with Gary Litton, Rodney Dole, plus a Becka sound technician that now had more help than he wanted or needed. Ronnie said he wasn’t playing tonight, too much like work. He and Linda were enjoying Bermuda and taking life easy, not spending time coming to rehearsals or keeping a schedule. He had more money than God anyway, said Ronnie and laughed.
  

“I let Becka’s road drummer play tonight said Ronnie! Jackie Robers liked to have her old friend, Ronnie, in the sound room whenever he wasn’t playing drums, so this poor sound man was stuck with all of us.
  

Ronnie leaned over and gave me a proper warning, “If Jackie or Tom calls me up to sing and play a set of songs be ready. You will be called next. Have two songs ready off of your old album, Cornelius!”

Not thinking that Jackie might do something like call me up to sing I started getting nervous and kept going over old song lyrics in my head so I didn’t talk much.

When the crowd stood up we could still see over peoples heads while sitting down in the sound booth. Ronnie was telling me “Howell” good he was doing after open heart surgery (ha-ha).He said my wife stopped by the Gospel Café now and then but not often, and that the old place was still open and that he only made it there occasionally. My Patty always did like to sing with others more than singing solo. He and Linda didn’t make it much any more because of his health neither did Big Al, and Helen (famous singers from the old days). Then Ronnie asked me if I was still playing music anywhere?
  

“No Ronnie” I answered. I don’t have much time to play Gospel music anymore, I’ve been busy bombing Africans, and shooting run away Mexicans, important save the world type stuff. All the while helping my giant work for God and becoming holiness. It’s been a hard job but somebody has to do it. Not much fun really, but it does pay the bills, and I got to see the “Dope” but not in person.”
  

“We always knew you’d be doing something for the Lord Cornelius” said Linda. “Yes Cornelius said Ronnie we both always knew!” It sure was great to talk to my old friend Ronnie and catch up on things; as we were talking they started introducing him.

“Ronnie it’s been years since I sang my old songs” I complained. Ronnie walked down the isle and played a set with Jackie and the Band and then just as he had said, Tommy “D” Tuner started introducing me. Wow, what a set up! Not like the old days. I didn’t have to try to play guitar and Jackie had the words of my old songs come up on a heads up display screen just below my sight. That’s money talking for yah! My cat could have sung those songs.

I sang “Little White Church” and then “Preacher Steve,” and ended up with “To Fly up, Get down. I sounded pretty good that night I thought!” On each of my old songs Ronnie played also and then we both sat back down. Jackie had never let being a big star go to her head. I prayed that the young “Becka” was handling the pressure well. What a joy it was to have friends who will share the limelight and still admit they know you after they’ve become rich and famous. Often it’s the other way around in
life,
if you have some trouble many friends dump you like a hot potato. Sometimes you just don’t know.
   

Becka had watched her older sister Summer become a recording star first. When her mother Christina joined Summer on stage people said they sounded like “The Jugs” an old mother and daughter duet from my childhood. Summer and Christina, although very successful were both still mere mortals. This wild crazy star world that “Becka” was now living in was different, and even bigger than fame. Jackie texted me and said that I had done alright on my songs. I wondered how she sent that text while she was playing on stage.

By the time Summer and Christina came out to sing Ronnie and I were both seated back in the sound booth, by the time they finished I thought to myself, “
this crowd had already gotten their money’s worth.”
Summer was first then her mother, then both and on their last big hit song “Becka” was singing with them in live shadow from behind a screen and the crowd was going crazy. The shouting soon started, then the feet stomping began, Becka! Becka! Becka! The youngsters’ in the audience chanted! First Dorothy and Buddy, and Joey Durrett, and then Jackie and then Tommy “D” Turner all did songs off their best selling CDs. Then the background lighting began to change and CO2 smoke started pouring from back stage. This was “Becka’s” trade mark entrance. The theme song of Becka’s new TV chat show started playing. Her show was already twice as popular as the old Oprah show. Young girls in the audience started fainting, many fans in the crowd started moving forward and a line of shielded police rushed in across the bottom of the stage. The music and lights dimmed as the orchestra pit started rising up slowly with a huge red parade type drum at center; every one figured that “Becka” was about to break out of that drum. Becka started all her concerts with a prayer from off stage through her wireless microphone. The prayer ended and the smoke was thick as fire works
  
sparkled. Just as the Band struck its first note a shockwave jolted the building. It felt like the whole Bermuda Island had been moved six inches to the left. Glass showered the large ballroom. For the first few seconds the youngsters kept shouting Becka! Becka! Becka! Thinking this blast was part of the show.
    
 
 

Gary Litton, Rodney Dole and I knew all to well what it was; the sharp shock wave produced from modern military ordinance. We grabbed Linda and Ronnie and threw them down violently to the floor. Glass rained down on us! After a very short time we all peaked out from behind the sound room wall.

“Becka” had been still inside the drum and was unhurt, her mother Christina was on stage left playing fiddle
an
was hit hard.
 
Becka saw her mother standing and
  
bleeding on stage as she jumped out of the big red drum. Becka then ran towards her catching Christina just as she slumped to the floor. Becka then jumped back onto the Orchestra pit that was now starting on its way back down with her bleeding mother Christina in her arms. They both landed on top of the grand piano; as they hit Becka’s knee buckled with the force of the landing causing her to fall to one knee. Just then as Becka looked up holding her bleeding mother limp in her arms a photographer took a picture of the pair on top of the piano.` This picture became the photograph of the decade. Becka was already bigger than the Beatles, Michel Jackson and Elvis. She now became a world wide idol figure to young girls across many cultures. This one image on stamps, posters,
billboards
, coins, and magazines covers made this photographer a billionaire and Becka a God! In worldly eyes that is, the most known person on planet earth.
 
This was all done with Gospel music at a time when God, Jesus and the Bible were often hated, unwanted and unpopular.