Remembering Bob Hope
A chance encounter with a Hollywood legend is a fond memory
You never know who you will meet. Any day may be a road to a unique experience and a memorable story to share. Dan Yessian, founder of Yessian Music, made many such memories in his music business career spanning over 50 years.
Once he had a surprise encounter with Bob Hope, an enormously popular entertainer with an 80-year-long notable Hollywood career.
Hope was a British-born American who worked in television, radio, and film to name a few. He entertained military personnel for over 50 years. Hope authored numerous books, and hosted the Academy Awards 19 times.
Yessian was working a music gig when the memorable encounter with Hope occurred.
“During my earlier years in the crazy business of music my band and I would play all sorts of gigs weddings bar mitzvahs, horror events, you name it,” Yessian recalls.
His band was popular themselves. “We were often the band of choice as we played a variety of music from pop to rock and roll to jazz,” he added.
In 1975 the group was booked for a high school prom at Northfield Hilton in Troy, Michigan.
Hilton, a classy hotel featuring a fancy ballroom, was packed with high-school prom attendees ready to dance and make memories.
“We kicked off the party and everybody was getting down,” Yessian said adding that during the band’s sets, the kids were dancing in a frenzy. They were having a great time.
Towards the conclusion of the shindig, the band switched from rock-n-roll to a unique performance of Hava Nagila, a Jewish folk song.
“The kids ate it up it began spinning each other all over the place,” said Yessian.
A hotel security guard stepped on stage and towards him asking if the band knew the song “Thanks for the Memories” a popular song written and performed in 1938 by Hope and American singer and film starlit Shirley Ross.
Yessian questioned if the song would impact the momentum of the excited teens.
Waiting for the security guard’s cue, the band began to play the melody, and the youngsters transformed from fast dancing to paired-up slow dances.
Those fancy high-class ballroom doors swung open revealing a total surprise. A special guest no person in the high-class hotel ever expected.
It was none other than Bob Hope.
“Our faces lit up,” Yessian remembers vividly adding how Hope had just finished a concert at Pine Knob, a popular Michigan music concert venue in Clarkston.
Hope was staying at the ritzy Hilton.
“I extended my hand out to help him onto the stage. He laughingly asked why the hell are you guys playing Hava Nagila? He spent about 10 to 15 minutes on stage with us doing his shtick,” Yessian recalls fondly.
It was a surreal moment that seemed unbelievable.
“Our faces hurt from smiling so hard,” Yessian adds. “I made my way to a payphone as soon as I could and called my wife Kathy telling her you’ll never guess what just happened.”
Kathy, knowing her husband, thought his story about meeting Hope was a joke. “Sure yeah okay,” Kathy laughed.
But it was a true story.
“I went to bed still grinning and my cheeks hurt,” Yessian said.
Visit:
