Can you imagine the thrill of receiving a phone call asking you to be part of the biggest show in Chicago history? That was what happened to me at the age of 22. Chicago Mayor Jane Byrne took a page from the city of Milwaukee’s successful “Summerfest” and asked “Summerfest” creators “Festivals Inc.” to produce the same type of event for Chicago. She named it “Chicagofest.” 

One day the phone rang and we were asked to perform on the main stage as a part of music icon Dick Clark’s “Good Ol’ Rock and Roll Show.” My heart was pounding out of my chest as I answered yes and committed my group, JADE 50’s, to the performance.

Three months later, there I was, on stage with people like Freddie “Boom Boom “ Cannon, The Coasters, The Shirells, Bo Diddley, and the father of rock and roll, Chuck Berry.

Have you ever seen the movie That Thing You Do?  Well, there is a scene in the movie when the group “The Wonders” makes it onto a big tour with all of their idols. That movie scene reminds me of us that day.

“Oh my God, you are Chuck Berry!

Holy smokes, The Coasters, and look over there! There he is, Mr. Dick Clark!!!!”

We had prepared very well for the show, memorizing the music sent to us by Larry Kline, Clark’s producer.

We learned that when you work with Dick Clark, you work in one of the most professional settings you could have ever imagined. 

I have been asked my whole life, “What is Dick Clark really like?” I will tell you; from my experience he is kinder than kind, a true professional who knows how to produce an entertaining show for everyone to enjoy. He expects you to work as hard as he does and he is incredibly fair. He knows when you’re trying to pull “a fast one” and he’ll let you know he knows. Dick Clark is in real life like he is on television.

The entire show was rehearsed before it was performed the day of the show and Mr. Clark was there, sitting and listening to every note. After three hours of running the songs down with the artists, Larry Kline called it a wrap. All of a sudden Dick walked over to Larry and said, “Wait a second. I haven’t heard Bandstand Boogie,” the theme from his TV showcase American Bandstand.  He asked us to play that for him.

You must understand that at that time, I was in my early twenties and a true rock and roll historian. I know what Dick Clark has meant to everyone in the music business before me and what he means to every one of my contemporaries. Now, Clark was standing about four feet in front of me as I counted off the song.

My job in our arrangement of the song was to play the lead melody on my guitar. My eyes were fixed on Clark and as my part was about to start, I froze. I could not hit the correct notes…I didn’t even come close. My hands were shaking and sweat was pouring into my eyes.

Clark stopped us and kindly said to me, “Joe, I have never claimed to know anything about music, but I think the song goes like this,” as he hummed the exact, correct notes to the song to all of us.

I took the blame and said to him, “I know the correct notes. I am just very nervous right now, playing this in front of you."

He paused and smiled back at me and then said, “OK, everyone take a break. We’ll be fine,” and patted me on my back.

I will say that during the two-hour dinner break, I never took off my guitar. Even while I was eating, I would play the notes over and over again between bites. 

After Jade 50’s performed a 20-minute opening to the show in front of about 70,000 people on Chicago’s lakefront, Larry Kline announced, “Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Dick Clark’s Good Ol’ Rock and Roll Show.  Would you please welcome America’s oldest teenager…Dick Clark!”

That was our cue. I counted: a one, a two, a one-two-three…” We played it perfectly. Clark walked out on the stage to a huge standing ovation, nodded to me and smiled. The pressure was off and I slipped into my comfort zone.

We ended up working a few more years with the show during the summer tours and became friends with everyone on those shows.