This was one of a series of photos of George used to promote the "Thirty-Three & 1/3" album in 1976. I have an 8x10" glossy photo from this same series -- a head-and-shoulders portrait of George -- that he inscribed and signed for me in December 1977. Starting in '76, I'd been corresponding with Muriel Housman -- the secretary at Dark Horse Records in Burbank -- about getting an autograph from George and though it took well over a year, she finally got the photo signed for me when he came into the offices one day. A beautiful dedication and signature in blue ballpoint pen. I obviously still have it after more than 41 years.
Oh, my gosh, Muriel used to also write to me at that time! She even called me a few times and offered me a job at Dark Horse Records to replace a secretary who was pregnant and wasn't going to return. At the time, I was in college, studying to be a teacher. However, I switched gears midway to brush up on my secretarial skills as she requested. I took a part-week job as a secretary while still attending college. I ultimately turned down the Dark Horse position, as I would have had to move across the country and live on my own while still a teenager, and my mom wasn't happy about it. Biggest regret of my life. A few years later, I vacationed in California and went to that Burbank office with my friends on a Sunday. Since the office was closed, one of the guards allowed us to go inside and he showed us the recording studio and the secretarial office where I would have worked. I always wanted to get in touch with Muriel again to let her know how much she meant to me, and how she actually changed the course of my life. Once I got a taste of working in Manhattan offices, I enjoyed it so much that I changed my career goal and eventually became a secretary full time. During that time, she also gave me the heads up and told me that George was going to do a private Thursday night taping for Saturday Night Live with Paul Simon. I managed to not only attend the taping, but I had a seat on a stool right next to George. I even spoke to him during those 3 hours of taping. It was bliss. :) I hadn't known it at the time, but his sister, Lou, was also in attendance that evening. About 17 years or so later, I met Lou. My husband and I later did volunteer work for her environmental organization and we became good friends. She even lived at our house for a week during George's illness, where I was able to help her reconnect with him. We remained friends until her passing last year, and I miss her. Getting back to Muriel, I wish there was a way to reconnect with her. She was a wonderful person, and I have such fond memories of that time.
This was one of a series of photos of George used to promote the "Thirty-Three & 1/3" album in 1976. I have an 8x10" glossy photo from this same series -- a head-and-shoulders portrait of George -- that he inscribed and signed for me in December 1977. Starting in '76, I'd been corresponding with Muriel Housman -- the secretary at Dark Horse Records in Burbank -- about getting an autograph from George and though it took well over a year, she finally got the photo signed for me when he came into the offices one day. A beautiful dedication and signature in blue ballpoint pen. I obviously still have it after more than 41 years.
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ReplyDeleteOh, my gosh, Muriel used to also write to me at that time! She even called me a few times and offered me a job at Dark Horse Records to replace a secretary who was pregnant and wasn't going to return. At the time, I was in college, studying to be a teacher. However, I switched gears midway to brush up on my secretarial skills as she requested. I took a part-week job as a secretary while still attending college. I ultimately turned down the Dark Horse position, as I would have had to move across the country and live on my own while still a teenager, and my mom wasn't happy about it. Biggest regret of my life. A few years later, I vacationed in California and went to that Burbank office with my friends on a Sunday. Since the office was closed, one of the guards allowed us to go inside and he showed us the recording studio and the secretarial office where I would have worked. I always wanted to get in touch with Muriel again to let her know how much she meant to me, and how she actually changed the course of my life. Once I got a taste of working in Manhattan offices, I enjoyed it so much that I changed my career goal and eventually became a secretary full time. During that time, she also gave me the heads up and told me that George was going to do a private Thursday night taping for Saturday Night Live with Paul Simon. I managed to not only attend the taping, but I had a seat on a stool right next to George. I even spoke to him during those 3 hours of taping. It was bliss. :) I hadn't known it at the time, but his sister, Lou, was also in attendance that evening. About 17 years or so later, I met Lou. My husband and I later did volunteer work for her environmental organization and we became good friends. She even lived at our house for a week during George's illness, where I was able to help her reconnect with him. We remained friends until her passing last year, and I miss her. Getting back to Muriel, I wish there was a way to reconnect with her. She was a wonderful person, and I have such fond memories of that time.
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