Put your head on my Shoulder

Don and I were high school sweethearts and it was a time of early rock and roll. When he would come to my house to hang out he would stop and buy me a forty five record. (I know…this really dates me doesn’t it?) We would sit and play them all and sing along. You must know that we only had one radio station in our town and it played standard music. If we wanted to hear rock and roll we had one half hour at seven thirty called The Hound. Of course Don and I had “our song”…Put Your Head on my Shoulder by Paul Anka. He was one of the teenage idols at that time. I would rush home from high school and go to my friend Carol’s house and dance to the latest hits.

When I found out that Paul Anka was going to have a concert at the Seneca Allegany Casino I was thrilled. I didn’t get the tickets right away because I wasn’t sure how long we would be down south. When we got back I believed the concert had already taken place. (Ok…now no judging. You know how we can’t remember things like we used to.) When we were over to Don’s stepmother’s house on Sunday my brother in law mentioned that the concert was that night at five o’clock. We took off for the casino, got tickets, and attended the best concert I have ever seen. This was worthy of Las Vegas!

 

When Paul was introduced he didn’t appear on stage but came from the back of the auditorium shaking hands with people on his way. Boy, did he know how to work a room. He proceeded to the stage and sang his heart out to us. Even though he is seventy five he hadn’t lost that beautiful voice of his. He was a showman all the way. We had good seats in the ninth row but over to the side. But that didn’t matter because there were two jumbotrons to watch.

 

  In between his songs Paul would relate personal stories and pictures on a screen of his family…five girls and finally a boy! With him was a ten piece band and the best musicians that I have ever heard. The instrumental part of the program was fantastic! At one point he played the guitar and brought out four other players and sang songs popular in the early sixties. There was a female violinist who was marvelous. As the concert went on I was more and more impressed and amazed. At one point in the show Paul came down the aisles of the auditorium and interacted with the audience signing record albums and pictures, kissing the gals and dancing with them, and posing for selfies. He is a short guy and he sometimes stood up on a chair to sing. Everyone fell in love with him all over again.
And hearing him sing our song in person was such a treat! After the concert we had dinner at Seven Dragons and headed home. What a wonderful way to spend Mother’s Day.