I guess my story is a little bit different...I am the newest member of the fold, as well as the fansite webmistress.
I actually "met" Johnny online, we were chatty buddies for a few weeks before we finally met for coffee. I was charmed by the man before I ever actually experienced Johnny Angel the amazing showman. Johnny had invited me to his shows and it was with reluctance that I finally decided to come.
Frankly I wasnt thrilled with the drive to New Orleans from Biloxi.....I'm a bit of a moron when it comes to directions and when I found I'd have to find my own parking space....sheez, well THAT alone was enough to send me into a panic attack. I HATE parallel parking....God just didnt give me that ability.
Anyway, I was thrilled to find an actual lighted lot I could park in on the fateful night of December 07,2002. Armed with a big "faux beast" coat I could wrap around my purse and my handy digital camera I trotted my butt down the street to the Bombay Club.
I arrived a little early.....I'm ALWAYS early....and scanned the club for Johnny. Not seeing him, I sat at the bar and ordered my ever present whiskey soda and asked the bartender if he was in yet? I found myself slightly amused when she said no, he hadnt come in yet but she was SURE "that man is going to Hell". I wondered just WHAT kind of impression he'd left on the world as a whole. The guy I knew was a little quiet, somewhat cerebral, amazingly funny and somewhat the dark, artistic moody type I'd always been attracted to.
Johnny came in with Julia a few minutes later. I found myself stunned as she breezed by to the ladies room....she was so STUNNING! Johnny came over to me and proceeded to tell me about the hit'n'run accident they'd just been in. I found myself now wondering what kind of strange night was this I'd stepped into.
Any doubts or regrets I may have had ended as soon as Julia and Johnny took the stage. I seriously had CHILLS, and I couldn't suppress the smile at the sight of him "working the room". He went out of his way to introduce me to people, which at the time I THOUGHT was just Johnny being friendly. I didnt realize til later on this was his way of "escaping" long winded patrons.....intro and walk off to leave the other party to contend with them.
On THIS night it was a certain gent that will remain unnamed but we ALL know who he is.......BIG HINT...he has (no joke) a picture of his "coon hunting mule" in his wallet....he told me tales of his childhood in Mississippi, visiting whore houses at 11 yrs old, and allllll about his two mules Esmerelda and Zelda. That warm fuzzy spot in my heart for Johnny prior to this intro to the "weird mule guy" had quickly dissapated into only thought of getting my hands around his wop neck!!! I saw Johnny down the bar from me a bit talking to a amazingly gorgeous redhead (who I now know and love as my redheaded Bethie!), I glanced down at my yet unused digital camera and saw my escape. I told the mule guy I had to take pics for Johnny's website (a lie) and excused myself.
I squeezed thru the crowd to freedom at the front of the bar...I felt like Harriet Tubman on her midnight treks to Canada (and Freedom) with the slaves. Little did I know, minutes later Johnny left Beth alone with the weird mule guy...another escape for Johnny! I watched the show and made a general nuisance of myself taking pics. I know everyone was wondering 'who's this crazy blonde chick with the camera'...well they STILL wonder that but I'm beginning to think half of New Orleans knows me now and expects my camera antics. A short time later Beth made her run for freedom and came over to sit next to me muttering under her breath about wanting to gouge her eyes out with dull blades or something equally disturbing if she had to sit with that guy one minute longer. This sparked our convo as we commisserated the horrible entrapment.
By the time Johnny made his way over to introduce us, we were already fast becoming buddies, it was at this time that Beth also introduced me to Julia. The three of us gals had the BEST time. I was so thrilled to find that not only were they gorgeous but very warm, loving and completely willing to embrace me into the fold. I would meet the other "Angelz" later in the month but this was my very first night. All around it was a fabulous initiation into the very special and very close-knit fold of supreme individuals Johnny Angel surrounds himself with. The rest , as they say, is history!!!
"When choosing between two evils, I always like to try the one I've never tried before."
- Mae West (1892-1980)
