Sister Dynamite aka Valorie Synwolt
I skidded into the parking lot at @ 9:00 (I owe the parking guy a beer, or two...). I took off my glasses, got out my contact lense case, popped them in, changed from my flat boots to my over-the knee heels. -When I finally tipped into the doorway of the Tangent Gallery, I saw that it was packed full of people, who were there to honor the life in music of Robert Mulrooney, alias Bootsey X.
There were two rooms, all filled with folks taking pictures of each other with one another. Nobody seemed to notice that the great Sister Dynamite had indeed entered the building. In the large area, where the main stage is located, tables were set up all around, with a large standing area, just in front of the stage.
Cool... looked around for somebody familiar, but saw no one.
Gerald Shohan Bootsey's best friend forever
I was specifically looking for Gerald Shohan, who was Bootsey's best friend forever and in charge of the totally proper sendoff for the Bootman. Didn't want to just barge uninvited past everyone to get to the dressing rooms.
The DRs were located way on the other side of the room. So, lugged my bag to the other room, which had no chairs, but tables filled with the 400+ pizzas that had been ordered. People were socializing, lining up for pizza, and some were watching the video that was being projected onto the wall behind that stage.
Once again I saw Bootsey... then, after I sat my bag on the floor and choked down a slice, I noticed another familiar face... my own playing on the big wall screen.
There we were... doing "Soulmobile", at Alvin's in the mid '80's (according to Dana Novak, who taped the show, and later, gave me a copy-I still owe him a beer-).
Stood alone, propped against the wall, watching myself and the great Bootsey singing "Pony Down". I got a little teary-eyed, thinking of how I last saw sweet Bob, about two weeks before he passed.
He told me that that next time the band played, he wanted me to sing with them. I replied that we would play again together soon.
Kelly Valorie and Bootsey X
I had not seen anyone from the old days for almost 30 years. It all happened so quickly-last year, I got onto fb looking for Bob. There, I found his Boosey'X fan page, from which I came in contact with Retrokimmer. She hooked me up with Gerald.
Since then, Gerald has gotten me back into the mix-singing with Brian McCarty, introduced me to two very cool ladies, Liz and Chrissy, who are now honorary Sugarbabies -Sister Z, Sister Chee. As I stood there watching people watching me dancing on the wall, I began to notice that a few alert scanners finally had made the connection.
First, the bald guy across the room suddenly appeared next to me . Then, more, and more folks seemed to come from frozen positions throughout the room, to say hello. I finally got to the dressing rooms through a passageway behind the big stage.
I was approached by my present band member, bassist Kevin Perri, who can make anybody feel at ease. After a hug from him, he introduced me to his entourage. Sophia, the first Sugarbaby, aka ' Lambchop'/'Sister C', came up to me, and we hugged. "We loved Bootsey, didn't we?- they just don't know", she. said to me. "Yes, we did."
The show began....then it finished so quickly. We sent Bootsey on his journey... It was obvious that his influence, music, spirit, and love for fun was acknowledged and appreciated by those who loved him, in grand style!-Val Synwolt/aka Sister Dynamite
