The Chase

It was an unusual referral, as referrals go, and while I never actually met him, my memories of him were tied to laughter, dancing and a few people who will remain nameless, mostly because I don’t remember their names. The loss of memory is indicative of the good times. When his Zoom link visual appeared in front of me, it was clear that the pace of the aforementioned good times had sculpted a rather harsh and unrecognizable memory from the picture that once appeared on his 1980’s CD cover. ‘Lusty Larry Love’ enjoyed a short meteoric ride into the R & B One-Hit-Wonder stratosphere that saw his fame ‘flame’ quickly smothered into a burned-out cinder. As had been the case with so many who jettisoned onto that higher platform of success, his descent was swift, and he landed hard. The final humiliation came while being pummeled by the crumbled stones of the very platform that held his success. I wasn’t sure why my sister had sent him my way, but in support of her caring spirit, I took the Zoom call.

“I supposed you’ve heard of me”, he queried.

“I have a knee that still throbs to your baseline beat every time there’s a bit of moisture in the air.” I replied. Going with the courtesy instilled in me as one of sons of Lillie Rose, I asked, “How have you been?”

“Did your sister tell you why she referred me to you?”

“No, but she never told me about her affinity for charting the stars. She tells me what she wants me to know, when she wants me to know it.”

He sighed. “Did you ever have a hit song?”

“I’m not allowed to sing in the shower. Performing for an audience of more than two people is considered a crime against humanity.”

He ignored my attempt at self-deprecation and said, “You have no idea what it means to be a ‘One-Hit-Wonder’, do you?” I opted to remain silent. “Everyone thinks it’s all glamour, glitz and nights of entertaining hundreds of fans in venues all over the world.”

“Well, isn’t it?”

“Some of it is”, he said, “However, I won’t bore you with the sordid details of missed concert payments, being the opening act for a group of coke-heads, the groupies and their followers and the pace of moving from one town to the next to make the 8:00 pm show.”

“What will you bore me with?” is the thought that ran through my head, but I paused and said, “Then, why are we talking?”

“Your sister said that you know a little something about what motivates people.”

“I’m not sure if.”

He interrupted, “Spare me the humility, do you know what it means to have achieved at the highest level of your profession and never being able to repeat the experience?”

“I imagine it would be pretty frustrating,” I said

“It’s a never-ending chase for a feeling you can’t shake. Especially since you were only able to do it once.”

I recalled some of the conversations I’d had with former athletes who’d won a championship as an individual or on a team, and how they’d expressed a similar frustration. It never occurred to me to apply it to the music industry.

He continued, “It tears at your inner being because you tasted a level of success that most people never experience. I have burned through money, relationships and time trying to capture that moment just one more time.”

“Did there ever come a point when you realized that it was not going to repeat and that you should move on with your life?”

“And do what?” he hammered. “The only thing better than having a million-seller gold record is to have another million-seller gold record. I couldn’t get an aluminum seller. The elements that got me there, never came together again. But you keep chasing.”

One of my college buddies played on an NBA team that won two championships. He said that he never lost the drive to do it again, but it was the elevated satisfaction that was his motivator. His remaining professional basketball years were spent chasing the dream and relishing the satisfaction of knowing that he’d done it. 

“I don’t want to be a downer, but you’re looking at the late side of your 5th decade and I’m wondering if you are still chasing?”

“If I stop chasing now, then I will be forced to look at myself and ask, what have you been doing for the last 30 plus years?”

“You afraid that you won’t like the answer?” I asked.

“I DON’T LIKE THE QUESTION!”

I waited a beat and said, “Then, I am not sure why my sister thought I could be helpful.”

“This conversation was never about you helping me, it was about me helping you.”

Taken aback, I said. “I don’t understand.”

“Achieving success is like chasing a thoroughbred in an open field. There’s fun in the chase, there is satisfaction in the ride, but once thrown, the chase is a little more painful.” He paused and said, “Tell that to your students who are studying leadership. If they want to know what motivates people, experience the chase. It will tell them everything they need to know.”

I nodded, thanked him and Zoomed out.