I've got another Big Ed story...The absolute very best part time job I EVER had was being a Swag Merchant. For those who are scratching their head with that I sold merchandise at concerts and sporting events. I really don't remember how I even got involved in it but I'm glad I did. You see Scott Eisenberg ran most of the merchandising that went on in Atlanta including everything at the Omni, sports, concerts, basically anything that went on at the Omni that included selling T-Shirt, hats, posters, and so on. Also we did the Braves World Series at the old Atlanta Fulton County Stadium. So you got the picture, Big Ed and I were vendors. We would need to be at an event many hours before hand because there was a lot of work to do before and after the show. This would have been in the late 80's I think. Now remember Big Ed and I were roommates as well as doing this side gig together.
Robert Plant and Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin were on tour together as strangely enough "Plant & Page". For some reason Big Ed was not able to do that concert. After I got my cart together and put it where it needed to be and all the T-shirts and hats and posters and programs were all displayed in all they're glory there was not much to do but wait. I think for a 7:30 show they would open the doors about 6:00. We would have been setup by 4:30 or so. The bands would do a sound check no later than 5:00. This was always very cool because they would do a song or two in the sound check. Most of the vendors would step inside and watch and listen because there was no people yet so it was just you and the band and no other noise.
This night after the sound check I was hanging out at my cart and display when the elevator across from my cart opened and Robert Plant stepped off and walked over to my display to check it out. We chatted for a second and he ask how sales have been? I looked him square in the eye and said, " We haven't opened yet". He apologized and said "Well that was dumb" and we laughed.
Then I had an idea and I knew I would NEVER have this chance again. I ask if he would do me a favor and he said sure if I can and I said you can. I told him about Big Ed and what a big fan he was and I ask if he would call Big Ed and just say hello...He said sure that will be fun. As we walked the 30 feet to the payphone I said this must get old, I'm sure people ask you to do this all the time and he said, no actually no one's ever asked me to do this, so I felt better.
I popped a quarter in the payphone and called my house and it started ring and I handed Robert the phone...There was no answer. At the tone Robert said "Big Ed...This is Robert Plant and I'm down here with your buddy Phil...I'm really sorry you're not home I had a couple of back stage passes for you tonight I would have loved to have met you...Maybe next time" then he handed me the phone and I said "Sorry you're not home...See you later"
Robert was laughing and said "How did I do"? I said you couldn't have done better. Then he said I guess it's time to go to work for both of us. I thanked him and he went away.
I got home about 1:30 or 2:00 and Big Ed was still up and the first thing he said was, "Okay who was that you had call me this afternoon"? I said who do you think it was, you knew where I was...Big Ed responded "€£○|♤ zf:^( ^%[ "?[=÷ "
His response can not be repeated in mixed company. Big Ed kept that tape for many years after that.
#RobertPlant #LedZeppelin
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