Originally this post was titled “C2 for Toby Pett” however when I ran into Kathy Chapman at Cape Ann TV today and told her about the post for Toby, she mentioned that she had taken a photo of Roy Orbison three days before he passed away. She shot the photo at the Channel nightclub in Boston and it ran on the cover of the arts section of the Boston Phoenix. Kathy writes, “He died of a heart attack three days later at the age of 52.” Thank you so much Kathy for sharing!
Toby shares a Gloucester story about one of his favorite Roy Orbison songs, “It’s Over,” in yesterday’s post about the recently released documentary about the making of Orbison’s album “Mystery Girl.” See post here. Toby’s comment:
“I realize that many do not keep our early to bed, early to rise schedule…was hoping to hear from someone re: C2…well, here is the answer: where David Cox’ wonderful little shop is, there was Nick’s Pool Room…it was a wonderful place to spend time and make friendships…Mike Patil, one of the founders of Timberline, spent time there…Phil Mazzeo, who just closed his hair salon on Center Street, was one of the best shooters…I could go on and on…it was a place where you learned to mature and to respect others…It was run by the Danikas family, Artie, now in his 80’s, walks Essex Ave and Good Harbor Beach every day…and his son Capt. Nick is co-owner of the Hurricane II, the whale watch boat…anyway, I have gotten off track here, C2 was the number on the Juke Box for “It’s Over”, that great tune by Roy…and when you were about to finish off your opponent in a game one would often say “C2″…to this day when I am watching sports and one team has clearly claimed the upper hand I often say “C2″, although I don’t think many around me understand…”
Good Morning Gloucester 
Very Funny Toby. I have never heard that story about C2 in Nick’s Pool Room. Women were not allowed in the Pool Room and it was like walking the gauntlet to walk in front of it carrying your school books. Once I was bet .50 to walk into the pool room and all the way around the back pool table and back out. I loved a dare so I did it admits all kinds of cat calls and whistles. I think I was in the 8th grade at Central Grammar so it must have been about 1966 or so. Nick Danikas was in my class and such a nice boy. I think I took the .50 and went down the street to Connor’s Drug Store and bought some Cherry Cokes and hung around in the wooden phone booth with some other kids. Whenever I went into Connor’s Drug Store (now Sugar Magnolias) on Main St., the old man and his son Austin would nudge each other and stare at me. I later found out it was because my great great grandmother was named Mary Connors and she had been married to the 1880’s Halibut Highliner Schooner Captain Wiilliam Greenleaf who was my great great grandfather. Capt Willam had lost a Schooner called the Henrietta during a storm on a shake down cruise when they were tossed over by a rogue wave. Mary Connor’s brother was onboard and was lost with several others. My great great Grandfather was a finest kind of guy and he supported all of the families for the rest of his life till he died while living on Middle St in the 1930’s. He was known as the best cusser in Gloucester but he never swore and was a teetotaler. He and his brother Nathanial Greenleaf were well known on Gloucester docks as very fast and able men in the late 1800’s. Anyway, the Connor’s always nudged each other because apparently I looked like a Connors Girl and the genes had come through on my face. Dr Cohen had his office upstairs and Ina Hahn taught dance there. We bought all our shoes at Phillip Weiner across the street (Now mark Adrian) and if we weren’t in Connors drug store after school waiting for the late bus then maybe we were in the Tic Toc sharing a plate of French Fries in a book (now the Franklin). Like Toby mentioned, in those days Gloucester Youth sort of “came of age” in and around the “waiting station” in that area of Gloucester. We practiced swearing, acting ground up, smoked cigarettes, wore outfits from Adaskos, Goldman’s or Empire Stores. All carried the same pocketbook bought at Mark Adrian and wore circle pins at our peter pan collars with matching heather toned wool skirt and cardigan sets. The Clique and the West End Kids rivaled each other like West Side Story only it was the Gloucester version and it was the 1960’s. Background music was Louis Louis, 96 Tears, and the Beatles.
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Love it Melissa–thank you, and featuring your story tonight.
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Thanks Kim…women were wiping away tears as we listened to his beautiful voice…
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Thank you again Kathy–so appreciative of you sharing your photo. I can imagine-I feel that way when his songs come on the radio, let alone a live performance.
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great stuff…thanks Kim, you and Roy, two of my favorites, love you both…Roy Orbison, a Black and White night, from which the segment is taken is FABULOUS…buy it, steal it, do what you have to to see the video, and listen to the CD…you will not be disappointed, I promise…pay attention to all the super stars who are in the back up band…just remember MSA, BTW your memory sharing is wonderful…maybe we should do an oral history of Gloucester…and also, as I told your husband recently, before there was Wicked Tuna…there was Wicked Abbott…haha!
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Thank you Toby, very sweet to be there with Roy with our favorites. We do own Black and White Night, and purchased after seeing it on PBS—just beautiful in every way. I think they still air it?
Love yours and Melissa’s stories. I think everyone who grew up in a close community, or who wishes they had that experience, can enjoy. Thank you for sharing.
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Hey Toby, As you know, you and I go in the WAY BACK Machine together quite a bit and probably know where more bodies and buried on Cape Ann then we care to describe. The history is forgotten and the ways we relate to each other is forgotten as new generations emerge and new people move onto Cape Ann. Your post about Nick’s Pool Room certainly piqued up the memories of the Waiting Station and downtown Gloucester in the 1960’s. The streets and sidewalks were thronged with kids after school. This is where we made our “connections” and learned our social queues, that and passing notes in class were our social network. I thought about those times more this morning. I loved Grays Hardware across the Street (now the new stores where Kid’s Unlimited is located). Nancy Gray was my best friend in 6th and 7th grade and we would go into her father’s store on Main St after school and see her mother and brothers there. Her father would give us a dollar and we would scamper off to Connors Drug store together. I was also friends with Wendy Wonson whose Mom and Dad were fantastic people and invited kids to their home on Eastern Point many times where we played 45 records and twisted in their living room. Dr Wonson was a dentist and he was upstairs from Nick’s Pool Room someplace. Other friends of that era that you could find on the sidewalk at the Waiting Station in the 1960’s included Donny Steele, Robbie Wonson (from Rocky Neck), Whitey Wonson and his older brother Todd, Peter Asaro, Fingers Mike Parisi, Edie Kuivanen, Rick Melanson, John Love, Eric and Brett Hawks, the Peloquin Brothers, Holly Davis, Holly Bell, Judy and Jack Gale, David Lacey, Charlie Abbott (my now husband AKA Wicked Abbott and yes he is still WICKED), David Abbott, Andy MacInnis, Pouchie, Jackie Chimaseno (now married to JJ Bell), Paul and Peter Jeswald, Scott MacNeil, John Ahonen, Isabel Natti, Cliff and Ralph Amero and their brothers from Magnolia, Maureen Viera, Fly and Linda Amero, Michael March, Jonathan Pope, Valerie Means, the McCarthy Brothers from Long Beach, Ralph Pino, Robert Hawkins, Miffy and Jay Somers, Jackie Alexander and even you Toby Pett. I am probably missing many more people but even to this day when I walk past Passports or Deborah Coull Salon I still can squint my eyes and see all the people I knew at Central Grammar congregating, waiting for the late bus home. I still remember my penny loafers, leather boots, knee socks, and the Carnaby Street style double breasted Maxi Coat I wore. White Lipstick and Vidal Sassoon haircuts were the rage for girls but many just grew their hair as long as they could. I was always looking for split ends and wishing my hair longer, combing it constantly between classes to get that smooth flat look. Everyone said I had the best manners in town, at least my friends parents told me that when I called and announced who I was, “Hello, This is Melissa Smith, May I please speak with…..” Everyone knew my name then, as I had the same name as my grandmother whose name was on loaves of Anadama Bread in the First National Stores and on the sign outside Easterly Inn on the back shore. Everyone had at one time worked for her and either loved her or hated her, there was no middle ground. Now a days, no one remembers our history. Everyone knew you Toby as Dr Pett’s son. The connection, the roots meant something and were respected. Nowadays it is quite different and thats ok. I like the anonymity to a certain degree. People often try to explain things in Gloucester to me and give me directions. I don’t even tell them that I could drive to that place in my sleep or with my eyes closed. I know the feel of driving on the streets with my eyes closed.
I am not sure if I could do an oral history on my own but once you get me started on something and my memory gets woken up I do tend to know who lived in what house and the history of almost any house or area in town having known people who lived there or been in the homes at one time or another and maybe even lived there myself. Some things are best left un-talked about and when I observed newcomers explaining Gloucester and Gloucester history to people on the social nets and even writing books about it, I do know they may be missing a certain flavor of the story because they hadn’t lived it and it becomes rote and disconnected from the truth and the roots, lacking the personal experience touch.
Toby, you and I could have a field day with the Kings Rook and Stonehenge Days. If I ever talk about those days to people, no one believes me. It was THAT cool. Yes, we saw J Geils Band 38 times before they were famous or listened to a young Bonnie Raitt open for people who got mad because she was so good with that bottleneck guitar and was a girl besides. You were the Manager and I was a waitress. I only worked there so I could hear the music for free. It was a good gig.
So while it is hard to believe that as a baby boomer, my stories about Gloucester and history are even something interesting. I documented my families businesses in my book “The Legacy of Three Melissas” but maybe there is more to the story and another book in me from that era. Not everything in the past was that great and mostly I am not sure the memories are worth talking about. I prefer to remember the good times and the highlights with affection. Thank-you Toby for sparking the story!!
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Kim, Toby Pett, Kathy, Mellisa Excellent Post Roy Orbison !! Mellisa hit on memory lane for sure Central Grammer and the times…The only difference was in Lanesville Fred Sarri store knew what kind of Cigarettes mom smoked and try buying something different and he would not sell them to you mom smoked Kools, I tried smoking to be cool however never got into it cough too much 🙂 Dave & Kim 🙂
Question Mark & The Mysterians – 96 Tears, louie louie the kingsman played quite a bit towards Boston then…
Love the music 🙂
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Thanks Dave–lots of fun reading these stories.
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Thanks Kim-Walking back is fun for sure 🙂 Dave 🙂 Kim
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Every time a song by Roy comes on the radio turn the volume up
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And sing out loud.
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Great stories! A band I was in played the Channel the week before Roy did if I recall correctly. The macabre joke at the time was that Roy’s heart attack was due to the shock of actually getting paid for that show. The Channel filed for bankruptcy shortly thereafter.
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What a great photo of Roy! I’d certainly never seen it until now, despite being a huge fan for nearly 40 years, so it was a lovely surprise. He was right in the zone – it’s still difficult to believe he was gone just a few days later.
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