(From the archives, article by Bill Lohmann, Oct 18, 2012 – Richmond Times Dispatch)
What happens when the star performer, promoted for weeks as the primary attraction for a charitable organization’s major fundraising event, is stranded at an airport 350 miles away and the show has to go on?
First, you panic.
“It was terrifying … but I had to announce that Rosanne would not appear,” said Ron Carter, chief executive officer of Children Incorporated, an international child-sponsorship organization based in Richmond that created a special event last Friday evening around the presence of Rosanne Cash.
Singer-songwriter Cash is a longtime Children Inc. supporter who wanted to mark her 25 years of sponsoring children by helping Children Inc. raise money and its profile.
But she was stuck at LaGuardia Airport in New York, gritting her teeth through more than eight hours of flight delays, a flight cancellation and what she viewed as a lack of cooperation from Delta Air Lines.
At one point during the ordeal, she tweeted, “That love-hate relationship I had with Delta? It’s simplified by half.” She also challenged Delta to make a “large” contribution to Children Inc. A Delta spokesman said Wednesday a mechanical problem caused the delay and then ultimate cancellation of Cash’s original flight, and other flights apparently “simply weren’t able to accommodate everybody.”
They absolutely saved our event!
Ron Carter, CEO, Children Incorported
The spokesman, Russell Cason, also said Pinnacle Airlines, Delta’s partner that was operating the canceled flight, issued letters of apology to inconvenienced passengers. As for a donation to Children Inc., Cason said, “While Delta and Delta people are generous financial and volunteer contributors to a wide range of charitable organizations … we’re not in a position to donate to a particular charity based solely on a flight cancellation.”
Cash eventually arrived in Richmond well after midnight — by way of US Airways, not Delta — way too late for the Children Inc. fundraiser at the Children’s Museum of Richmond, which was her primary reason for coming to Richmond. Her other purpose for coming was to perform Saturday afternoon at the Richmond Folk Festival, which she did — in style and before a huge, appreciative crowd at the downtown riverfront.
But she remained dismayed about being at a New York airport on Friday evening at the same time Carter was swallowing hard and standing before 140 guests at the $75-a-ticket fundraiser (all money was going to Children Inc.) to break the news.
“The crowd was warm,” Carter said, “but clearly disappointed.”
But, you know, when you’re handed a pile of lemons, it’s always good policy to press on and try to make a tasty batch of chicken salad. Or something like that. In other words, if you don’t give up, sometimes things just work out.
When all hope was lost that Cash would make it in time, someone essentially asked the musical equivalent of: “Is there a doctor in the house?”
Yes. Yes, there were. Three, in fact: two Taters and a Huge Guitar.
It came to the attention of organizers that Brad Tucker and Craig Evans, founding members of the popular Richmond roots-pop band The Taters, were in attendance, as was their friend, Oz Geier, who is a member of the musical duo, The Huge Guitars.
“We were just kind of hanging out like everybody else, hoping to hear and possibly meet Rosanne,” said Tucker. “Then they made the announcement … and everybody was just bummed.
“Next thing I know: ‘Why don’t you guys play?’ So, I’m on the phone with my daughter, asking her to bring my guitar. Craig calls his wife, and she brings his bass. Oz ran home and got his guitar.”
Within a half-hour or so, the three were on stage.
In another fortuitous wrinkle, Tucker, Evans and Geier have played together and know each other’s music; Geier’s a partner in The Huge Guitars, Greg Marrs is a guitarist with The Taters and Geier sits in with The Taters on occasion. The three of them performed songs from the Beatles, Hank Williams, Harry Belafonte and even, in a very appropriate touch, Johnny Cash. “We did ‘Folsom Prison Blues,’ ” Tucker said, “and I made a joke about six degrees of separation with Rosanne.”
The trio played for well over an hour. The crowd cheered, people danced. As Carter said, “They absolutely saved our event!”
Tucker brushed aside any notion of valor on their part. “There was a lot of good will and good karma flowing around the room. Playing music is the easiest thing for us to do. We were happy we could help out and keep the event going.
“It worked out very nicely.”
