I tell stories on Scarlett, and I tell on myself, so do you think I’m going to let my husband escape? You need to know that, for most of you, he’s been hiding a wicked sense of humor.

Way back when Mike was touring with Grammy-nominated sax player Ace Cannon, the band traveled in a large van that pulled an equipment trailer.. Mike usually drove; Ace rode shotgun; and the other guys grabbed seats and benches in the back. On this particular night, they had left one gig and had driven through the night to the next one. Everyone was asleep except Mike, who was bored.

Some time after sunrise, he spotted a tow truck ahead that was hauling the disabled cab of a tractor-trailer rig. The “broken” vehicle was hooked up so that the front of the cab was facing back. Glancing up, one might think that a big rig was staring them down. And that produced Mike’s evil thought.

Mike moved over into that lane and closed in as near and as safely as he could to the front bumper of that backwards 18-wheeler cab. At the right moment, he hit his brakes and screamed for effect. Guys in the back flew awake yelling. Ace let out a yell and grabbed his chest. Mike – well, he was the guy laughing for the next several miles
The good news was that Ace did not have a heart attack, and Mike continued working with him for a long time thereafter.
(See Ace Cannon below.) See LessEdit

The first time I had to speak in public was in the 11th grade at East High. I’d won the senior high essay contest, and I was supposed to read it in front of an all-school assembly. I’d heard the expression “so nervous that my knees were knocking,” but I didn’t know it was real. I was so grateful that I was standing behind a lectern because my knees were shaking so badly.I’m also grateful that I got off light compared to some really famous people. Sarah Berhnardt, said to have been the finest actress of the 20th century, is said to have had such stage fright that she threw up before each performance.Helen Hayes, the First Lady of the American Stage, experienced nervousness that took the form of selective deafness. When on stage, she could not hear any audience sounds — no applause, no laughter, etc. She only heard her colleagues on stage with whom she must interact.It would be funny if not for the terror that caused it for the incredibly famous Sir Laurence Olivier. Readying himself for a performance, he was frequently found pacing backstage and muttering “you bastards!” at the audience. A paralyzing attack of stage fright late in his career forced him to give up the stage completely.Yep, I got off easily with just my shaky knees.

(see Sir Laurence Olivier below)