Black Rooster Tie Hanger

"Could This Possibly be Jeff's  First Public Performance?"

The year was 1968 and the place was Lakeland, Florida, where Jeff and I were juniors at Lakeland High School.  Jeff was working at a "fine men's store", Maddox's, under the supervision of a 1950's beatnik who became one of Jeff's early mentors, Mr. John Dickson.  I was lead guitarist in a 5-man local cover band, The Prone Position, just embarking on a successful two year stint.  The Prone Position had played in public once before, and now had been booked to perform at a private party for (then State) Senator Lawton Chiles' son. The party was to take place in the basement of the Polk Federal Savings and Loan, a building still standing today
in downtown Lakeland.  As fate would have it, the Prone Position's singer came down with mononucleosis a week before the fabled night, and Jeff agreed to stand in for the crippled crooner.

After 1 or 2 hurried practices and considerable pruning of the Prone Position's limited repertoire, the now historic evening arrived.  The band setup and sound-tested the equipment, then I drove to Maddox's Men's Store to chauffeur Jeff to the event.  Arriving at the store I found Jeff in full regalia with a back cape, hurriedly snapping the heads off of black rooster tie hangers and stuffing them into all available pockets.   John Dickson and I proceeded to drench J.F. in colognes and aftershaves from every sample bottle on the display counter until he reeked
like a French whore.  Driving to the Polk Federal Savings and Loan building, Jeff and I planned his grand entrance.

I proceeded downstairs to the party, strapped on my guitar and announced into a microphone, "It's good to see everybody here tonight.  As many of you know, our lead singer is sidelined with mono and so tonight we have a special guest.....Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to introduce THE BLACK COCK!"  Jeff strolled into the room tossing handfuls of black cock heads into the crowd, and we immediately started into our first set.

A good time was had by all, we got paid, and to this day legend has it that at midnight during a full moon, the moans of "Twilight Zone and Torture Chamber" can be heard in the darkened basement of the Polk Federal Savings and Loan building in downtown Lakeland.
--Lo Carter
Lakeland High School Class of 1969