Bill's Birthday and Circus Story

Bill on his 89th birthday proudly holding great grandson Logan
wearing birthday hats from Laura and Jim

Bill Gamble was born 92 years ago today.  As is our custom, we lit a candle in his memory and have been reminiscing about his life.  Bill was an incredible raconteur who could tell an endless stream of hilarious or fascinating stories covering his many years as a lawyer and professional musician. One of the great joys of my life has been the privilege to get to know and love such a remarkable person.

This is my favorite Bill story, although I can't do justice to it in writing.  You really needed to hear him tell it.

Bill was raised in Chattanooga and was playing clarinet professionally as early as when he was in high school.  One year, he got a pick up job playing in the band for a circus that came to town.  The band was on a riser next to the circus rings, in full view of the crowd.  He was on the back row seated in a folding chair, with a full music stand in front of him.  In the middle of a dog act, they were playing really fast music that went with the dogs' performance.  As luck would have it, Bill's folding chair collapsed, sending him flying backwards off the riser.  On his way down, his feet violently kicked the music stand, sending all the music flying into the air.  The crash and the flying music caught the dogs' attention, and they started chasing all the music sheets while Bill was scurrying around the ring trying to gather them up.  Of course, the crowd thought it was part of the act and laughed hysterically.  After the show, the circus people asked Bill if he could do it for every performance, which he declined.

It would have been wonderful if Bill had written a book of his experiences.  But he never did.  It will be up to those of us who heard his stories to retell them, as we remember Bill and his life.