Eric Carr, the former drummer for Kiss, was one of the funniest guys I ever knew. He had a hilarious way of summing people up perfectly. One particularly sleazy guitar player we both knew, Eric described as "a clam with lips". Everyone who knew Eric loved him and even although he was not an original member of Kiss, it was no surprise the fans adored him.
Eric, who had gone from being a stove technician to being a member of one the most famous bands in the world, loved it and loved the attention that came with it.
One day, he and I were having lunch on the outdoor terrace of a restaurant on Sunset Blvd. called the Old World. It's right across from where Tower Records used to be if you know L.A. Mid way through our meal, two blonds fly by in a Camaro, see Eric, and pull a sudden U-turn in L.A traffic. Eric gives me that "Oh boy, it's so great being famous" look.
The blond screeches to a halt in front of us, throws the door open and rushes up to the terrace. Eric swells visibly.
But she's not looking too sexy. In fact, she has this funny, squirmy look on her face. She says "Guy, big hair! Is that real? My friend says it looks like a wig. "
Eric's hair was so big Gene and Paul used to be constantly on him about it. I swear, he used more hairspray than Supercuts. Anyway, he starts to mumble something defensive to her, when her girlfriend blows the horn and shouts from the car "Who cares! Let's go!"
Ah, how fleeting fame. They'd no idea who Eric was.
Eric died of cancer in 1991, on my own birthday, November 24. Miss him still.
Rest in peace, Eric. Your drum solo was always my favorite part of the show.