The festivities would include a gala celebration at the World Trade Center attended by scores of famous sports celebrities past and present. Naturally Bobby Orr was there, just about every former Celtic who could make it DID come (Others sent their regrets and congratulations.) My very favorite was DOMINIC DIMAGGIO who drove all the way up from his home on Cape Cod to pay his respects and lend his presence to the affair. (I'll tell you more about that in a later edition)
There are many side stories to the event but the one I'm about to tell you about now is a most memorable and touching one. I had taken two popular old tunes and rewritten some words to make it a fitting tribute to Johnny Most....."Thanks For The Memories," Bob Hopes theme song, which was always a sentimental theme, and the upbeat, "Oh Johnny." To serenade Johnny with these tunes a young man, with a great voice, drove up from Worcester especially for the ocasion. At the appropriate time he stood beside Johnny, who was by now in a wheelchair, and sang the two songs.
I'll give the words now and then tell you trhe rest of the story.....
Thanks for the memories, of all those titles that we won, you helped to make it fun, that familiar voice that cheered us on right to the final gun.....we thank you, so much,
Thanks for the memories, of all our guys in Green, you painted every scene, Russ, K.C., Sam, Satch, Ramsey, Cooz were everybody's dream.....we thank you, so much,
We all learned to win with a big smile, and if we should lose it was with style, you brought us along for the whole ride...the Mystique and the Pride, that you never could hide.....
We thank you, so much,
Thanks for the memories, of all those special games, and all those special names, they once belonged JUST to Boston, now they're the Hall of Fame's.....We thank you.....so much.
Thanks, Johnny.....so very, very much.
Then there was....."Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, you are the Most.
Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny from coast to coast,
You brought us right there to the game,
From Philly, Frisco, L.A. it would al-ways be the same,
And oh Johnny, Oh Johnny what a great call,
When Hon-do stole the ball,
You made us cheer it's true, that's why we'll always love you
Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny Oh...
(Second verse) "Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, those tales you could tell,
Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, those plays we knew well...
"Sam's in his shirt, Bill Russell's hot, Cooz fiddles, diddles
"BANG...Tom-my Heinsohn hits an-other hook shot.
Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny all through the years,
Through all the titles and the tears,
High up above court-side is where you'll always reside,
Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, Oh.....
After the songs both men hugged and shed a tear then Johnny called me over, hugged me and said, "Jimmy, thank you for that line, "You brought us right there to the game"....."That's all I ever wanted to do but nobody ever said it to me until now...thank you dear friend, forever."
Needless to say that was the big highlight of the night for me, (and one of the biggest of my life)
but there is another very touching story.....The father of the singer was on his death bed and, the afternoon of the event, told his son...."No Matter what, you make sure you go to Boston and sing those songs for Johnny.".....He died the next day carrying with him great pride for his son who also has a lifelong memory of his Dad...and Johnny Most.....Now you know the rest of the story.....
There are scores of other stories of Johnny Most, many of them untold (from the days I did a sportshow with Johnny) which I'll tell you about on this site.....Stay tuned.....