Meeting with Ritchie

As five of us remained backstage and chatted with the management and roadies, the great moment finally came. Down came RB with Candice and his personal assistant, Rob. He was dressed in a black (what else??) trenchcoat. He looked around, recognized Rainer who he had met along the way a few times (the lucky guy), and went to sign an autograph. My heart pounding, I was next. As he took my poster and the Cd cover to sign I told him I had come all the way from Texas to see him and had followed the band from Berlin, but would be leaving to go back to the States the next morning. He looked up, put the pen down and outstretched his hand. He seemed genuinely impressed and looked me in the eye and wanted to know where I was from. I told him Texas but being from Scotland originally, I knew how to talk to Doogie. he laughed. I told him he was the reason I started learning guitar 15 years ago. I told him we were working on his web site and asked him if he had had a chance to check out the internet. He replied that he had heard a lot about it but had not had a chance to see what it was all about. He thanked us ( I had mentioned Henry) for the work done on his behalf on the web site and said he would be interested n checking it out soon. As he signed my Rainbow Rising cd cover the topic changed somehow to Hamburg. RB said 'Hamburg will be very tough..it always is. I compare going to Hamburg like going to prison." I asked him about soccer and he replied there would be a soccer game in Munich but he wasnt sure he could play. He told us that he would be having an operation on his knee soon and would be out of action for a while. He will be having his maniscus operated on. ( I believe this is the common knee surgery that most soccer teams have at least one member that is going through it). He left in his black Mercedes and my last words to him were "come to America" ( he nodded). He came across as a very nice, articulate and sincere person. He seemed really interested in the fact I came over from the states to see him. He seemed a bit shy but warmed up to the few of us immediately. Candice was also very nice and signed a few things for me. A perfect ending to a perfect trip. My life is complete in a way. I had always hoped and dreamed to meet the man. Now I have and I was not disappointed. I wish everyone else the same luck.