Chapter 65

Friday morning at 8:55 I was dressed and pulling my boots on when I heard the phone ring, then Sherry yelled for me to pick up the phone.

“Hello, Jerry Helton here.”

“Mr. Helton, my name is Arthur Goode and I’m calling on behalf of The Ed Sullivan Show. Mr. Sullivan has asked me to invite you to appear live on his television show this coming Sunday night, which will be broadcast live nationwide from New York City.”

“Mr. Goode, I was told earlier that you had called and would call back. I’m not only honored, I am thrilled at the invitation. I’m sure you’re aware that we’ll be in Nashville for the Grand Ole Opry this Saturday night, and we’ll have to fly to New York from there, after that show.”

“Sir, we have taken the opportunity to make all the arrangements for you and your troupe ahead of time, in hopes that you would accept our invitation to fly to New York and appear live on Mr. Sullivan’s Show on such short notice. I will personally meet you in Nashville and I’ll attend your performance there. I have received permission from the Opry, to make the announcement onstage that you will also appear live on the Ed Sullivan Show Sunday night.”

Sherry was standing beside me with her arm around my waist. When I looked at her, she had tears in her eyes. I wiped my eyes as she wiped hers.

“Mr. Goode, thank you so much for this, and we’ll see you in Nashville.”

“I’m looking forward to our meeting. My wife will be with me, and she’s a big fan of yours, just as all of us here at the television studio.”

Sherry turned to me, “Jerry, we need to put together a playlist of songs for the show in New York. Mr. Aycock told us they have a list of songs they want you to sing at the Opry.”

“Have you seen his list?”

“Not the entire list, but I did see the first song on the list is ‘Wanting You’. Mom was looking it over when I came back here to see you. She held it up in front of Frank and he gave her an okay sign as he looked at it.”

“Has everyone packed and loaded their luggage on the bus? We’ll be leaving for the airport soon.”

There are forty-two passengers on this flight and nineteen of them are flying with me. Most of them are like me, this is their first time on an airplane.

There were two stewardesses on the plane and one of them recognized me. By the time we landed in Memphis, I had autographed all seventy-five of my 8x10 photos Marlene had in her briefcase. Then came the blouses and t-shirts, the passengers were wearing. A few of the men and all of the young boys wanted me to autograph their shirts. I even autographed six bras, but I never did see any naked titties.

We had a forty-five minute stopover in Memphis, and still made the trip to Nashville in under five hours.

When we got off the plane in Memphis, Sherry wanted me to carry my guitar inside the terminal. I did, and after all of us made a run to the restrooms, I came out and asked the woman at the desk if I could play my guitar since there have been lots of people asking me to play when we stop in Memphis.

Sherry walked up to stand beside me just as the woman asked, “You’re not Elvis Presley, are you?”

I was laughing when Sherry told her, “No Ma’am, he’s not Elvis. He’s my brother, Jerry Helton.”

I thought she was going to call the security police when she started yelling. Then she ran around that tall desk and grabbed me in a bear hug before I could put my guitar down.

Sherry grabbed my guitar out of my hand then put it on the floor. As soon as Sherry wrapped her arms around the woman, she started screaming again. “WHAT IN THE HELL WAS THAT?

“Something shocked the shit out of me...

“OH MY GOD! Look at my titties. OH HELL YES! I have huge titties. Did you feel the electric shock? I nearly peed on myself.”

Sherry told her, “I never felt a thing. Maybe you should take a break to go fix your uniform. You’re about to burst out of that blouse.”

There was a small crowd gathering when I took my guitar out of the case and started picking and singing

I took a deep breath and started another one of my favorites.

Sonny James - Young Love - © 1956 Ric Carter & Carole Joyner

They say for every boy and girl There’s just one love in this whole world And I know I’ve found mine

The heavenly touch of your embrace Tells me no one could take your place
Ever in my heart

Young love, first love
Filled with deep devotion
Young love, our love
We share with deep emotion

I knew we didn’t have much time, but I wanted to do one more. The small crowd has now turned into at least a hundred and they’re still running this way.

I have come to love this song, and I slow it down about two beats, when I sing it.

I can’t stop loving you ©1957 Don Gibson

I can’t stop loving you{br}

Since we’ve been apart

I can’t stop loving you
So I’ve made up my mind
To live in memory
Of such an old lonesome time

Sherry yelled above the noise, ‘Wanting You’

The crowd was still yelling for more, even with the loudspeakers announcing that flight 219 for Nashville, was now loading.