Chapter 60

Sherry, Shelly, Sandy, and I were making our way back through the casino so we could come in through the dressing rooms. Just as we passed a whole row of hundred dollar slot machines, I pulled out two of the hundred dollar tokens, and waved then in front of Shelly.

She told me, “Give Sandy and Sherry a token and let them pull the one-arm-bandit one time.”

I pulled my guitar pick out and showed it to Sherry. She grinned and pulled her pick out of the bosom of her dress, nearly exposing both her titties. She and Sandy dropped their tokens in the slot, and as Sherry and I held hands, she reached out to pull her handle when Sandy did. I wasn’t sure about this, but I had a feeling this was going to be a Power of The Amp - Jackpot for both of them.

Sure enough, lights were flashing, sirens were screaming, and bells were ringing as the wheels stopped spinning on the slot machines.

Sherry was dancing and yelling as if she had won a million when it stopped on twenty-five thousand. I looked at Sandy’s slot machine and it had stopped on twenty-five thousand also. There were to casino attendants running toward us and I backed up to let them open the machines and turn off the lights and bells and sirens.

Shelly gave the the attendants Sherry’s and Sandy’s names and told them they’re in my troupe, and asked them to bring their winnings to the dressing rooms.

Sandy grabbed me, kissed me and hugged me as she shouted, “Now I can buy that new pickup before I go home!”

Sherry was hooked. “Shelly, can we play again later tonight after the show is over?”

“You sure can, and just wait until we tell Daddy in the morning, that you and Sandy won twenty-five thousand each, on one pull. He will want to have you and Sandy in an advertisement on TV, telling about how you won on the slots.”

Sherry looked at me and told her, “That would be a really good plug for Jerry Helton too, wouldn’t it?”

“Yes, and we need to hit Daddy up with that ... I’ve been thinking too. What if we get next to Daddy’s friends, Edna and Irene, and give them a little of what - you, Sandy, and I - have under these gowns?”

Shelly looked at me. “Jerry?”

“We need all the help we can get. We’re getting a lot of ticket sales, but we haven’t Hit The Big Time yet.”

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I’M SHERRY HELTON AND I’M JERRY’S SISTER. WELCOME TO THE TROPICANA AND TO THE JERRY HELTON SHOW.

“WE’RE HERE TO BRING YOU SOME MUSIC AND HAVE SOME FUN. WE’LL BE GIVING AWAY MANY DOOR PRIZES DURING THE SHOW, SO KEEP YOUR TICKET STUBS HANDY.

“IT IS MY EXTREME PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE MY BROTHER - JERRY HELTON.

HERE HE IS - JER-RY HEL-TON - GIVE HIM A BIG HAND.”

We opened with a Bobby Helms number which has just been released this year. The crowd stood and cheered when I announced it.

“My Special Angel” Bobby Helms ©1957

You are my special angel
Sent from up above
The Lord smiled down on me
And sent an angel to love

You are my special angel
Right from paradise
I know you’re an angel
Heaven is in your eyes

The smile from your lips

brings the summer sunshine
Tears from your eyes bring the rain
I feel your touch, your warm embrace
And I’m in heaven again

You are my special angel
Through eternity
I’ll have my special angel
Here to watch over me

A smile from your lips

brings the summer sunshine
The tears from your eyes bring the rain
I feel your touch, your warm embrace
And I’m in heaven again

You are my special angel
Through eternity
I’ll have my special angel
Here to watch over me

Here to watch over me

We knew that one was going to be popular, then followed it with a Hank Williams number that really set them off.

“Kaw-Liga” Hank Williams & Fred Rose ©1953

KAW-LIGA, was a wooden Indian standing by the door
He fell in love with an Indian maid over in the antique store
KAW-LIGA, just stood there and never let it show
So she could never answer “YES” or “NO”.

Then one day a wealthy customer bought the Indian maid
And took her, oh, so far away, but ol’ KAW-LIGA stayed
KAW-LIGA just stands there as lonely as can be
And wishes he was still an old pine tree.

Poor ol’ KAW-LIGA, he never got a kiss
Poor ol’ KAW-LIGA, he don’t know what he missed
Is it any wonder that his face is red
KAW-LIGA, that poor ol’ wooden head.

We followed that one with another, older song Hank Williams first recorded in 1949, which has always been popular on the radio ... This one has a little yodeling in it, and Joe has been trying to get me to yodel more, since I did a really old yodeling song one day for him.

“Lovesick Blues” Hank Williams - © Cliff Friend and Irving Mills -1922

I got a feelin’ called the blues, oh Lord
Since my baby said goodbye
Lord I don’t know what I’ll do
All I do is sit and sigh, oh Lord

That last long day she said goodbye
Well lord I thought I would cry
She’ll do me, she’ll do you
She’s got that kind of lovin’

Lord I love to hear her

when she calls me sweet daddy
Such a beautiful dream
I hate to think it’s all over
I’ve lost my heart it seems

I’ve grown so used to you somehow
Well I’m nobody’s sugar daddy now
And I’m lonesome
I got the lovesick blues

Well I’m in love - I’m in love with a beautiful gal
That’s what’s the matter with me
Well I’m in love - I’m in love with a beautiful gal
But she don’t care about me

Lord I tried and tried, to keep her satisfied
But she just wouldn’t stay
So now that she is leavin’
This is all I can say

I got a feelin’ called the blues, oh Lord
Since my baby said goodbye
Lord I don’t know what I’ll do
All I do is sit and sigh, oh Lord