dennycarleton.com

My friend Dave “99” who I had known from the Lost Souls and Moses had come back from Viet Nam. He invested a lot of money into musical equipment which he then let me use. He was always dreaming  of different band combinations in which I could play. Dave saw himself as a promoter or manager. He was also a musician, and noted for playing harmonica. Dave had a lot of good ideas; however, I, definitely, had some of my own.
 

Sometimes I played music for the kids where Dave was counseling. I also gave a few guitar lessons; this is where I started to learn how to teach. It was a restful time. We would sit up late and talk   in group sessions, play volleyball, and then go to a steak house in Mentor. Steak and eggs - how do you like um done?  No soup for you.  Next!
Dave saw himself as John the Baptist (repent you brood of vipers.)   It was a great time in the 70’s, but      it also was a time when much of the youth was being  led into drugs and alcohol.  Dave  was  a  couple  of  years older than most of us and  had  been  to  Viet  Nam. All Dave wanted was to live a simple life filled with wholesomeness and tender love. Dave could be very direct with people when thinking of the consequence to them for what he perceived to be the wrong path, carrying on  well  the  tradition  of  John  the  Baptist.

Sometimes I stayed with Dave at his place. Dave and his brother, Ricky, never seemed to tire of me, “the city slicker” as they called me. One time, to my absolute horror, they put one of their huge snakes in bed with me while I was sleeping. Another time I told Dave I had some sort of rash on my posterior and he gave me the hottest lotion ever since the creation of hot lotions. They roared with laughter. Ricky, Dave’s brother stuttered and he’d say, “Dennnnnnis wwwwweee really got you scared this timmmmme little city boy.”

I was quite mischievous myself and ‘‘99” knew it. He would tell me that if all the people who thought I was so cute ever saw the stuff I did, they’d be surprised. One time I took Dave to a Catholic church and he was confused by all the standing and the sitting. When I went to Communion, he looked at me and  asked  “What  should  I  do?”    I told  him  to  stay
 

seated and that he would be the only one left in the pews. I let him ponder that as I proceeded to go to Communion.        Also,  when  he  came  back from Nam, he was very edgy about noises. So, of course, during band practice, I would smash my reverb on purpose. I know… I know… I KNOW!…it was wrong, but remember he was the guy who put snakes in my bed. 

One time when Dave and I were riding in my car, Dave commented that he wanted to drive because I wasn’t  the best driver.        Just  then,  I  pulled up  over the curb by accident and said “Okay, now you drive.” 

Dave also commented that it was gross when I ate because of how I stuffed the food in my mouth. He told me he was going to take a picture and make himself a button showing off the spectacle of me stuffing  my  face  with  food.    Dave  had  the  button made,    and    to    my    dismay,    he    showed    it    to prospective,    cute,    young  things;   nice    girls  who followed the band and who seemed, in Dave’s eyes, to have an overly idealized version of me. It got on my nerves  a  little  --  like  brothers,  but  that,  for  some reason, was the nature of our relationship.

Dave introduced me as the greatest songwriter in the world. I think he believed it was his job  to protect me. We went to New York City together where I saw poor people on the streets and gave them all my money, which Dave thought to be incredibly naïve  of me.   When I started dating Vicky, I was in puppy love and Dave was glad to see I was happy; although, puppy love was a bit  overboard. But whenever he perceived I was becoming hard- hearted or worldly, he would say “I like that guy who was in puppy love; the guy who gave away all his money to the bums, better than I like the guy you are right now.” Maybe Dave did have a hand in protecting me after all.
 

Dave had quite a few animals on  his  small farm in Perry, Ohio. One time, Mike Wey was working at a place called Eishelman’s, which specialized in repairing equipment. “99” sent them some of his equipment for repair. When they opened the speaker to see why it wasn’t working, a rabbit jumped out.  I’ve heard of a rabbit jumping out of a hat, but never out of a PA speaker.

Dave “99” made a lot of deals selling his musical equipment and was able to profit a few dollars here and there. Legend has it that Louie, a mutual friend of ours, was not happy because he saw  the PA  that he had just purchased from “99” selling for a couple hundred dollars cheaper at a music store. Louie and Dave were debating the price when a large thump was heard outside. Much to Dave’s horror, one of  his horses had collapsed to the ground.

Dave asked Louie to help him get the horse inside to the basement and Louie obliged. It’s difficult enough to move a horse in pleasant weather, but it was the middle of winter, making it even more difficult. I don’t know much  about  horses,  but  to me, Dave’s horses never looked very healthy. They seemed to sag in the middle. After the horse was brought into the basement, Dave said to Louie,  “Here, take this Flying V Gibson  guitar to make  up for the PA.” It almost seemed that Dave was thinking “Just in case my pricing had anything to do with my horse going down, I will make it up to you by giving you the Flying V Gibson guitar, and then maybe the horse will be alright.” I know your  next  question, but, sorry, I do not remember what happed to the horse.

Dave “99”, did his duty for his country during the Vietnam . Sadly, the  war  took  its  toll  on  Dave  and   somewhere   in   the   90’s   he   passed   away from pancreatitus , which is believed to have been caused by Agent Orange .