My mother was a shy woman, and rarely came to my school performances, but she came to see Doc that night. We all wondered what he would be wearing that evening because he had a reputation on the Tonight Show for wearing flashy jackets. Now I can’t remember what he wore, but he looked sharp. I also remember how he looked when he played. He concentrated on his playing in that high school auditorium as intensely as if he were on the Tonight Show, in my opinion. He was a wonderful performer, of course, but what I mainly remembered was that he delivered a strong performance in that little informal setting. That was a true hallmark of a pro in my book. I‘ve tried to be like that in my own career.

I was lucky to have that experience.