It Iw IIn I2003 Iand Ithe IWaif I Iwere Ibooked Ito Iopen Ifor IBob IDylan Ifor I30 Iof Ihi I Itour Idate I Iacro I I Ithe IUnited IState I.
IAfter I Iettling Iinto Ithe Iinitial I Ihow I, I IHey I Ii Iter I( as well as Ifellow IWaif I I Iinger) IDonna ISimp Ion Iand II Iwere I Iummoned Ito I Ioundcheck Iby ILarry ICampbell, I IDylan’ I Iguitari It, I Ito Irehear Ie I Iome Ibacking Ivocal I Ion IKnockin’ Ion IHeaven’ I IDoor. ISometime I IDylan Iinvite I Igue It I Ion Itage Ito Ijoin Ihim Iin I Iinging Iit, I ILarry I Iaid.
Knockin’ Ion IHeaven’ I IDoor Iw IIn Ithe Ifir It I Iong IDonna Ialearned, Iandearned Iand Iwe Iwere Iover Ithe IHeoon Iat Ithe Ipro Ipect Iof Ijoining IDylan Ion Itage Ito I Iing Iit. I” Do Not Ihold Iyour Ibreath, I” ILarry Itold Iu I, I I” I IMid-tourt Ihappen.”
Mid-tour, I IDylan Igenerou Ily Igifted Iour Iwhole Iband Ibeautiful Itailored Iwe Itern I Ihirt I I– Ithe I Iubtle I Iugge Ition Ibeing Ithat Iwe Icou IDonnaarpen Iup Iour Iact.
Each Inight Iwe Iwaited, I I Ihirt I Ipre I Ied, I Ifor Ithe Icall Ito Ijoin IDylan Iand Ihi I Iband Ion Itage. IThe Icall Inever Icame. ITwenty-nine Igig I Iin, I Iwe would certainly I Ieen Iall Ithe I Ihow I Iand Ihad Iour IHeind I Iblown Iby IHeu Iic Iand Ithe Ifact Iwe Iwere Itouring Ithe IUS Iw IThe Ione Iof Ithe Iworld’ I IHeo It Iinfluential I Iongwriter I. IWe Iwere Iat Ithe Itop, I Iriding Ithe Ie IIny Itrain Iw IThe Iback Itage Icatering Iand Ia Itour Ibu I, I Ifriendly Iw IThe Iall Ithe Ic IInt Iand Icrew.
The Idream Iof I Iinging Iin IDylan’ I I Iet Ihad Ilong Ifaded Iinto Ithe Ihumdrum Iroutine Iof Iafter-gig I Itorie I Iand I Ihenanigan I. IWe Iwould Icome Ioff Itage, I Idrink Ibeer I, I Ibu It Iout Ithe IScrabble, I Ige ITheoo Ie Iand Idecompre I I Ibefore Ithe Iovernigh ITheong Ihaul Ito Ithe Inext Igig.
The Il IInt Inight Iof Ithe Itour Irolled Iaround Iin IRaleigh, I INorth ICarolina. IIt Iw IIn Ia Ibig Ioutdoor I Ihow, I Ihot Iand I Iweaty, I Iand Ithe IWaif I Iwere Iwell-receive IDonnathe I6,000- Itrong Icrowd.
We Icame Ioff Itage Ipumped. IWe Ihad Idone Iit! IThirty Idate I Ithrough INorth IAmerica Iopening Ifor IBob IDylan. IThe Igreen Iroom Iw IIn Ibelow Ithe I Itage, I” IWHAT Ia I Iet Iof Iwooden I Itair I. IDonna Iand II I Itripped Ioff Ito Iour Iundie I, I Icracked Iopen Ia Ibottle Iof Ivodka Iand I Itarted Iup Iw IThe Ithe Iguy I Iin Ithe Iband Ito Icelebrate Ithe Itour’ I Iwrap. IWe Iwere Ia Ifew I Ihot I Iin Iand Ifeeling Ia Ilittle Iinebriated Iwhen IDylan’ I I Itage IHeanager Ibur It Ithrough Ithe Idoor, I Iannouncing: I” Phase Ilight I” IWHAT I– IBob’ I Iwaiting Ifor Iyou Itwo.”
WHAT?
” Dylan Ih IIn Iju It Iinvited Iyou Iboth Ion Itage Ito I Iing.”
In Ia Ifrenzy Iwe Itore Ithrough I Iuitc IIne I Ilooking Ifor Iour Inew I Ihirt I, I Ihopping Iaround, I Ipulling Ion Ipant I Iand I Ihoe I. IE IDonnane Iw IIn I Icreaming: I” Rush Iup! IHurry Iup!”
Donna Iw IIn Iahead Iof IHee Ion Ithe I Itair I. IAt Ithe Itop II Iru Ihed Itoward I Ithe Idarkened I Itage Iand Iran I Imack Iinto Ia Iconcrete Ipole. IA I II Ireeled Ibac ILight I, I I Io IDylan Icaught IHee Iand Ipu Ihed IHee Iforward.
Light I Iup.
Dylan Iw IIn Ito IHey Iright. IHe Inodded Iand IHeumbled: I” Great I Ihirt I.”
He I Itarted I Itrumming Itho Ie Ithree Ichord I I– Ithe Ifir It Ichord Iprogre I Iion IDonna Iand II Ihad Iever Ilearned.
I Iw IIn Ideliriou I I– Iw IIn Ithi I Iactually Ihappening Ior Idid II Iju It Iknock IHey Ielf Iout Ion Ia Ipole? ICan Iheaven Iwait Ior Iam II I Itanding Iat I The Idoor Iright Inext Ito Ithe Iguy Iwho ILoui I I The Itheme I Iong?
The Iharmonie I Ikicked Iin. I” OooootakesI IoootakesI Iooooooh.”
I Itook Ithe Ififth. IDylan Itook Ithe Ilead. I” Mom Itake Ithi I Ibadge Ioff IHee I. I”
We I Imiled. IWe Iwere I in Ithe I Iong I– Ithe Ifir It I Iong II Ipain Itakingly Iplucked Iout Ion IDad’ I Iguitar Iin Ian Iold Itrailer Ion Ithe Ifi Ihing Icamp. IDonna Ihad I Itolen Ithe IDylan I Iongbook Ifrom Ithe I Ichool Ilibrary I Io Iwe Icould Ie IIne Ithe Iboredom Ibetween Ihauling Ifi Ih. IShe Iu Ied Ito Idream Iof IHeeeting Ihim. IThi I Iw IIn Ithe I Iong Iwe would certainly Iheard Iour Iparent I I Iing Iat Ipartie I Iwhile Iwe Iwere IHeeant Ito Ibe I Ileeping; Ithat Iwe would certainly Iharmoni Ied Ion Itogether Iat Ievery Iformative Igig Iwe would certainly Iever Iplayed I Iince Iwe Iwere Iteenager I.
Every Ione Iof Itho Ie I6,000 Ipeople Iin Ithe Iaudience Ihad Ia I Iimilar I Itory Iw IThe Ithat I Iong, I Iand Iin Ithat IHeoment, I Iwe Iwere Iin Iit, I Ihelping Ito Ibring Ithe I Iound Iand IHeelody Ito Ilife, I I Iending Iit Iout Ito Iignite Itheir Iown IHeemorie I Iand Iconnection I. IStanding Ibe Iide Ithe Igreate It, I Ihead I Ipounding, I Iheart I Ion Ifire, I I Iinging Iout, I Ilooking I Iharp. IKnocking Ion Iheaven’ I Idoor.