Search - Big Al Downing :: The Show That Would Never Be

THE DATE WAS JUNE 28, 2005, COUNTRY MUSIC LEGEND "BIG AL DOWNING" WOULD BE SITTING AT HOME WITH HIS PIANO RECORDING A TAPE TO SEND TO HIS LONG TIME FRIEND AND PRODUCER "DOC HOLIDAY" FOR A SHOW THAT "DOC" HAD BEEN BOOKED AT "THE NORVA" IN NORFOLK, VIRGINIA ON JULY 1, 2005. THE TAPE WAS RECORDED BY "BIG AL" SO "DOC" WOULD BE ABLE TO REHEARSE THE BAND WHICH WAS BASED IN NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE ON THE SONGS AND ARRANGEMENTS AS PER. "BIG AL'S" INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW HE WANTED THE SHOW TO GO. THE TAPE ARRIVED THE NEXT DAY, BUT SO DID A PHONE CALL FROM "BIG AL'S" WIFE BEVERLY INFORMING DOC THAT "BIG AL" HAD BEEN HOSPITALIZED BECAUSE HE WAS FEELING STRANGE AND VERY TIRED. "DOC" IMMEDIATELY CALLED "BIG AL" IN THE HOSPITAL AND "BIG AL" SAID, "DOC I JUST TOLD THEM TO RUN THE DAMN TEST AND LET ME OUT, SO I CAN CATCH THE PLANE AND DO THE SHOW" DOC RESPONDED AND TOLD "BIG AL" YOU KNOW WE OUGHT TO RELEASE A TAPE LIKE THIS AND LET THE FANS KNOW WHAT REALLY GOES ON BEFORE THE SHOW HAP! PENS, BUT WE SHOULD DO IT THE STUDIO, SO THE RECORDING QUALITY WOULD BE RIGHT" "BIG AL" AGREED AND SAID "WE'LL DO IT WHEN I GET DOWN THERE THE NIGHT BEFORE THE SHOW". "DOC THEN SAID, "LET THEM DO THEIR THING ALBERT AND GET YOU RIGHT, AND I'LL PICK YOU UP AT THE AIRPORT, REMEMBER I'M THE ONE THAT'S SUPPOSED TO GO FIRST, NOT YOU" "BIG AL" LAUGH AND SAID "SEE YOU AT THE AIRPORT AND DON'T BE LATE, YOU KNOW YOUR ALWAYS LATE MAN" THAT WOULD BE THE LAST TIME "DOC HOLIDAY" WOULD EVER SPEAK TO "BIG AL". SIX DAYS LATER THE MAN WITH THE BIG SMILE AND BIGGER HEART THAT BECAME A LEGEND IN COUNTRY MUSIC WOULD BE GONE SUFFERING FROM LEUKEMIA AT THE AGE OF 65. THIS ALBUM IS THE ACTUAL TAPE SENT TO "DOC HOLIDAY" FROM "BIG AL" DIGITAL RE-MASTERED ON CD . THIS IS THE REAL "BIG AL DOWNING" AND HOW HE SHOULD ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED