Joe Walsh Meets Joe Walsh

I have told this story over 100 times as I am always getting razzed about my name. People always asking  me if I sing or play guitar. Not complaining mind you. Its a lot better than having a name like Ted Bundy. My Grandfather, Uncle, Cousin, and myself were Joseph Walsh's.

Anyway back in 1987 while living in Dallas Tx, Joe Walsh was going to be at The Hard Rock Cafe at a Radio Stations weekly bring in the weekend party held each Friday at happy hour. Joe was also playing at The Hard Rock that Sunday night and all tickets sold out within hours.

So I closed up at my office as was working for IBM at that time and headed down to The Hard Rock to check it out.

I got there and went upstairs to what they call the Texas Bar where they got a lot of Stevie Ray and Billy Gibbons stuff and sat down and had a beer. I gave my credit card to the bartender and he looked at the name and of course he laughed and said cool. We got talking and I got this notion to buy a beer and put it on my credit card and have a waitress take the beer and the slip to Joe Walsh who was sitting downstairs with the DJ of the radio station named Red Beard. About the time she got there they left and took a break. She set it down at his seat on the table and left.

Joe comes back with his Bass player Rick and sits down and looks at the beer and then looks at the credit card slip. He freaks out and gets out his wallet to make sure he still has his credit card. We are cracking up laughing upstairs. He flags down the waitress and she tells him what's going on and he looks up with a big smile.

Now I was not expecting to meet him. He flags me down to come see him. I was not expecting this at all. So down I go nervous as hell. He asks to see my drivers license. That worried me as his song says he lost his and I first thought he may not give it back.

He did and then he asks me if he can interview me on the radio ??? What have I got myself into here I thought. It was pretty funny. He asked me all the questions he got asked over and over. When will the Eagles get back together, what kind of guitar strings I use. The DJ Red Beard was having a good time with this.

So I got to sit down with Joe later and talk for some time. He put me on his guest list and I sat with his girlfriend and crew and watched a great concert. I gave him some IBM business cards with Joe Walsh on them. I think he had some fun with those. He called me a few years later and needed some help with his computer and that's the last time I talked to him.

Will Never Forget It
Joseph K. Walsh