Thursday, July 4, 2019

RobertaSue and karaoke

Blame it on the full moon but I can honestly contribute it in large part to RobertaSue who has a few cylinders short of an engine most of the time.  At times she gets her Mad Hatter hat on, you know the black bulbous one with the pink ribbon, and bright orange curly hair and goes bar hopping downtown dressed in her Rita Hayworth gown, the orange one with white lace cascading from her shoulders down to the V-neck.  That girl has no shame when it comes to her attempts to sing karaoke at Flattery’s on Saturday night.  She signs up for at least six numbers including the Peggy Lee renditions of "Fever" and "Is that all There is?" and then moving on to "What’s Love Got to do with it?" trying desperately trying to imitate Tina Turner.

I used to be embarrassed by her saloon singing antics but I got used to it after a while once I learned she was not the only person making a fool of herself.  But surprisingly she attracted quite a following of folks who found her an usual local folk hero and Flattery’s would get standing room only when RobertaSue was being featured.

Mistakenly she got it into her head that she was really good and started bragging about the crowds she would draw.  It annoyed me a bit that she thought she was talented in that direction. In truth she is a good school librarian and the kids loved her but her aspirations were higher, madly searching for a glamorous life which in reality was rather a staid quiet existence.  I guess I shouldn’t hold it against her.  What is the harm in dressing up in a ridiculous costume and traipsing around to the local watering hole to belt out a few favorite tunes?  After all it only happens once a month on a full moon. 

And come to think of it I have to give her credit, she loves music, can’t carry a tune but it brings her extreme happiness to entertain the audiences who come see her.  Better to let her live with that illusion.