Somebody’s Watching You

You’re young, a little famous, and partying on a Saturday night in a college town. A woman you don’t know kisses you. A fellow partygoer decides to take video of that casual event and puts it on TikTok. You are a little famous, so it goes viral.

Good thing phone cameras weren’t around in the days of the Beatles and the Doors! There is very little privacy in this world today. And it is 2020 … there is a difference.

In 2020, despite the fact that many under the age of 25 don’t see the dangers in group gatherings during a pandemic, life is not normal. The disease fighters don’t want you to gather in large groups. The President of the United States and most of his inner circle are currently COVID positive for that reason. People are still dying. Masks are required in most public places.

Young hit-maker Morgan Wallen just got uninvited by “SNL,” where he was to perform on one of the coolest stages in show business. They have strict COVID-19 protocols.

Morgan was already in New York. This decision had to make him sick!

In a good crisis PR management technique, he posted a video to admit his error and apologize. He seemed sincere and said he has some growing up to do. Agreed.

Discipline when you are getting a little fame is difficult. It’s an exciting time. He likely knew better, but thought it would be okay … until it wasn’t. Hope this is a lesson learned. Yes, learned the hard way by Wallen and by any other public person trying to participate in life in 2020.

The internet is forever, and cameras are everywhere. Those who can be sued for having an unsafe workplace are not very tolerant of protocol violators. These are not normal times. It’s more like we are in the middle of a world war … a war against a silent, invisible enemy.

Wallen has probably beaten up on himself more than anyone else could. I hope he will at some point speak out to others and be a wakeup call. “SNL” breaks don’t come along every day, and for most they never come along at all.

Fame does not come with the directions written on the side. There are all kinds of way to screw up when you are famous. We read about them daily.

Fame does not come with an on and off switch either. Just ask Tanya Tucker. The tabloids are no longer just at the grocery store checkout; they are in everyone’s phone!

A bigger story this week was the death of guitar god Eddie Van Halen from cancer. He was 65.

Brad Paisley and Keith Urban put out tributes. Kenny Chesney called him the greatest ever. “Jump,” “Panama,” his work on Michael Jackson’s “Beat It,” Eddie used a borrowed amp and created one of the most widely heard grooves of the ’80s, producer Quincy Jones said. The sound of his guitar caused the monitor speaker in the control room to catch fire, causing one to exclaim, “This must be really good!” It was one of the best selling songs in history. Eddie did his work in less than an hour and was never paid.

The music business is one crazy business, but Eddie did what he wanted to do and played by his own set of rules. It came at a high price more than a few times. He had the looks, the style and the talent.

Fame was not easy for Eddie. It’s not for Morgan Wallen either. Very few have done it flawlessly.

Paisley does Van Halen’s “Hot For Teacher” in his set. Eddie’s work lives on. Like Keith Urban said, he floated around the guitar neck like Ali did in the ring. Now he jams with Jimi, Les Paul and Chet, maybe even Harrison and Perkins.