Back in the early '80s, Cilla Fisher & Artie Trezise and I used to have the same agent, Ed MacIntosh. As a result, we did a lot of gigs together and came to know each other well.

Ed booked us at the first and only Queens Festival. (Queens is best known as the homeland of Archie Bunker.) It was in August, I believe. We played in the afternoon. I sang with Charlie O'Hegarty (of The Starboard List) and a couple of other guys. The temperature was 104F as we set off.

Artie had a rented car and I had my own. I slowed down as we came up to the park where the festival was to be held. There were no parking spaces. Artie pulled up alonside and asked whether this was the place. I said yes but we'd have to look for parking. Artie suggested we drive up to the stage. Living in NYC, the thought of driving my car down a narrow path crowded with elderly people had never occurred to me. Artie looked me cooly in the eye and said, "Frank Sinantra dinnie walk to his gigs, Dan."

I've never forgotten those words of wisdom.