1.09.2011

MY LAST VISIT WITH THE MADHATTER...


Just love this photo of Hatter taken by Richard Blondy recently. He is wearing two Madhatter buttons that my daughter Lesley created for him. A red one right under his left hand and a green Hatter right above his left wrist. He made the handwritten button at the same time he made my Baby Jesus button. So happy that Hatter was such a generous guy and I have lots fun things that he gave me.


Hatter brought Lesley and I yellow Rosaries in July 2010 from the Art Fair. He also gave me a camel colored rosary when he was here in November but I cannot find them. In November our last gig together was at The Motor City Legends Show at Gibraltar in Taylor but our last thing we did together was visit Jenny's Farm Stand in Dexter.

Can you picture me walking into this little farm stand with a 6'2 man all dressed in black, buttons everywhere, rings, shades, a bandana around his neck and sporting a large black top hat ? The owners just stared for a moment...


Then Hatter started telling them how I had written about their farm stand back in October. He told them how great the story was and how many people around the world had seen it. The owners wrote down the website and were very grateful. As we were leaving Hatter muttered under his breath that they should have given me those donuts for free. He was very upset that they did not. I assured him that we could afford the donuts and that their business was suffering like all of Michigan. Whew! Stan didn't go back for round two of getting the free pumpkin donuts!


We split a dozen fresh warm pumpkin donuts and Hatter bought two quarts of cider. When I dropped him off to go to the lab for tests he gave me all his donuts save 1 and a quart of cider for Lesley. sigh... Our last day together was sunny and warm almost 60 degrees in November.

Hatter called to see if I was home and (I was) and he came over for a few hours. He autographed some posters for me, played with the cats and then went cruising around in the jeep with Hatter at the wheel. He loved driving my Jeep Liberty. It would be the last ride we'd take together. He drove the Jeep everywhere we went since we met and he loved wheeling around Metro Detroit always asking me, "Did ya check your tires?" Yes Hatter, I did check them on Jan 02, 2011 at 12:30pm.

4 comments:

Fast Film said...

Looking at the buttons, one easily can see that Lesley Maki has a fine, sophisticated sense of primary colors, actually closer to Warhol than manga. ( I just thought a compliment should poke through the thoughtful and bittersweet recollections.)

Don Nordman said...

Madhatter has been a icon for the Elvisfest for 10 years. He will be greatly missed. He has been the person to run the spotlight at night for all the elvis artists. RIP Stanley we will miss you very much. I will personally miss you coming in the back gate it will not be the same for the 2011 elvisfest. Thank you for everything you have done

Carol Nordman Hensley said...

Stanley was a well know icon by many, he will be missed at the Elvis Festival for sure. Just won't be the same without him. Perhaps I only knew him for a few years, but in those few years he touched my life with his humor and with that smi...le he always had along with a friendly greeting or story. Always had a gift or two for someone. Such a giving soul in these times and days, what a huge loss. Going to miss you Madhatter......R.I.P. dude! But in reality he really is in a better place, just think about it. See ya in the flip side Stan!

Marcella Detroit said...

OH, Stanley.. I was so sorry to hear this news. I saw him a few years ago when I played at Arts Beats n Eats in Pontiac. We hadn't seen each other in over 20 years. But the magic was in his eyes, his spirit was the same beautiful sight and pleasure to behold, it was as if we just saw each other the day before. He announced me to the crowd and it made my heart smile!! I will miss him so. xoxoxo

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