The Stage Was His Home

This book is the story of my husband Don Eisaman. It covers both the best and worst times in his life--achievements, warts and all. That's exactly the way he would have wanted it. For many of today's musicians, Don was a walking history book, who had been to the top of the mountain in the music business. For eight years he was an integral part of the Big Band Era. For fifteen years he played lead trumpet for the major stars in the showrooms of Vegas during its prime. From Harry James and Ray Anthony to Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra, Don worked them all. In 1971, Don moved to Memphis (my home). I avoided meeting him for six months. As a fairly provincial Southern girl, I couldn't imagine having much in common with a jive-talking musician from Vegas, fifteen years older than me, who was divorced and a recovered alcoholic. I'm still not sure what happened in the intervening weeks before he moved to Greenville, South Carolina. All I know is, after getting to know him, all the reasons I had dreaded meeting him became obsolete. The Don I knew, had conquered a lot, and still had a zest for life. The environment that allowed Don to enter the national spotlight at age twenty-four was rough and full of connivers and super egos. To stay there, he had to develop a gruff veneer that remained with him to some extent all his life. It was like a protective coat that covered up the shyness and uncertainty he sometimes felt around everyday people. But as soon as he walked out on the stage - any stage -, he became a totally different person. That was his home; that's where he was most at ease. Stubborn? Yes. Opinionated? Definitely. Outspoken when he should have kept his mouth shut? You bet. But he was also sentimental to a fault, wise beyond his years, dedicated, tender-hearted and "real." At the surprise party we gave Don on his eighty-seventh birthday, everyone was asked to either toast or roast him. When it came my turn, I simply said what I had said many times before: "He's nothing I was looking for, and everything I needed." He was my boy. I loved him very much.