Chapter 7: September 18, 2002 (Birthday)

Tomorrow, September 19, is Shooby's 73rd birthday. After my program, WFMU staffer Bronwyn Carlton and I brought Shooby a 16" cake (from Riviera Bakery & Café, Hoboken), inscribed:

Happy 73rd Birthday Scat-Man! We love you SHOOBY!

Also brought a printout of several dozen well-wishing emails from listeners, 15 birthday cards that arrived from around the world (including Nebraska, Minnesota, SF, Holland, and Germany), and a bouquet of flowers purchased by Bronwyn.

A health care aide brought out a dozen, colorful "Happy Birthday" balloons already inflated and ribboned. Another staffer set out paper plates, plastic forks, and American flag paper napkins. We had everything we needed -- except the guest-of-honor.

Shooby was expecting us, but had gone to the first floor. Two aides fetched him from downstairs, and he rode the elevator up to the 3rd floor party room. When he emerged and wheeled himself into the dining area, the residents sang a geriatric "Happy Birthday," and the Scat-Man was deeply touched. Bronwyn and I attached several balloons to a chair, declared it the guest-of-honor's "throne," and sat him in it.

Bronwyn did the cake-cutting (Shooby politely declined the task), and we passed slices to residents and staff around the dining room. We had to withhold cake from a few eager-faced residents after being advised by staff that they were diabetic. Shooby insisted on a monstrous-sized wedge, which made my eyes bug out. He didn't finish but a third of it, though, and later asked that it be wrapped and brought to his room.

I gave him the new Songs in the Key of Z Vol. II CD, which features Shooby's "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" as the leadoff track. He autographed a napkin for Bronwyn, and painstakingly wrote out for her some scat syllables.

I asked if he wanted to open the cards from listeners, but he insisted on reading them later in the privacy of his room. He said that next visit he would give me the envelopes to send thank you notes to those who were nice enough to correspond. He is not capable of writing letters, which would be an arduous task.