Our Reporters' Favorite Stories Of 2007: Reporters Are Lucky

SEBRING - Journalists are the least paid among the professions - less than teachers, less than cops. We don't even approach what bankers, doctors and lawyers earn.

But reporters tell each other how lucky they are, because we learn so much. In Louisiana, I found out how old chicks are when they become KFC fillets. (Six weeks. Really.)

In Virginia, I got an education on the Civil War. In Highlands County, it's citrus.
In every state, because I've covered politics, I've met governors, senators, congressmen and nearly every mayor and city councilor.

But the coolest part about being a reporter is interviewing celebrities: the Little River Band, Creedence Clearwater Revisited, Hoyt Axton, Aaron Neville, and this year, Gary Puckett, B.J. Thomas and Art Garfunkel.

Neville, a weightlifter with muscles like balloons and tattoos on his face, has this itty bitty voice: "Tell It Like It Is," and "Close Your Eyes" in a duet w/ Linda Ronstadt. Axton's mother, Mae Boren, wrote "Heartbreak Hotel" for Elvis. Hoyt wrote "I Never Been to Spain," and "Joy to the World," for Three Dog Night.

But my favorite group has always been Simon & Garfunkel, so when I heard Art was coming to SFCC, I jumped on that story. The college gave me the phone number for the booking agency, and the bookers gave me his phone number in Manhattan.

He answered the phone, "Is this Gary?"

He tried hard to be nice, but I was a little surprised about how haughty Garfunkel acted.
I got Hoyt out of the shower when I called him, and he wasn't annoyed. B.J. had to call me twice, but he acted like he has to call all his friends twice. Nothing special.

Garfunkel was different. His voice sounded hoity-toity, like he was imitating Cary Grant.
But in the end, exactly what do I have to complain about? I got to interview Art Garfunkel, the voice of a generation. And there was something else.

When I couldn't recall one of his favorite songs, "American Tune," Art Garfunkel sang to me on the phone.

"Many's the time I've been mistaken, and many times confused
"And I've often felt forsaken, and certainly misused.
"But it's all right, it's all right..."

Art Garfunkel sang to me on the phone.
This is a reporter's luckiest moment.