Some years back, I can't remember the year exactly, but I think it was during the Colesium Rock Tour, When I saw STARZ performing at New York's Palladium Concert Hall, with CHEAP TRICK. Before the show, I had remembered that on their debut album, the colors used were black & yellow, so I'd found a bright yellow "Nerf" football about some 8 inches long, and maybe about 10 inches in diameter. I very meticulously & carefully drew the STARZ logo on both sides, and told guitarist RICHIE RANNO about it. He said "Bring it to the show". So, I brought it with me. Back then, it was a lot easier to sneak things into concerts, so, a nerf football was pretty easy, since you could squash it.

During STARZ' show, I was able to work my way up to the front row, and caught sight of RICHIE, who I already knew, and he gave an acknowledging "HI!" to me. He made that gesture with his head as if to say "Ok, where is it?"

I pulled out the STARZ nerf football, and showed it to him, and he laughed, and motioned for me to toss it to him as he was playing. When a moment came up, I tossed it to him, as he attempted to 'fumble' and catch it all the while playing guitar, which, for a few brief moments was actually very funny to watch. All the fans were going like "What's going on here?" RICHIE wound up catching it, and tossed the home-made STARZ nerf football to his guitar Tech to catch, and he also laughed at how cool it looked. I think the guitar Tech & RICHIE were tossing it back & forth to each other, more during the show, which was a great memory...

I believe RICHIE said everyone was playing with it backstage after the show, and said "Where did *this* come from"? RICHIE told them how I made it & tossed it to him during the show. Some years later from that, probably around 1985 or so, when I'd received my first big STEELER royalty check,I flew home to Brooklyn to visit my folks and friends, like my buddy RANDY (Paul) ROXX in New Jersey, and I visited RICHIE RANNO at his home in N.J., I recalled the story to him about that, saying "Remember when I tossed that yellow STARZ nerf football to you onstage"? RICHIE goes "Yeah...and I STILL have it!, only my kids play with it now", and he proceeded to find it and tossed it to me. "How cool" I thought. "This is the stuff fans can only dream of when they get to hang with their favorite performers". Only, with RICHIE, we were actualy friends as well, even though I was always a fan of STARZ, and knew them on their way up. That was one of those Golden Moments in my memories of STARZ, as RICHIE RANNO'S kids summarily attacked me from the stairs leading up to the upstairs of his house, as all manner of kids' military toys were coming at me, like plastic grenades, rockets, etc...RICHIE graciously bestowed to me, a couple of STARZ memorabilia: Early DON KIRSHNER'S "ROCK CONCERT" Television footage of STARZ performing 3 songs 'Live!', and something really special: an early CAPITOL Records selection of Promotional videos of STARZ performing (as if onstage),songs from the first two albums!!! (this stuff, is now, of course, available from the STARZ central website).

Additionally he gave me a video of STARZ performing a reunion show at NYC's Great Guildersleeve club, where I used to do lights for many bands passing thru or were house regulars there. I remembered that show, because I was not only there to see it, but that was where RICHIE acknowledged remembering that my name was on the list of bassist's to audition for STARZ, and that it would have been fun for us to actually play together. Again, this is the stuff that dreams are made of (Like, as in the Maltese Falcon)...For me, STARZ were not only something I could look up to, they were something I could actually reach out and touch (in this case, shake the hands of friendship with)...HOW COOL IS THAT?!? ENJOY! RIK