Nope, that would not be me! Recently while going through pictures, I came across these. Chad was 5. I’ve never been a TV watcher. I didn’t really know too much about Gallagher. All I knew was that when Gallagher came on TV, my ex would yell for Chad to come watch the watermelon smashing. They thought that was so funny. It was funny! It wasn’t so bad for a 5 year old to see watermelons smashed. The rest of Gallagher’s show wasn’t so good for a 5 year old.
Gallagher was coming to Lake Charles. I called a friend who was able to get us some really good seats. We brought our plastic covering so we wouldn’t be drenched with watermelon juice. The show had barely started and Gallagher asked a question about some basketball team. Chad hollered out “MICHAEL JORDAN” who was his hero back then. Gallagher said . . Wait a minute! That’s a wee little voice! We don’t usually have wee little voices at my shows!” Yes, thank you, sir! Most parents have more sense! His crew turned the spotlight out into the audience and began looking for the innocent little child whose parents were exposing him to such nonsense. I was trying to hide Chad and crawl under my seat but he was found. Gallagher invited him up on stage. Chad was thrilled! Gallagher began asking him goofy questions.
G: Do your parents know you’re here?
Chad: (giggling) Yes, goofy! They brought me!
G: Was it your mom’s idea or your dad’s idea to come.
Chad: (willing to give up way too much information) My dad’s idea but my mom called her friend (and Chad said the name) to get free tickets!
Great . . dear ex . . can you please go up there and get him?
G: Does you mom work for this person?
Chad: No, my mom doesn’t work.
G: Does your dad make a lot of money?
Chad: YES! (OMG! I was so embarrassed!)
G: How much money does he makes?
Chad: (I can no longer remember the details but Chad told him something like $1 million . . which most definitely was NOT true!)
Then Chad was getting bored with the questioning and Chad began digging through Gallagher’s props. Chad was going through them and some of the ones he’d seen on TV, he was trying to imitate what he had seen Gallagher do.
Gallagher was trying to stop him from going through everything. He asked Chad if he had brothers or sisters. Chad said no. Gallagher said “I knew that because if you had brothers or sisters, you’d know to leave other people’s toys alone!” Then Gallagher got him with the fire hose! Then Chad picked up another hose and began soaking Gallagher and then Chad turned it on the audience!
I was seriously wanting to go up there and get him but I was not about to walk out on that stage. After a good soaking, some of Gallagher’s help came and got Chad, his dad went to the side doors to get him and they gave us all Gallagher t-shirts and Chad was perfectly happy to sit through the rest of the show with a dry T-shirt but soaked pants and shoes! As we were leaving, everyone was talking to Chad. I believe he thought he had been the star of the show!
The next day’s newspaper had pictures of Chad on stage and said something like “5 year old gives Gallagher a taste of his own medicine!”
It’s a wonder that boy is as normal as he is!
Suzette/swooze says
Funny!
Marilyn says
Judy,
What a great memory for both you and Chad……I’m sure that he does think of you
as Mother of the Year.
Marilyn
RAM says
Love this story! What fun for Chad.
CJ says
Hahaha… that’s hilarious Judy! Chad’s quite the pistol isn’t he? hehe
Pat says
OMG…that is SOOOOOOO funny!!! I”m glad you can laugh about it now, but I’m sure most of us mothers would have been dying at the time it happened!!!
Annie says
I love those Chad stories, LOL!
: )
Jennifer says
When I was younger…. 10 maybe, I used to watch Gallagher on TV with my dad all the time. I would have loved a chance to see him in person! Maybe it’s a dad thing?
Ida says
You’ve mentioned Lake Charles several times. I know it’s a small world, but you wouldn’t happen to know the Perkins … have boys who are now around 43-45 (Ben and Carl). They live in Lake Charles … Mom wrote a children’s book a few years back … he worked for the National Weather Service …
Just curious
dawn says
This is a great story!!! What a wonderful memory for him.:)
dawn
tracey brown says
That is so funny! Chad certainly seems to be a real character! 🙂 Would he be embarrassed to know that you blogged about this? If he is, don’t let that stop you, I love hearing all these Chad stories! LOL>
Sandy says
We seen Gallagher when he was just starting out his career. We have two sons and you could see the wheels turning in there little heads. Never did leave a watermelon sitting around for fear or what might happen,
Donna (in MI) says
OMG..too funny. What is with guys and Gallagher?? DD and DS went (though DS was a little older than Chad was) and still talk about it to this day.
You have given Chad (and yourself) lots of good memories.
Lynne in Hawaii says
Funny, funny, funny! Lofve Chad talez!
Perry says
Judy, how in the world did you succeed in getting Chad grown without going into hysteris every time you took him somewhere. I have laughed so much about this post. Thanks for sharing this memory with us, lol, I am still laughing.
Linda says
I just love your Chad stories. He was quite the little character wasn’t he? Just wait till he has kids of his own. If they’re anything like him they’ll give him a run for his money & you’ll just sit back & laugh. That’s how Moms get even you know. 🙂