J Burroughs

Don Rodgers, Garon's manager, was furious. "What do you mean you can't do the tour?!?"

"Well, uh, Gracie called. Stella is letting her come down for a couple of weeks. She was real excited, and I don't want to let her down. She is my only reason for living, Don. You know that," Garon said.

"Yeah, son, I know she's important to you. But Garon, you're important to the fans. They love you like you love Grace. They need you and your music more than anything in the world. And after that little incident from last time, we need the money. Lately Garon, you're just not the same. You don't have the same energy, the same charisma like you used to. But to those millions of fans out there, that doesn't matter to them. They love you and will always love you, no matter what. In their minds, you are a legend; a god even."

"Well, that's just it, Don," said Garon. "I'm forty years old and still singing the same songs from twenty years ago. I'm not drawing in the new fans anymore. The new, younger generations are listening to that political, anti-American garbage these new bands are putting out now, and it's just ridiculous. I'm not getting bigger, younger fans, just older ones that have been there since the beginning, grew up with my music. And I'm middle-aged, still singing the old stuff from the beginning. I'm not putting much new material out there. I'm just giving the old fans memories of twenty year old music. That's not entertainment. And it's taking away from my personal life and my time with my family."

"You just said the magic words Garon,"started Don. " 'You're giving the fans memories.' You said it yourself. When you're gone, that is how the world will remember you. Through the memories you left them. Those memories will last a lifetime and beyond Garon, and they will never be taken away. The memories will last forever."

Garon thought for a moment. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wanted to tell Don he was wrong. It took more than just the memories of an old-timer in a jumpsuit to become a legend or a god. But somehow, he knew Don was right.

"Okay," said Garon. "I'll do the tour."

Again, like so many times in the past, Garon had let the Amazing Don Rodgers manipulate him.