From HARD TIMES to HARD ROCKS
Excerpts from Danny's book...
 
 


25 Years Ago Today Danny Signs Jack Nicholson In our start-up year I believed the only way to get attention and any respect was to have the biggest stars on the planet endorse the charity and cause. So I started hunting down management companies and decided I needed the 3 top " A" list acts of that time. Jack Nicholson, Phil Collins and Springsteen were the targets. I called Jacks manager Sandy Bresler at least 30 times until he agreed. I was already in L.A. on a quest to get Bruce signed at a Neil Young Benefit concert, when the call came to get my ass to the top of Mulholland drive to the home of Nicholson. He lives at the very top with a 360 view. Once the large wooden gate opens, your on the top of a hill looking at Nicholson's home on the right and down the hill about 100 yards is Marlon Brando's place. His assistant greets me at the door and shows me in the living room, where an original Picasso hangs above the fireplace. after a few minutes an overweight Jack walks down the stairs scratching his gut which is poking out from under a vintage Harley t-shirt. " You my boy, have resilience " he went on to explain how he never does interviews and its only my driving his manager nuts that got me in his house.Once I got Nicholson's support the rest came easy. All the management companies would ask " who else do you have signed"? Once they verified with Bresler they all joined. I went on to sign up 150 of the world's largest stars to support BADD. Seriously.....its like it happened yesterday !!!!! Danny Perkins


25 Years Ago Today

Once I had signed up Jack Nicholson, things started to roll much easier for the charity.Not only was I planning on traveling all over the world to get our endorsors signed up, there was a steady flow of artists on tour coming to Montreal. Judas Priest was one of them. Motorcycle related and themed, hell the lead singer would ride a Harley on stage during the show. So I tracked down the record company rep and set up a meeting. In the early years all meetings were set up by contacting the local branch of the record company that the particular artist was signed to at the time. The reps had their hands full but took the time to mention us to the management. Once they got the green light they would call me up and say "get your ass over here" it was usually during sound check. After a few years I built a relationship with the artists and would go directly to the management each year.

The first 3 years of BADD all I had them do was sign a large poster with our logo and a map of North America. Then use their name and image to reach our target market.

Here is the original posting on our website way back in 1986.

Rob Halford lead singer for the Heavy Metal band Judas Priest has started the ball rolling for Bikers Against Drunk Drivers by signing a large white poster of North America that B.A.D.D. hopes will be filled by several artists that have a motorcycle theme and who are well respected by B.A.D.D`s target group Pre-Driving Adolescents. Halford who often rides on stage with his Harley has gone through some hard times with drinking and is proud to say he is clean and sober.

The Concert was opened up by a new band from New Jersey Bon Jovi



43 Years Ago This Month

April 2 1968

Montreal in the spring of 1968 was a wonderful place for a young person to be growing up in. There were long rides on motorcycles (no helmet laws back then) there was Belmont Park where for $2.00 you could spend the afternoon on rides like the Wild Mouse, The Russian Mountains, and there were lots of girls.
But the memory I treasure the most was my first rock concert. My older brother and my uncle took me to the Paul Sauve Arena to see a band, which they assured me, would "blow my mind".The venue was crowded and filled with the sweet smell of weed. There were freaks everywhere. We arrived late and the opening band had just finished their set. My brother told me to head for the front of the stage while everyone was standing around waiting for the main event. I got a great spot right in front of the stage and that was where I stayed till the end of the show.After awhile the lights went down and this guy came onto the stage playing the loudest guitar I'd ever heard. I could not see either the bass player or the drummer. I guess being 4`9" had something to do with it.During the show the guitar player threw the guitar pick that he had been using into the crowd directly in front of me. Everyone around me was pushing to get the pick and the closest thing to the floor got it ....me.
The show was cut short , maybe 8 songs at the most...but I left with a purpose and drive that would stick with me to this day.
I've had that guitar pick for 43 years and not a day goes by since, that I don't thank Jimi Hendrix for the Experience he gave me one chilly night in April 1968.