One of the great benefits of doing what I do is meeting a lot of interesting people, not only guests who have come on my show but you the listener.  Throughout the years a number of those people from the show and listeners have become good friends of mine and added to my life on so many levels.  One of those dear friends passed away recently, Brian Dennehy.  Not only was Brian a gifted actor he was also a tremendous person.  I first met Brian when many years ago he came up for an interview on a radio show I was on.  It was right after he starred in the movie Silverado.  In that film he played a dirty sheriff with a lot of macho swagger.  Of course when you’re a fan of someone and you get the chance to meet them you’re hoping that they live up to this image you have built up and it can at times be unrealistic.  However, I will never forget the moment Brian walked into the studio.  He was a tall hulking presence of a man and he was wearing a long rider duster as if he had just walked off the Silverado movie set!  And the payoff pitch, he couldn’t have been nicer which made the whole experience even richer. He was my image of him and more. Brian was in Chicago at that time to do a play at the Goodman Theatre as he would do for many years to come and every time he was in town I would invite him up to my show.  Over the years we developed a great friendship.  I shared the moment on my Facebook page when Brian showed up at my father’s wake unexpectedly because I had no idea at that moment he was in town visiting family.  Another time after he appeared on my show he asked me if I’d like to go to a Bulls game that evening and I said “of course.”  He told me he’d pick me up at the base of the John Hancock building, that’s where the radio station was located.  At the appointed time as I’m standing there a car pulls up and Brian rolls down the back window as says “hop in.”  I jump into the back of the car and I notice another person but because it’s dark I can only see the outline of the person’s face.  Brian says to me, “Garry, Albert Finney, Albert, Garry Meier.” So that night I’m at a Bulls game watching Michael Jordan play sitting between two legendary actors and I’m thinking, wow this is something I couldn’t quite imagine growing up on the southside of Chicago.  I have numerous other great stories/moments that I will always treasure with Brian and his lovely wife Jennifer.  When we last talked a few weeks back we were talking about getting together when this pandemic nonsense settled down.  Sadly it was not to be.  I’m using some of this downtime to think of the good things that have happened in my life and how lucky I’ve been to have a career that is a conduit to allowing me to meet people like Brian and you the listener. That’s my focus as we motor through this madness. Thank you.  Cheers!

Gunga, galunga
Garry