A Crazy Journey (And Finding My True Identity))

By Doak Turner

"A Crazy Journey" (And Finding My True Identity) is a journey of Doak Turner and his 40+ years of working in the entertainment and sports industry.

Doak met and worked with some of the biggest names in music and sports, actors and others building relationships in the industry, going for big dreams in life. Each story has a motivational quote to inspire the reader and a story behind the sotry of how Doak ended up in those situations on A Crazy Journey.

When a major change in life of moving from the music industry in Nashville back to North Carolina in 2017, Doak felt like he failed on his journey. He felt as if he let himself and others down as he did not write those big #1 songs and all the great things that go with having huge success in the songwriting business.

With no certain direction, fortunately he read a book that taught him to realize everything on his journey is what he did, not who he really is for true identity

Doak's identity all his life to himself was based on his work and going for his dreams. It took a big change and getting away from the entertainment industry for a while to learn what is most important in life and to realize it is the journey not the destination that is most important for a happy life.

100+ stories of meeting and working on events with major artists, Paul McCartney in 1993 for a live TV show in Charlotte and twenty years later working on a fundraising event for thirty fans to meet Sir Paul McCartney and watch him from the stage platform at Bonaroo.


Doak was at an event with Taylor Swift performing for about a dozen people for a SIRIUS XM radio performance in Nashville, he worked with PRINCE promoters and the stories of building relationships in that organization. Doak sat with Shania Twain in a private suite at a NASCAR race a couple weeks before the big album was released. MC Hammer and Tone Loc and "introducing" a singer in Charlotte, NC that led to her performing on tour with MC Hammer,.

Doak was part of the Billy Corgan & "Ghesh" reunion after the guitar had been missing for 27 years.

Doak was a ring announcer for NWA wrestling in the mid 80's and has stories of getting to know and announcing world chanpion wrestlers such as Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, The Road Warriors, Nikita Koloff, The Rock & Roll Express, Sandy Scott, Tony Schavanie and other wrestling industry legends along with the story of a wrestling match that he thought he was locked in a cage with a six-man tag team and trying to get out of the ring!

Stories of working the The CMA Awards, CMT Awards, CMA Festival, meeting and interviewing ALABAMA, introducing Flava Flav to basketball star Muggsy Bouges.

Doak has been blessed to meet and know actors, authors, entreprenuers and other amazing people and the story behind the stories of a kid from a small town of St. Albans, WV are in the book.

Doak was blessed to have all-access to pro tennis matches and media centers with some of the greatest players such as Martinia Navratolova, Chirs Everett, Gabriel Sabatini, He sold tickets and helped market the Davis Cup matches in Charlotte featuring John McEnroe and other tennis greats.

Stories of getting to know basketball and baseball legends are in the book to give you insight and just how in the heck did someone meet and work with some of the great names in entertainment are in the book, to inspire the reader.

The book contains stories helping others, going the extra mile, building relationships, taking chances, moving to new markets, and other techniques that Doak learned and used over A Crazy Journey to finally finding his true identity are told in the book.

It is easy to get caught up in your world, no matter your profession, to believe you are all about your job, your status in your career and to let that define you in life. Do not let that become your identity. Learn your true identity in this book!

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Dec 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798350933338

Book preview

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©2023 FLEXHOUSE PUBLISHING, Sherrills Ford, NC

1st Edition

ISBN: 979-8-35093-332-1 (print)

ISBN: 979-8-35093-333-8 (eBook)

Contents

Rock/Pop

Sir Paul McCartney

CHICAGO

The Moody Blues

Ted Nugent/Derek St. Holmes

JOURNEY

Beach Boys

KISS

FIREFALL

Bob Seger

REO Speedwagon and Walter Egan

The KINKS

Alan Parsons

Bob Welch

Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers

Michael McDonald

POP/R&B/Hip Hop

PRINCE

RUN DMC

MC Hammer & Tone Loc

Flava Flav

Country Music Adventures

GARTH BROOKS

Taylor Swift

SHANIA TWAIN

ALABAMA

Super Bowl of Country Music ‘95

"Whisperin’ Bill Anderson

Grand ‘Ol Opry

Move to Nashville 2002 for the Songwriting Dreams

701 Brook Hollow Road

December get together at the house, the start of something

The Nashville Muse

March 2003 The Start of Something Big to last almost ten years

Third Sunday at 3:00

The Guitar BQ Annual events, 2003-2009

SPORTS and Entertainment

Wrestling Ring Announcer

Tennis

Misc. Sports stories

Authors

Robert James Waller

John Brahaney

Entrepreneur

Tony Van Veen

Peter Buffet

Bill Cranford

Testimony

THANK YOU’S

BONUS and some quick stories on A Crazy Journey

Bernie Taupin

Disclaimer:

This book is written in my own words. A Crazy Journey (And Finding My True Identity) are stories as I remember the events over the years and written as I would tell them to you in person.

The stories are a brain download from the year 2020, as it was great to get the stories all out of my head and onto a word document, which resulted in the book.

The book was on my computer a couple years to marinate and discover what to do with the ideas and how this book can perhaps help others on their journey of life.

In 2023, I dove back into the book to edit for several month and talking with some of the people that were part of the stories and some new ideas for the book, with positive quotes and new stories that came to mind over the years.

The original, non – edited version was 105,000 words and edited to approximately72,000 words to tell the stories and stories behind the stories.

My former English teachers perhaps would shake their head, yet you get the best of me with my stories in my own words.

Please excuse any typos and punctuation errors in the book. If you were an English major, this book may not be for you if you want perfection from an author.

Photos of several of the stories and people on A Crazy Journey are on

www.acrazyjourneybook.com

If you read the book and want more stories, or want me to come to your company or event with books, stories and my testimony, email me

[e-mail] or call my booking agent at 615-354-6400.

If this book inspires you on YOUR journey, please send me an email.

Thank You, Doak Turner

Acknowledgments

Thank You to everyone on my crazy journey of life. I have a Thank You section near the back of this book, as there are too many people to thank at the beginning of A Crazy Journey.

Special thanks to BookBaby and everyone on my long- time friend and client of many years, Tony van Veen’s team that helped me put this book together, the design team, production team, along with Linda Hawley and Patrick Aylward on the sales side helping me and everyone at www.bookbaby.com for producing and printing the book.

If you are writing a book, I will be happy to introduce you to the team at BookBaby.

THANK YOU for purchasing and reading the book and those that encouraged me to keep going on my crazy journey of life. Thanks to the friends that saw I was writing a book as I mentioned it on social media, ordered the book in advance and all the people that I wrote about in the book that are part of the fabric of my life. You have made another of my dreams and goals come true.

A Crazy Journey

(And Finally Learning My True Identity)

by Doak Turner

Endorsements

In the tapestry of Doak’s Crazy Journey, every thread represents a choice made, a lesson learned, and a memory cherished. Through the highs and lows, Doak illustrates and shows how he discovered that life’s unpredictability is what makes it truly beautiful. Embracing the chaos and finding purpose within it is, in fact, one of the greatest adventures. - Chad Jeffers, author/musician (Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Kenny Loggins)

Doak is the best ‘connector’ I’ve ever known. He has so many people in all facets of the music industry and is happy to connect folks without a hint of a self- serving agenda. That’s a very rare quality and is one of the reasons I’m happy to call Doak a friend! Vail Johnson, bassist of the year in both Bass Player and Guitar World magazines and 40 years around the world playing bass with Kenny G, Stevie Nicks, Whitney Houston, Herbie Hancock, Keb Mo’, MC Hammer, George Benson, Michael Bolton and other A list artists.

Doak Turner is a man of many talents. In the 35+ years that I have known him, I’ve witnessed him use creative abilities to bless audiences of all ages. More that just a piece of literature, you’ll find this an interesting and inspiring read. Nikita Koloff The Russian Nightmare eight-time world wrestling champion, best - selling author, popular podcaster and host of both a radio & television show. It’s Time to Man-Up and owner of Koloff for Christ Ministries.

Doak Turner is not just a songwriter himself, but he’s been a great friend to many songwriters along their way, always encouraging them and offering them an open door. His book is an interesting inside look at the people and experiences that made him what he is. Byron Hill, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame class of 2018. To date, sixteen members of the Country Music Hall of Fame have recorded his songs, ninety-seven industry certified Gold and Platinum albums and singles, earning ten ASCAP Awards and thirty-six U.S. and Canadian top-ten charts.

Doak is a true friend. Not just to me but to the entire songwriting community in Nashville. To this day I tell anyone who walks into Music City to pursue this crazy dream, if you need Anything, start with Doak. His connections and wisdom are invaluable. No one cares more about this town’s history and possibilities more than Doak Storme Warren, Radio and Television personality, Host of The Big 615 on Tunein

In the 30 years that I have known Doak Turner I have watched him combine a love of music and songwriting with his super power of kindness and willingness to help into a powerful force that has enabled him to succeed in the highest circles of the music industry. I think that you will find this book an inspirational guide on how to forge your own unique path to success without sacrificing your integrity. -Ron Sowell - singer, songwriter, musician, producer & Music Director for NPR’s Mountain Stage,

I was blessed to meet Doak Turner for the first time when he moved into my place at 701 Brookhollow, Nashville, Tennessee in 2002. I had heard about him from NSAI and knew this guy was a go-getter. Without even thinking about it, I trusted him to move into my home and take it over! Pure trust,,,he’s smart, he’s funny, he can network with anyone about anything. I’ve seen him do it hundreds of times. The Guitar-BQ and 3rd Sunday at 3:00 that he created in my backyard and home was one of the most successful grassroots programs I’ve ever seen. Nothing short of brilliant. Doak saw a need and went with it! On a personal note, our road trip across America was one of the best times of my life. I’m glad it’s all gonna be in a book so I can read about it. – Steven McClintock, Songwriter, Producer, Publisher & Entertainment Industry Consultant.

INTRODUCTION

It’s not the destination, it’s the journey - Ralph Waldo Emerson 

William Frederick Turner Jr. (Doak) was born July 5th, 1959 in South Charleston, WV. Early years spent with mother, Betty, Mawmaw Odessa Kerns, Aunt Barb and Uncle Butch. We moved to St. Albans, WV in 1967 (3rd grade) and remained in St Albans until 1987, when I moved to Charlotte, NC in the radio sales business with Beasley Broadcast Group.

I have always loved reading books about famous athletes and entertainment professionals, from those paperback books I ordered from Scholastic Books, later in Circus Magazine and other music magazines. I loved watch sports and entertainment on television through the years, the Game of the Week to the music, Don Kershner’s Rock Concerts, The Midnight Special, Tom Jones weekly TV show and other music icons on television.

There was always something special about seeing performers of all types on TV and on stage. My first concert was in the mid 60’s, The Four Seasons as I begged mom to take me to that concert, to later attending hundreds of concerts, award shows and special events through the years.

Early memories include watching the Cincinnati Reds on local television and listening to them games on the radio. It was a thrill for me to meet Pete Rose in Charleston, WV and WV native son, Jerry West, The LOGO when he played with the LA Lakers were a couple of the first famous people I met at a young age in Charleston, WV.

Meeting some of the AAA Baseball Charleston Charlies (WV) minor league team and later seeing them on TV with the Pittsburgh Pirates, such as Art Howe, Dave Parker, Richie Zisk and other players was always a thrill to this 12-year-old kid.

I met Coach Bobby Bowden, head football coach at WVU at the time at a Billy Graham Crusade and got his autograph and hearing him speak, along with some of Billy’s guest at the revival were big thrills to me in about 1970.

Little did I know that years later I would meet and work with some of the greatest names in music, sports in the NFL, NBA, MLB, pro wrestling, tennis, NASCAR, motivational speakers, authors and entrepreneurs.

Over the years I was blessed to attend pro baseball games Riverfront Stadium and Atlanta, the 1991 NBA All-Star weekend and several pro basketball games in three different arenas in Charlotte, NC and to see the Lakers play twice in The Staples Center in LA including six rows from the floor (met Magic Johnson at one of those LA games), pro football games in Charlotte and Nashville and the 1994 Super Bowl in Atlanta.

I attended a couple NHL hockey games in Nashville and Los Angeles (in the suite for the King’s game) and minor league hockey in Atlanta, college football games in Morgantown, WV, the Yale Bowl in New Haven, CT, WVU games in Charlotte, NC and Between the Hedges in Georgia. I was blessed with college basketball games in Charleston, WV, NC State and UNC in Raleigh, NC and the ACC Basketball Tournament and NCAA regional games in Charlotte, NC.

I became a tennis fan and attended pro tennis matches including Davis Cup Matches in Cincinnati and Charlotte, (sold tickets to the Charlotte Davis Cup event) and met the pros at the events. I was on ESPN a couple times watching the Davis Cup in Cincinnati in 1981 and met the players and got their autographs at the hotel during the weekend

I asked for and received media passes in the late 80’s and early 90’s for the Family Circle Magazine professional women’s tennis tournament on Hilton Head Island. The tennis events over the years also included a media pass for the women’s Federation Cup tennis matches in Charlotte. NC.

NASCAR memories include events sitting in the suites, access to the pits and garages and on top of the media center in Charlotte with the spotters watching every team and a grand view of the track along with races at tracks including Talladega, Bakersfield, Atlanta, Dover and attending the Daytona 500.

I attended PGA golf tournaments in Winston Salem and Charlotte and a practice round at The Master’s. Great times were spent on Hilton Head Island with all-access passes and events at a celebrity golf tournament weekend and also for the MCI Heritage Tournament on Hilton Head Island thanks to my friend, Bill Scott.

The opportunity to work with basketball legend Carl Scheer and meeting and getting to know David Thompson, one of my favorite basketball players of all time and having him taking me to a Charlotte Hornet’s game in the early 90’s.

In Nashville, I was blessed to work with Audco, with the team coordinating seat-fillers, working events such as the CMA and CMT Awards rehearsals and in charge of seat fillers that were assigned to sit with the artists and celebrities at the events.

For the CMT Awards we were handing out thousands of wristbands to get fans into the shows, along with tickets to fill up sections of the arena and help with the events on TV and even appeared on TV a couple of times at the events.

Several years of working in the sports and entertainment business, my career became my Identity to myself. I was hanging out with some of the greatest names in the world at times and I got caught up in it with my stories and what I talked about with friends and family were all about people I met, got to see perform. Sometimes, I was working behind the scenes and a couple times, on stage in the spotlight. It was part of the job and MY IDENTITY to myself.

I worked to be the best salesperson I could, being the top sales person at my station in Charleston, WV every month from September 1982- January 1987 and success in Charlotte, NC 1987- 1991 and in 195 with NASCAR Country Radio Network. It was fun, yet time demanding and when you get to the top, you think you are really set, have it all figured out, and believe it will always be that way.

The only thing Consistent is Change is what my General Manager of several years, David Chadler often said about life. I had no idea what he was talking about in those fun 80’s, just living to be #1 and keeping that IDENTITY, in my mind. I would learn that lesson of change can happen many times in life over A Crazy Journey.

"There are three constants in life: change, choice and principles." Stephen R. Covey

Some of the greatest times were when I was working in radio sales 1982-1991, ring announcer for NWA Wrestling 1985 and 1986 while working in radio sales, Arena Football NASCAR Country Radio, owning businesses that were a GPS in the Music Community in Nashville, hosting 120+ events at my home in Nashville.

While living in Nashville 2002-2017 I was writing songs with songwriters in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and other hit songwriters along with my peers as all of us were trying to get that big hit song. I was blessed to be working and hanging out with famous people as it was my life at times on A Crazy Journey. That was My IDENTITY.

Highest of highs at times, and when jobs changed, challenges came, the lowest of lows. I lost my IDENTITY for a while at times. I thought of myself as a failure at times, especially at the end of 2017 after I moved back to North Carolina away from the music community in Nashville.

I lost My IDENTITY several times in life, with job changes, career changes, dreams and goals falling short. Yet, for some reason, God kept me going in life. When you feel you are on top of the mountain, then change happens and you do not know which mountain to climb next, so you are at the bottom, you may feel like a failure as I did at times in life. I learned to keep going and praying on A Crazy Journey.

The Testimony section tells what led me to finally finding that TRUE IDENTITY is included with the stories in the book.

The Stories behind the Stories and just how did this kid from St. Albans, WV end up with A Crazy Journey is in the book.

I have included the takeaways discussing the work, effort, taking chances, helping others on their journey, sacrificing relationships, building relationships, working for years at times without vacations. I was learning about life and the industry that I lived and worked, listening to motivation tapes and reading positive books, taking tough times with the challenges to learn how to become a better person and staying positive during tough times to never giving up.

I turned an idea or two into the two successful businesses that had never been done in the Nashville music community to be great resources that made differences in 1,000’s of lives. That was My IDENTITY for 15+ years of life living in the Nashville Music World.

I have also included some of my favorite quotes to go along with the stories from well known people and some quotes that I will take credit for the quote.

One of the Takeaways you can quote me, God Sends People on Our Journey to Keep Us On The Journey. I am the poster child for the statement.

I hope you enjoy the stories, become inspired and most of all, learn to go for your dreams, yet keep life in perspective as your job/career is What You Do, Not Who You Are in life.

Let me know if you enjoy and hopefully learn from the stories,

[e-mail] is my contact information. Feel free to reach out to let me know YOUR thoughts on A Crazy Journey. Photos of A Crazy Journey and other stories are on the site www.acrazyjourneybook.com

There is also a FB page A Crazy Journey of Life And Finding My True Identity.

Rock/Pop

Sir Paul McCartney

One of my biggest thrills for me still is sitting down with a guitar or a piano and just out of nowhere trying to make a song happen. – Paul McCartney

Sir Paul McCartney Let’s start the book with a Beatle, one of the most famous people ever on the planet of any era, and rock icon. Two stories 20 years apart with Paul McCartney.

Paul McCartney in Charlotte 1993

My friend, Lynn Henderson was the promotion director at WCKZ KISS 102 radio station a couple years earlier, asked me to help with a folk festival event at Blockbuster Pavilion, also known in the industry as a shed in 1993. What does this have to do with Paul McCartney, hold on and keep reading.

I worked the festival, helping backstage with whatever was needed done for the festival. I talked to John Hartford, Gentle on My Mind, songwriter and artist, just before he was going on stage as he told me a long story/joke about inviting a female neighbor over to a wild weekend party, but it was just going to be the two of them. I also met Leon Redbone that weekend and he was nice and signed a cool autograph with a little artwork of a beer mug on it.

Saturday evening of the event, I was asked by the stage/production manager if I wanted to help the next three days for the Paul McCartney New World Tour stop in Charlotte and I of course agreed to work that event,

The concert was that Monday night, June 15th and was shown live on Fox TV Network from the venue. Some of the songs on the tour were replaced by commercials for that particular concert.

The show transported extra productions, sound system, lights and other details such as painted stage sets (at the time the world’s largest, measuring 16,400 square feet), projections and promotional material designed by a regular McCartney collaborator, the artist, Brian Clark.

All of these tour productions were not needed for the Charlotte event. The tour was played in football stadiums all over the country, and the Charlotte event would be the only concert on a much smaller stage, with additional lighting for TV and 100 other details to change from the tour.

Blockbuster Pavilion was the venue/shed as it is an amphitheater covered with lawn seats behind the covered seats.

I arrived at 8:00 Sunday morning and was assigned a van and keys and told to be backstage at the top of the hour and at the Hilton Hotel in the University area at the bottom of the hour, just running that circle for the next three days, running the crew back and forth for the about five mile drive between the hotel and venue.

Easy enough and it was fun watching the set ups and having the schedules of what was going on for the three days as Sunday set up, Monday set up and showtime on time to start exactly 8:00 PM and every action scripted for the show including commercial time, Paul talks to audience written in, and Tuesday was show tear down day.

Sunday was back and forth, talking to the crew members, having meals in catering with everyone. On Monday, show day because of Linda McCartney and her stance on animals, no meat served to the crew. I had my first and only taste of fake meat on a burger from the grill, ONE BITE!

The crew would have me run through the McDonalds located right beside the hotel, and they would eat on the way to the venue.