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Nov 26, 2023Liked by Wayne Robins

Wayne, wonderful piece. This would have been some months after you and I heard him debut We Didn’t Start The Fire during a master class at a college on the East End, ahead of the release of Storm Front?

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That was where we first met, wasn't it, Thom? I have no other way of knowing/remembering. Every summer Newsday would rent a small house in the Hamptons for the entertainment (and some society/gossip/news) staff to use if we were on assignment, and with all that "working," one summer bled into the next. It was quite a fun perk. But I do remember that night, I think, because "Elaine," of Elaine's Manhattan writer's hangout, had a BBQ joint that summer, and I had a late dinner and closed down the joint with the famous host. Mighta been like a Monday night or something.

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Wayne, I do believe this is where we first met -- after I had been reading your work for years, of course. Was an early week event -- because I filed the first published account of the crazy lyrics to We Didn't Start the Fire in Billboard before it closed that week.

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Thom, I believed you the first time!

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Nice. Yes u "got" Billy Joel. Not many rock critics did.

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Thanks, LKTIV. That was the job, so what do we do when we've got a job? We try to do it well, always, my friend.

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