by George Littler

Created on: July 19, 2008   Last Updated: November 04, 2009

The thrill of a lifetime, unexpected and against all odds, for a middle-aged man who found his version of the boyhood dream of running away and joining the circus.

That's what award-winning journalist Bob Greene details in his new book, When We Get To Surf City, a Journey Through America In Pursuit of Rock And Roll, Friendship and Dreams.

While still a columnist for The Chicago Tribune in 1992, Greene, one day, received a note from Gary Griffin, keyboardist in Jan and Dean's touring band, who read about Greene's affection for the California surf-music duo (Jan Berry & Dean Torrance), in Greene's 1988 book, Be True To Your School. The book, a diary of Greene's high-school year of 1964, included a daily entry noting the day he bought the duo's then-new record, The New Girl In School.

Griffin's discovery prompted him to invite Greene to a Jan & Dean show in Kansas City. Berry and Torrance reached the height of their popularity in the 1960's, with many hit records.

After the Kansas City show, Greene was invited by Torrance to the band's next gig in Indianapolis, and at Griffin's urging, went on-stage as a backup singer. With one thing leading to another, what Greene thought was a one-shot deal, turned into a year-after-year touring gig, with his boyhood idols, singing songs he came to know and love, growing up.

Gradually, Greene's role in the band expanded, from the occasional vocal solo, including a Christmastime gig in his boyhood hometown of Columbus, Ohio in front of his parents, to rhythm guitar parts. One of many interesting stories to come, from the rock-and-roll road.

One of the duo's hits, composed by Berry in 1964, Dead Man's Curve, proved to be a portent two years later when Berry was critically injured in a car accident in Southern California. Berry barely survived the crash that caused serious injuries, including some permanent memory loss. After coming out of a coma weeks later, Berry realized he had to re-learn the lyrics of each song he sung, for the rest of his performing life.

From improvised singing in hotel rooms after a less-than-fun gig, to watching Chubby Checker, get accosted by a female fan who jumped on-stage into his arms, Greene, taking in the Checker incident with Jerry Mathers (The Beaver, flown in to MC a multi-act show in St. Louis), colorfully chronicles stories on and offstage, for the band as it traveled and performed, mostly in summer, all over America.

As he spent more time with the band as an outsider asked to stay,

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