by Chuck Hinson

Created on: July 31, 2007   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

It seems whenever the word "karaoke" is uttered, the mind conjures up thoughts of stereos blasting a given song's instrumental tracks, a blue video screen scrolling the lyrics of the song, and nervous amateurs belting them out to a party audience.
But my first introduction to it was on July 19, 1969 at 2:30 in the afternoon long before the word for it was even created. Five weeks earlier, on behalf of my rock group, I'd applied for a show at Western Carolina Center (a regional school for the mentally challenged). Two Tuesdays later, the morning's mail brought their letter officially approving the gig. They'd set up the auditorium, provide the microphones and PA system, and would make sure the students would be there. Unfortunately, they couldn't pay us for it, since the school was run solely by state funding.

The big day came, and I took my guitar, harmonica, record player and a Greyhound bus up to Morganton, NC. The other members of the band said they'd take our van and meet me there with the other instruments. Upon arriving, I waited until two-fifteen; no band, no instruments (upon my return to Charlotte, I found they'd "chickened out"). At the last minute - wondering what type of show to do with just a guitar, a harmonica and a couple of records to fill in between sets I had an idea. After making my way to the auditorium, I set up a single stool, plugged in my guitar and started covering a couple of Dylan tunes. Then I pulled out a record called "Tony," by Sonny's Group (it was the B-side of Sonny Bono's "Laugh At Me"). It was just an instrumental blues soundtrack, and, as it played, I nervously began making up words to the song. Because it ended in a fade, I moved farther from the microphone, repeating the last lyrics of the improvised chorus more and more softly. Any worry about whether the song would go over was quickly diminished as that one impromptu "karaoke" experience brought more applause than the rest of my acoustic set. Afterwards, the kids came up and hugged me or wanted my autograph. One even wanted to meet the band that played on the record I used!
After a brief stint in the Army, I returned to the stage in 1971 for a gig in my hometown of Pineville, NC. My new band played like pure professionals during an hour-long set, then took a well-deserved break. Meanwhile, remembering the success of the Morganton gig a couple of years earlier, I brought out the soundtrack of "Agent 00 Soul" (on side B of Edwin Starr's first hit), put it on a turntable

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