The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe - 19: John's Portuguese Cousin

Episode Date: May 31, 2016

A most unlikely path to becoming one of the greatest voices of all time.

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The ocean connects us. Find your connection at Monterey Bay Aquarium.org slash connects. This is the way I heard it. Herbie had a problem, and his problem was Bobby Fleischman. Bobby was the lead singer in a band that Herbie managed, a band that Herbie knew was destined for greatness. Herbie had handpicked the members himself, and they were all rock solid, including Bobby.

The problem was this. Unlike the rest of the guys in the band, Bobby insisted on keeping his agent. Now, with his group on the brink of stardom, Herbie was not interested in sharing. the band's profits with another agent. So Bobby had to go, and Herbie already had his replacement lined up, a 28-year-old, unrepresented singer of Portuguese descent, a singer with a voice unlike anything Herbie had ever heard. But Herbie had another problem. Bobby was close with his

bandmates. If any of them smelled a rat, the band would very likely rebel, and Herbie knew from bitter experience, just how quickly a tour could fall to pieces if the band wasn't jelling. So Herbie orchestrated a hostile takeover, rock and roll style. He hired Bobby Fleischman's replacement, not as a singer, but as a roadie. As a roadie, Herbie figured that Bobby's replacement could observe every performance up close and personal and learn every song without arousing suspicion. But Herbie had yet one more problem. Roeys were large, handy, hairy, and covered with tattoos. Bobby's replacement was none of those things. He looked like a Native American teenager. He stood five foot seven, weighed in at barely 130 pounds. His features were slight. His long, dark hair

parted in the middle. Worse, he didn't know the first thing about being a roadie. So Herbie approached John Villanueva, the head rowdy for the band, who also happened to be Portuguese. Together, they concocted a story that explained the presence of a roadie who couldn't run cable, manage electric, or handle the simplest kind of rigging. And that is how Bobby Fleischman's replacement in waiting became John Villanueva's Portuguese cousin. Rock and roll is a crazy Machiavellian business, and I guess, Crazier plots have been hatched by crazier characters, but it's hard to imagine a bolder scheme leading to a grander result than the strange journey of John Villanueva's Portuguese cousin.

The lad was a quick study, and after a few months touring with the band, he'd not only acclimated to life on the road, he'd sat through dozens of sound checks and memorized most of the band's playlist. But Herbie still wondered if he'd be ready when the chance finally came. And Herbie got his answer at Laguna Beach in the summer of 1977. The band was on stage testing the sound system. As they prepared to rehearse the opening number, Herbie told Bobby Fleischman a reporter was waiting to talk to him on the phone downstairs. When Bobby was safely out of earshot,

Herbie summoned John's Portuguese cousin to the stage. Hey, kid, yeah, you with the feathered hair. Come on up here. We need somebody to check out. the main microphone. The band paid no attention to the good-natured guy they'd come to know over the last few months. John's Portuguese cousin walked on stage, touched the golden eighth note he always wore around his neck, and stood tentatively behind the microphone. The band kicked into the opening number, and when the moment came, John's Portuguese cousin let it all hang out.

Even in the empty arena, the response was extraordinary. The cleaning crew came out to listen. The concession workers joined them. The band, of course, was flabbergasted, but the roadies were probably more stunned than anybody. The skinny little stage hand had a voice like an angel, an upper register with no top, a tone so clear and pure, it gave Herbie goose bumps on top of goosebumps.

By the time the song was done, there was no question. about it. Herbie fired Bobby Fleischman and the band didn't bat an eye. John's Portuguese cousin signed with Herbie and quickly became the lead singer for a group that would forever change the experience of arena-style rock and roll. For the next 10 years, Herbie got rich, while the fake roadie, who went on to replace Bobby Fleischman, went on to become so famous that John Bon Jovi referred to him simply as the voice. Meanwhile, John Villanueva, the real Rody, who pretended to be the imaginary Portuguese cousin,

to a singer, no one really knew, went on to give Herbie's legendary band its now legendary name. Journey. As for Herbie Herbert, well, fate has a way of settling all accounts, and ten years after replacing Bobby Fleischman, he was fired by, yeah, you guessed it, John's Portuguese cousin,

a singer you might know, as Steve Perry, proving, once again, the wheel in the sky keeps on turning. Anyway, that's the way I heard it. If you work in University Maintenance, Granger considers you an MVP, because your playbook ensures your arena is always ready for tip-off, and Granger is your trusted partner. the products you need all in one place from HVAC and plumbing supplies

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whether that's surfing a wave or taken in an inspiring view. The ocean feeds us. Sustainable seafood practices bring the ocean's bounty to our plates. The ocean teaches us how our everyday choices big and small make an impact the ocean delights us as playful otters restore coastal kelp forests the ocean connects us find your connection at monterey bay aquarium.org slash connects