Memories of You

CHAPTER SEVEN End of an Era Medical criteria may have labeled it a mild stroke, but Carl’s voice was affected so that he was not able to sing as before. We thought at first that–like the cancer episode–he would improve, but for some reason Carl was very stubborn and refused to go to a therapist this time. He even refused to see his doctor. If he had gone for therapy, I believe he could have made a recovery. But with his precious voice affected once again, and this time slurred from the stroke, his decision to throw in the towel was most likely a by-product of depression. Carl was a perfectionist when it came to his performances, so when he could no longer give his best to his fans, he made the decision to retire, and he never performed again. -- Although a shadow of his former vibrant self, for the next couple of years Carl could manage a semi-normal lifestyle. I could leave him for a day or so. He could go to the bank, to the supermarket, and even went once to Atlantic City with his sister, Carol. Occasionally, he would go with me on some of the gigs just to make an appearance, or sign autographs at some of the venues. But that didn’t last long. And even though his mind would wander sometimes, he was still able to get around without any assistance and to fix his own meals, take his medications and hold a good conversation. But after Carl’s decision to stop singing, I noticed a decline in his overall health and little changes in his personality. I didn’t expect things to stay the same. After all, the stroke had changed him, and I attributed other changes to his ‘newly retired’ status. What was odd, though, was that a few times he would go places and get lost; and when he got home he would make up stories and laugh it off. The first time he got lost was the night The Coasters were performing at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut. Carl liked to play the slot machines, and before the show, I went to collect him there in the casino. I couldn’t find him anywhere. After calling his cell phone several times he eventually answered. I was relieved, but when I asked him where he was he said he did not know. A security guard finally found him and brought him to the venue in the arena. That was my first clue that something was not right with him.