Doug Dir - Harmonica, Cancun, Mexico - February 19, 1995

On a holiday away to Cancun, Mexico in February 1995, purportedly to patch up our breaking marriage, Kathie and I signed on for a 'booze cruise, a dinner cruise to a nearby island on which, for those not initiated, beautiful young Mexican’s boys and girls are employed to make sure everyone on the boat gets drunk.  One of the scheduled events on our cruise was a talent contest, as it turns out, and I was randomly plucked from the audience to participate.

I happened to be carrying an ‘A’ harp, that night, for I had been experimenting with playing around at some Dallas area blues jams, and generally had a harp in my pocket to practice and learn songs. So I capitulated and, when it was my turn to perform, I quickly made an attempt to communicate to the band that I wanted to perform Jimmy Reed’s ‘Baby What You Want Me To Do’.  I ultimately shared the win with a local man who dutifully sang the Mexican National Anthem.  For our embarrassment we were each awarded with a bottle of cheap tequila.

Coincidentally, Pamela Anderson married Tommy Lee that same weekend, just down the beach from us at the Ritz.  We happened to arrive at the airport for our departing flights at the same time.  They stood in line next to us at the American Airlines ticket counter – though they flew first class.  I didn’t recognize either of them; I just recalled that I had been mesmerized  by that woman's amazingly natural beauty . . . and that the tall, gangly, tattooed rocker-type guy that she was with was lucky as shit to have her.  I couldn't help but run into the couple and their entourage, consisting of two equally tattooed male band flunkies, around the terminal as we all waited for the departure of our respective flights back to the U.S.  All we could do was have one last Sunday morning Mexican beer. 

It wasn’t until late that evening after we had arrived back home, in Dallas, that we saw news on the TV and realized who they were, and what we had witnessed.  Of course, we all know that neither their, nor my blessed union could stand the test of time, ending with divorce.

Here is the filmed footage, captured in a commemorative VHS sold at the nights end.  I’ve converted the VHS tape to a digital format, and edited it down to include the additional frames of Kathie and me living it up in Mexico.