This is a true story about real events about people that have made something from nothing . About having a dream and turning it into reality .

Dreams Lost and Found

My Life As A ChauffeurBy Morris Bussie Jr.

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2009 Morris Bussie Jr.
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4389-6575-8

Contents

Acknowledgements....................................................vIntroduction........................................................1"From Where I Started"..............................................5"The Move to Washington"............................................17"Responsibility of Life"............................................25"Almost Lost It"....................................................35"Life Changing Experience"..........................................47"My Wildest Experience as a Chauffeur"..............................61"Hanging with the Stars"............................................81"Working with Royalty"..............................................103"People That Have Made a Difference in my Life".....................129"The Weekend with his Royal Badness"................................133"My Turn"...........................................................161

Chapter One

"From Where I Started"

"First you have to look like somebody." Those were the words of my friend father, Mr. Crowder. He believed in order to get peoples attention they had to see you first. And then you had to earn there respect by the way you carry yourself. That one simple rule never left me and I carry it with me every day. Looking back on my early years, growing up in Philadelphia I was impressed by people that everyone else wanted to know. At the age of seven I remember living in North Philly on a little street called Sterner Street. The street was so small that people had to park on the sidewalk in order for other cars to get by.

On the corner of our street was a small storefront church, that's where I first met Teddy Pendergrass. I didn't know who he was at the time because I was only seven years old and that was before he became a star. It was something about him back then, everyone new he would be a great singer. He was the lead singer in the church choir and when he sang people would shout and cry. From that moment on I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to make people scream, clap, and be happy, also. One night while standing on the outside of the church after a choir rehearsal he came out looked at me and said, "why aren't you at home doing your homework little man?" I just gazed at him and said, "I wanted to hear the music." He patted me on my head and said, "so you like music." Yea! I said. Well in order to be a good musician and singer you have to study and get your education. At an early age I was always drawn to greatness and people who got things done. I liked how people gathered around them and how they would smile and be happy. Growing up in North Philadelphia for the first eight years of my life was tuff on our family, my father left my mother when I was about two years old. My mother was strong, and determined to give us a good home. There were three children my oldest sister Laura, my brother Benjamin, and me.

When my mother met my step father Ronald Coleman I was about three years old. I will always appreciate my step father for stepping into our lives when we needed a father and a male figure around. I could never understand how my real father could leave my mother with no money, no job, and three small children to take care of. But I guess that's another book I have to write. Before moving from North Philly I got a taste of just how bad it was out in the streets.

I can remember one day the Diamond street gang and a gang called Zulu Nation were fighting. My mother called us all in the house, but me being the adventurous one after coming in the house, I went and opened up the window to look out, my friend next door, was still sitting on the steps. One of the gang members came down the street and stabbed my friend in his legs. The next week Ronny moved us up to West Oak Lain. Back then in the late sixties that was considered the suburbs. The house we moved from was small compared to our new house. The new neighborhood seemed to be a lot safer. I was a little older and learned to be more independent.

The new house had three bedrooms, and a basement. I had to share a room with my brother. That's where I spent most of my time listening to the radio and playing music. Everyday I dreamed of becoming a musician and a singer. I always had an outgoing personality, I liked talking to people and making them feels good. In Junior High School I became popular. I was a quick study of people, fashion, and music. Some of the actors I liked at the time were Billy D. Williams, Sidney P. and Fred Williamson.

I had been bugging my mother for a guitar for the longest, so for Christmas she and Ronny bought me one. I learned to play it in about three months. Jimmy Hendrix was one of my favorite guitar players along with Santana and some others. So I listened to their albums and I learned how to play them note for note. All through junior high school I became more and more popular for my musical abilities, and the way I dressed. At that time somewhere deep inside of me, I knew that I had to look the part of someone in order to be somebody.

After meeting my friend, Steve in my second year of Junior High School we became close friends. If I wasn't at his house he was at mine. Steve wasn't a musician but we did other cool things together. He was just a cool person to be around. After I met his father and he told me, "son in life, first you have to look like somebody before you can become someone. It's like he had been in my life sense the beginning. Sometimes God puts people in your life for a reason. That's why Steve and I got along so well. It was almost like we were brothers. I will never forget the Crowder family.

I also found out in life that the first imprecision is a lasting, imprecision but it's what you do and say afterward that counts. Something else I found out from one of the old heads in the neighborhood was never let an opportunity get by without trying to grab hold of it. He said, "some people miss that one opportunity that could change their lives for the better." Never be afraid to take chances. The people in Philadelphia seemed more outgoing and warm. The old heads would talk to us about trying to be successful in life.

After being in West Oak Lane for a while I found out that we lived around a lot of stars. We lived on 67th avenue. Right around the corner on Oqontz Avenue is where the heavy weight champion of the world Joe Frazier lived. I remember in school I was cool with Joe Frazier's son Marvis. But I didn't know who he was at the time. One day after school Marvis asked me to come walk home with him so I could see his new bike. When we reach his house my eyes lit up. The house was bright red. When we went inside, I could not believe that we were in the same neighborhood. We walked through his living room. Every where I looked was glass chrome and mirrors. The house was laid out. We went downstairs and that's when I realized that I was in Joe Frazier's house. There were pictures of famous fighters, trophies, and championship gloves every where. It was like being in a museum. After about fifteen minutes, Joe Frazier walked down stairs. I could not believe it. Then my instinct took over, I walked over to him put out my hand and said, "hi Mr. Frazier I'm Morris, Marvis's Friend." Right away I showed my respect and in return I gained his. Success in life is giving others respect, that builds relationships for a life time.

To this day Mavis and I are...