I heard that you were competing with the staff-drummer of Motown at that audition in '69.
Oh yeah, everyone...
I was sinking slower and slower in the chair as the night went on, because I didn't even think I was going to get a chance to audition.
My friend Larry Muhoberac was playing keyboards (for Elvis), and we were both running a studio in Dallas, and we both wanted to move to the West-Coast to be session-players.
He said basically: "I know we're gonna start auditioning drummers, and if they can't find somebody, I'll be happy to put your name in.
I'll throw your name in the hat". I said: "Yeah, great!".
So, sure enough, one Friday he called up and said: "Ronnie, we're gonna send you a ticket.
We've been auditioning drummers for two weeks. Can you get on a flight tomorrow night?".
So I take my drums, haul 'em on the airplane, and there I go.
I set them up, this drummer walks in, goes to my drums and starts playing around, thinking they are a rental.
They were my own drums, you know.
And he starts playing, and somebody says: "Hey, that's that guy's set".
So he says: "Hey man, is it okay if I play your drums?".
And I said: "Well, I guess so".
As the evening started, they'd play a song, and I could see everybody going: "Yeah, we found the guy!".
And I'm sinking slower and slower in the chair, thinking: "There's no way I'm gonna get a chance to play".
They all stopped the song, and started packing their instruments.
So Larry goes over to Colonel Parker and says: "You know, this guy that you just bought a ticket for, he's right over there".
And that got his attention, because it cost some money! (laughs).
The Colonel went over to Elvis, and I could tell they were all reluctant to play more.
But they did, and...

What was Elvis' involvement like on those auditions?
He was very active.
It was his idea to have a band behind him like that.
No one had had that kind of a band, and had singers the way he had it.
It was a dream.
He had the vision in a dream.
He told me that.
It was something that he wanted to do, and he told Colonel Parker that that's exactly what he wanted to do.
The Colonel said "no", because he wanted Elvis to go on there with dancing girls, like the '68 special.
But Elvis said: "I've done enough of those stupid movies.
I don't want any more part of that.
I just had this dream. I wanted a hard driving rhythm section, a rock 'n' roll band, a big orchestra in the back, but no dancing, but all singing, with a black soul group and a white gospel group".
So he called the Colonel up in the middle of the night, and said: "This is what I want to do".
And the Colonel said: "No, no, no".
Elvis told me: "That's the only time I ever hung up on the Colonel.
I said: 'We're gonna do that, or I'm not going to Las Vegas', and I hung up".
So he won! (laughs)