18 July 25 • 2019
jn
rather than go home. I slept all over
that building: in suites, in concession
areas, in the parking lot. Rick Mahorn
still gives me a hard time about sleep-
ing in the Palace parking lot. One
night, I made a bed of folding chairs
at what would soon be center court. I
was awakened at six in the morning by
guys welding in the high steel above
my head.
I carried Pink Floyd’
s guitars, New
Kids on the Block’
s booze, Madonna’
s
catering, loaded Michael Jackson’
s
semi-trucks, fed Shania Twain’
s
horse and chatted for an hour with
Motorhead’
s Lemmy Kilmister.
I pulled disgusting dirty cables after
concerts until five in the morning. I
was sweaty and dirty and exhausted
and young, and I felt honest in my
work. And I got up the next day and
did it all over again.
I sat next to my father for innumera-
ble Pistons, Vipers and Shock games.
I ate fresh apples in a back corridor
with Jack McCloskey as he was about
to retire from the Pistons.
I grew up there.
AMY GANTZ GERS
My favorite experience at the Palace
was the 1990 Maccabi Games opening
ceremonies. I had fun as a spectator
watching kids from all over the coun-
try and world march around dressed
in matching outfits
and carrying flags …
I also loved going to
Pistons’
games, a bridal
show; and for one year
I worked at the Palace
at Lockerroom, the sou-
venir shop. I worked during the Vipers
and Pistons’
games selling all kinds of
merchandise.
RANDY BARRETT
My memory was the 1998 Maccabi
Games. I wrote and directed the open-
ing ceremonies and Kristi, Beth and
Sara Greenapple and I sang “Don’
t Let
The Light Go Out” as
a tribute to the Munich
11. You haven’
t known
fear until you’
ve sung a
ballad in front of 25,000
people with your face
on the JumboTron.
What an experience!
SUSU SOSNICK
(BOB SOSNICK’
S WIFE)
Barbra Streisand had not toured much
at all during the 1990s and was looking
to do a small seven-city tour, which
included many major cities such as
London, New York City and a grand
New Year’
s Eve performance in Las
Vegas. Her last show prior to this was
at the 52nd Presidential
Inaugural Gala in
Washington, D.C.
Because of his rough-
ly 40-year friendship
with Barbra Streisand’
s
famed manager Marty
Ehrlichman, as well as Barbara herself,
Bob Sosnick was able to convince
them to include Auburn Hills in the
mix.
The only catch was that one of
Barbra’
s stipulations required the entire
floor of the Palace to be covered in red
carpet. She played three nights with
each night culminating in a standing
ovation. But despite all of the beauti-
ful music that Barbara sang over the
course of those three performances,
the memory that has stayed with us
the most throughout the years was the
moment when she congratulated her
dear longtime friend Bobby Sosnick
“who built this beautiful building” …
every single show. ■
Have a personal memory of the Palace you
want to share? Send it to jheadapohl@
renmedia.us.
continued from page 16
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