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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