Going to Hollywood

I also had a few hours off back then to enjoy a night or two in Old San Antonio:

• I was able to follow this great basketball team in town known as the San Antonio Spurs and developed a real admiration for one of its newest star players, center David Robinson, a civil engineering graduate from the US Naval Academy.

• I got to see this great blues guitarist perform outside downtown San Antonio named Stevie Ray Vaughan (La Semana Alegre, Hemisphere Park, April 25, 1990.)  I'll never forget the opening and smoking instrumental piece, Testify; Mr. Vaughan's silk shirt blowing in the wind and the crowd, gaping opened mouth in amazement.

In those days I had only been repressing what someone in 2011 might call an "American Idol" like ambition for fame and stardom; it was destined to resurface sooner or later. 

A fund raising opportunity with the local Public Television Station KLRN came up.  If I would donate a year's worth of cleaning services, the station would come out and shoot a mini-commercial for me and I could be in it.  Deal!  A homeowner allowed me the use of her home, one of our housekeeping staff signed up to clean before the camera, and I "starred" in the spot by delivering a catchy tag line at the end.

Though I visibly shook during my line "Where the customer is our Prime Concern!" I was star struck.  Quick as I could, I joined up for acting and modeling classes with Cliff Osmond/John Casablancas, a talent agency of sorts and my sights were set for Hollywood. 

Gary Geraci, 1989

In a few short months I had modeled tuxedos on runway or two, did freeze modelling for a mall clothing store (while resisting juvenile delinquents trying to make me laugh), advertised for a local apartment during a photo shoot "playing" tennis, and acted as a silent juror during a TV commercial for a prominent San Antonio lawyer.  But I wasn't getting to leave the country or for that matter, the city any time soon like to New York, LA, or Paris. Oh yeah, did I say that I wasn't really cut out to act? I just got too nervous with speaking parts and could never make it past the audition, not good.  

Well, that's OK, I needed to stay in San Antonio anyway so that I could continue on with the obligations of my day job and, wait a minute, my brothers' Austin, TX band The Titans! was starting to get famous - in San Antonio!