MoheganSun ❤ #PersonalRecollection What can I say, but that it was simply “magical” to be there for Laura’s 5-day run at Mohegan Sun in January 2004. To be able to see and hear Laura and her band perform for five days straight was simply amazing and something I will never forget. I thought I would share some personal memories of that time. When Laura first got to her room at Mohegan, she walked in to find flowers that we had delivered there for her for when she arrived, for which she thanked us privately and while onstage during her first show. During that week, it was so great to spend time with Laura and the band during soundchecks and backstage, and as always, it was such a pleasure to see and spend time with “old” fan friends, some we knew personally from other times and others who had been “online” friends who we finally got to meet in person, as well as the many more that we met for the first time. There’s just something so special anytime one gets the opportunity to get together with others who truly “get it” when it comes to Laura.

We love running contests, and back in those days, we always gave away tickets through the website to Laura’s shows, and in addition, our contest winners got to go backstage after the shows to meet Laura, take photos with her, and get stuff signed before Laura came out to do her meet and greets. I loved taking fans backstage, as it made me happy to see others so happy and excited to meet Laura, and the same went for the meet and greets. We ran the meet and greets for Laura at Mohegan – Vince handling the line and myself sitting next to Laura. Laura enjoyed red wine, and we would have a glass waiting for her when she sat down at the table before she began. It was so interesting to be beside Laura when she interacted with her fans – to see past photos taken with her that she autographed, to hear the conversations, etc. There was such a keen sense of just HOW MUCH Laura truly loved and cared for her fans, and there were many that she had been familiar with for years, as was readily apparent from words exchanged. No matter how long the line, Laura saw each and every fan, no matter how long it took, and mind you, this was before the time of fans paying a large sum of money for what is now a “meet and greet”, which today usually consists of a few words, a photo, and then fans are quickly moved along.

One day during our off time at Mohegan, we saw a country western themed Raggedy Ann doll in one of the shops there and knew we just had to get it for Laura. The HOLD ME album cover did not just utilize “props” with no significance, as Laura really did like Raggedy Ann/Andy dolls. So, we bought it and also had that delivered to her room as a surprise. Needless to say, Laura loved it and the next time she saw us, she thanked us for it and for thinking of her. There were also the great times we had with Laura and a small group of others, whose composition varied throughout the week, after Laura was done with her meet and greets, before we all would call it a night. Many know of Laura’s great love for cooking, and on that Saturday night, after Laura was so psyched about her spot-on performance, there was a small number of us with her just talking and enjoying each other’s company, which included her banker and his sister, and I remember Laura and he talking back and forth about who could make the best chili, and Laura was ever so confident that hers was the best – it was so cute just watching her.

A very special time that stands out, is when one of Laura’s childhood friends, Bev, came to one of the shows. Laura actually spotted her out in the crowd at one point, and you could just tell how surprised and happy she was to see her there. After the concert finished, we felt it only appropriate for Bev to go backstage and spend time with Laura, so we made arrangements to that end and took her back. You can imagine how thrilled Laura was to see Bev once again, and that made our hearts so happy for the both of them. Another time that stands out was taking Rose (who had written about Laura in her celebrity news column in September 2003 and she and I stayed in contact) and her daughter backstage to meet Laura. They had a wonderful time meeting her. Again, that week at Mohegan was all just a very, very special time for so many reasons.

The next day after Laura was done with her concert run at Mohegan, Monday, January 12, 2004, before she and we left for home, she treated Vince and I to lunch at one of the restaurants there. The work of the week was done, and this was nice time to just relax. It was a great time of the three of us talking, laughing, and enjoying a meal together. Laura was very comfortable in her red hoodie and jeans, and it was an easy guess as to what she would be eating that afternoon…her much-loved oysters! Vince and I had the Cajun jambalaya. I’ll never forget the sardine Laura also ordered, just sitting there on the plate, and she said to me, “take a taste.” Not being as big of a seafood lover as her, and seeing those fish eyes staring at me, I was reluctant, but I did it for Laura, LOL, and one taste was all, enough said! She really enjoyed the meal, sampling a bit of our jambalaya, too. At one point, she told Vince that she and I would be back, and she told me to come with her. We walked a bit and then entered the VIP office at Mohegan, as Laura was settling a few things before she would leave that day. I sat there with her and the lady at the desk mentioned that she had gone to one of Laura’s concerts there and really enjoyed it. Laura smiled a big smile, thanked her, and was so glad she enjoyed the show. When done, we walked back to the restaurant to rejoin Vince and spent some more time together. Right before we left the restaurant, Laura thanked us again for being there and for all we had done that week, saying it meant a lot to her. Laura then signed this Mohegan Sun hat for me, and it remains my most personally treasured piece in our archive collection. ❤

After leaving the restaurant, we walked back with her to her room. Before we got on the elevator to go up to her floor, I remember telling her for the first time the tagline that I came up with for her – “The Voice, The Passion, The Power.” She loved it and said it was “perfect!” When we got to her room, she hugged us, and we said our goodbyes. A very sweet ending to a very magnificent week that will always be etched in my heart and memory. Love and miss you, Laura. ❤🌹🍀 ~ Kathy Golik, Legacy Manager

🔷 Hat signing:
Kathy
You are the greatest!
Thank you sooo much for
everything
[heart symbol] XX
Laura Branigan