I originally had a dinner date the night of my 28th birthday in May of 1986. The girl called me at work that afternoon and cancelled! I had known that Sintra was going to be at the Philly Spectrum that same night but had decided earlier that I probably couldn't afford the tickets. Just on a whim I called the Spectrum ticketing to price one ticket. I was told that if I came down to the ticket window I could get better seating and pricing. I worked about 20 minutes away in Jersey just over the bridge so I drove over on my lunch break. The lady at the window searched and said the best I have is only for one seat seven rows from the stage. I said that's all I need, how much. She replied $25.00, could it get any better?
That night I thought this is my birthday I'm getting a real treat and I'm going in what at that time, was my style. I dressed in my favorite jeans and a bright red & white Hawaiian shirt. Before the show started people were coming out of the stage access way. Some of these people were going over to the orchestra seating, musicians obviously, and some others were coming and sitting on either side of me, their spouses I guess. Anyway all these people were dressed in near formal wear. The men in suites and the women in gowns and there I was in the middle of all these suites and gowns in my bright red Hawaiian shirt. I was in such glory to see Sinatra for the first time I didn't care one bit but I swear that every time he came over to that side of the stage he looked right at me, I almost waved. I could only think that he was probably thinking, where in the hell did this guy come from. It still is among some of the most memorable birthdays I ever had.