I meet all kinds of Chelsea Hotel people and get to hear their stories when I'm out promoting my book, Legends of the Chelsea Hotel. I was at the Kentucky Book Fair and I met this couple who had stayed at the Chelsea back in the 70s. The man, said he had always wanted to stay at the Chelsea but his travelling companion had a lot of reservations due to the Chelsea's bad reputation. He kept working away at her however and she finally agreed to stay at the Chelsea with one stipulation that they had to have their own bathroom so that she could take a bath. So the man readily agreed to this and arranged for a room with a bath. And so they checked in but then the woman said that when she tried to take a bath green slime bubbled up out of the drain. Gee, that happens all the time at the Chelsea.
Another man who came to my reading at Ear x-tacy Record Store in Louisville was an artist who lived at the Chelsea first in 1988 and then again in 1991. He said that Stanley wanted one of his paintings but that he was reluctant to give it to him and it was good thing too because he later sold that painting to Brown Forman Distillries for a heafty sum. Furthermore, this painter claims that he always paid his rent. Boy that was a new one on us. And yes, to answer your question they both bought copies of Legends.
At the Bookfair, I sat next to a lady selling Christian inspirational fiction and when people came by and looked at her books and decided that it wasn't for them I said well maybe you'll like this book, the Chelsea's got sex, drugs and rock & roll galore.
Other Kentucky Authors Sign Books
Rick Bragg
Bobbie Ann Mason
A long line of people wait to have their books signed by Coach Rick Pitino
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