GERALD

I always tell people that Gerald WOULD NOT marry me until I learned to pronounce his name INCORRECTLY!

Everywhere else in the world the name Gerald is pronounced with the "J" sound for the "G" ("Jare-uld")); only around here is it pronounced with the soft "G" ("Gare-uld")!

Gerald likes to point out that there were three Geralds in his graduating class: Gerald Downs, Gerald Marshall and Gerald Leland (but Gerald Leland went by "Jerry") and I had a worker at International whose name was pronounced as Gerald's is.

Gerald has had so many nicknames: he's been known as Jerry, Gary, Ray, Uncle G, Geraldo, The G Spot, but the topper came at 4:30 one morning as I answered the phone and the caller asked, "Is Rape awake?" I was groggy but I shrieked, "RAPE?" The caller said, "Just tell him I'm not going to work this morning." I elbowed Gerald in the side and asked, "Do you know anyone who would call you "Rape"?" He said, "That's Doug; he just started riding to work with me." I asked, "He calls you "Rape"?" Gerald said, "Yeah, the guys at work call me Rape." I asked "What happened to "The Rapper"?" He said, "Oh, that song's not big anymore."

"The Rapper" came out in 1970; it was a one-hit wonder by the group JaggerZ. I've often wondered if "Rap" music began with that song. It's available on YouTube! Or you can listen to it below.