GlennShadix.com - The Clock Series

> Don Higdon

There once was a young, true silk blonde, blue eyed, beautiful dreamer with the slender elegant build of a natural prince who lived in a valley in the shadows of an enormous Steel Mill in Birmingham Alabama in the 1950's and 1960's. He magically, and through a plethora of talents and exceptional intelligence, blotted out the Steel Mill smoke, the constant and painful international attention on the constantly relentless comical series of political and moral mistakes of our elders. Don's heart held him high above the sad, ridicules wreckage of honor and truth spread amongst the consciousness' of those who clothed fed and loved us. During those undeclared final battles of The Civil War, that took place quite literally all around us, we were conscientiously moot in regards our faith and support in the two men who kept our local leaders in terrified defiance. Martin Luther King and John Fitzgerald Kennedy were vilified by nearly everyone we ever encountered during all our youth--- spent just a few miles apart. Don Higdon was born April 15th 1950. I was quick to follow on April 15th 1952. We lived about four miles from one another. Don's father Bruce was a handsome steel worker and his mother Alyce a beautiful Hairdresser. This was several years before "Beautician" made it sound like a medical practitioner whom the wise were advised to pay regular visits. Alyce "Fixed Hair". For Don she was Alyce Faye researching a role. They were closer than even mother and me. It would be a hot horse race but I do think they were closer. Don's father Bruce was without question Tyrone Powers doing extended research on some steel mill movie Mr. Mayer had planned for MGM to fill the prestige slot those goddamn light in the loafer puffs who kept squawking from the public relation bungalow. Don Higdon lived a dream life and he and his mother loved movies and shared the most tender and delicious secrets. We must have, in that small metropolitan community, crossed one another's paths many times. Surely we were mere rows apart at more than one premiere of a new feature at what Adolf Zukor had proclaimed in 1924, The Showplace of the South. The Alabama Theater. However, It was June 9th 1973 when we finally met. Festival Theater auditions for Mart Crawly's 'The Boys In The Band.' Such an unbelievable parade of hopefuls. Everyone knew everyone and those we didn't know we knew of. Don was cast in the lead as the neurotic alcoholic, Michael. I was given the ultra outrageous and effeminate role of Emory. This was, remember, Birmingham Alabama in 1973. We opened July 9th and July and August were sold out every performance. We extended three more weeks and I swear we could have gone to Thanksgiving with that production with packed houses. However subtle pressures were arising. The management where I was working at The Birmingham News had become undeniably cold---although, I must say, The Birmingham News gave us a rave. Have no idea how that was allowed to occur. Someone on that paper fought for us and bless whoever it was that had the guts. The entire cast was feeling a real growing threat growing and Don was already living in Atlanta so the rest of the cast packed up and moved to Hotlanta in September of 1973. We all just left Birmingham. The ENTIRE cast. Jobless, Close to broke and ready to conquer new territory. No fear in those days. I landed my first equity job at 21 playing Sancho Panza opposite Phil Pleasence at The Alliance Theater in Atlanta. In 1974, Don was the first of my friends to move to Hollywood. After a two years on Drama Scholarship at Birmingham Southern and a frightening and exhilarating year in Manhattan, I received a postcard from Don in California. In it he said "Palm Trees Grow and Rents are Low. When are you coming?" I arrived at 2am July 17th 1977 and Mr. Higdon took me immediately To Canters Deli on Fairfax where you had a pastrami on rye, I had no idea what this sandwhich was, but it was delicious. After Canters we drove to his tiny single apartment at The Navarre on Franklin east of western. In the next 15 years, Don's juvenile diabetes slowly stole his health and finally took his life in September 1992. He was my champion and my hero. I was his primary care giver in his final year and his parents, friends and I scattered his ashes in his favorite spot in Griffith Park. He was 42. When this clock photo was taken on May 1, 1990, Don was listening to The Mamas and The Papas song from their first LP, "GO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO". And he did what he wanted to do. I miss him everyday.

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