The Sixth Stone, the Fifth Beatle

Billy Preston, singer/organist extraordinaire, was known as the 5th Beatle and also known as the 6th Stone ... well, when the 328 Club was formed in late summer '74 five of us moved in ... another, while not a resident, was a factor both in planning and after the move ... R.E. Lichty, Tricky Dick. Hence, the subject line of this post.

Dick and I were somewhat inseperable at the time and when he got married a short while later I was in the wedding as an usher. Dick & I had a love/hate relationship in that when others turned against him I batted .500 (i.e. I joined the others as often as I stood with Dick) as opposed to the 1.000 he would of had me bat.

One day I must have done something to particularily frustrate R.E. "What to do, what to do" raced through Dicky's mind. He found himself in my bedroom in the middle of the workday knowing full well that I was in a classroom somewhere in the City as a substitute teacher. "What can I do to get Ted's goat?" We were 23 and had few possesions of value for him to pilfer; vandalizing my walls would blend in rather than stand out. "Hmmmmm". For reasons Dick still doesn't know today he chose to steal all of my - UNDERWEAR. He simply loaded up a trash bag with (both?) all my utrous and disappeared into the day. Him and Lori (his wife to be or perhaps wife) lived around the corner on Orange.

The next day I dutifully make my way down the front stairs, up the back stairs, shit, shower and shave and return, down the back stairs, up the front stairs only to find as I endeavor to get dressed that I have no clean underwear. I forget whether my solution was to put on the day before's drawers or to go without but I was, after looking everywear in the room, pissed after I figured it was foul play. I'm not sure when Dicky fessed up or if I had to buy a new undergarment wardrobe. It was one of Dicky's weaker practical jokes, in my opinion; however ol' R.E. remembers it pretty well to this day so, obviously, he was able to get whatever satisfaction he sought out of it.

Like his father before him, Dick was the consummate practical joker. Some would say he did not know where the line was and, I must admit, that opinion would be correct maybe 50% of the time (did I mention that I batted .500). I remember Dick stealing the Columbia School District Superintnedent's hat, calling the 340 Club once fairly sucessfully posing as an irate husband - a 6'5", 285 lb former NFL player irate husband - to scare my roomie (I won't give that story away as Phil may post it later), obtaining entrance into the most exclusive private clubs - often with me in tow - or clubs. Dick simply knew no boundaries and he had the gift of gab. Again, that characteristic came from his dad ... both Dick and his dad were very sucessful salesmen in their day jobs.

For his being there in '74, for his friendship - then and now, for his bold practical jokes, for his steadfastness in his life experience Dick is honored here with 340 Club Card #9 (issued to him in 1981 and ratified here).