My “Rare Earth” Story (video)

Yeah, yeah, yeah, another Baxter story. I have a lot of them, mostly from my days in Orlando radio. Some, I can't tell until I check the Florida statute of limitations, but this one I can tell.

My family has a lake cabin on Lake Melissa, just outside Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. In the 70's the lady next door used to tell me that her nephew was in the band Rare Earth. This was a pretty big band back then.

She told me her nephew, Mark Olsen, would come to the lake in the Summer when he was a young boy. She said "He would run around outside wearing a coonskin cap".  I don't know why this story stuck in my head for decades, but it did.

Fast forward to the early 90's. I was working at a radio station in Orlando. On Sunday nights, I'd do a show called Orlando Locals where I'd play music from local bands. One day I got a call from a guy wanting to get some music from his new band on the show.

He said, "Hey, my name is Mark Olsen and I used to be in a band called Rare Earth and was wondering if I could get my new band's stuff played on your show?"

For some reason, that story from decades ago popped into my head. I replied "Oh yeah, I bet you used to run around Lake Melissa with a coonskin cap on". There was a pause for a few seconds and then he said "Who the f*ck is this?"

I explained that his Aunt Elda had told me the story and we both laughed.  It's a small world.  Unfortunately, Mark Olsen passed away a short time later.

I've included a video for your listening and viewing pleasure.

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