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RAGTIME & RHYTHMS continued
these eyes that change colors. If she’s mad,
then they’re green. A lot of times, they’re
brown. Sometimes they’re hazel. That night,
they were brown.
“Let me tell you, the band was cooking,
the music hopping, and I could see those
two girls bopping away. They were loving the
music, and the one with the beautiful eyes—
her eyes were lit up with delight because she
was loving the music. Fortunately my friend
was sitting alone at a table, and he invited the
girls to sit with him. I joined them at the table,
and the rest is history.”
With the love of his life named Cheryl,
Flint continued onto another tour in Europe
where he earned enough profit for a down
payment on a house in Las Vegas. At thirtyeight
years old, Flint bought his first home
and worked all over Vegas for the next ten
years. From show rooms, to lounges, Flint
loved entertaining the audiences and met
some really interesting people. Upon falling
in love with country music, Flint performed in
a show called County Tonight for three years.
The show continues on in Branson to this day.
From Vegas to Reno, Tahoe, Carson City and
the Nevada circuit, Flint performed, living his
best life ever.
An unforgettable moment that stays with
Flint, without hesitation, is meeting Ray
Charles and playing a duet with him. When a
childhood friend, who became a lawyer in the
office of the attorney of Ray Charles, invited
Flint to an event, he said, “Flint, there’s gonna
be a party, and Ray Charles is gonna be one
of the guests. You have to come and meet Ray
Charles.”
Possessing an utmost love and respect for
Ray Charles, Flint was going! He explains, “If
I had an idol for blues and R&B, that would
be Ray Charles. For jazz, Oscar Peterson.
For classical, Arthur Rubinstein. For an all–
around showman, it would be Liberace. So
Ray was my idol, and I got to meet him!”
Flint remembers, “I made sure I was playing
the piano when Ray Charles came in. I look
out the window and see Ray Charles coming
up the driveway. They come in, and Ray starts
making his rounds when people start telling
him to sit down with me. Ray Charles sits right
beside me, and I’m looking at my fingers; then
I look at the famous hands of the great Ray
Charles. I almost started crying as it was such
a dramatic moment for me. We played a duet
and started to really crush it. When it was over,
he reached out to me and started touching
my face. He asked me to join him in the den,
and once again, he started touching my face,
getting to know me. We talked about music for
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quite a while. That was the highlight of my life!
That man had a special connection with God.
Look at anything that he’s done. He’s recorded
a ton of albums, and everyone just thinks he
is terrific!”
Other highlights continued in winning
“Entertainer of the Year” in San Diego twice
in ’88 and ’90. While living in Vegas, Flint
won the title of “Best Pianist.” A composer
of over 30 original songs with a repertoire
of love songs, gospel and country, Flint has
entertained the world from European tours to
the Vegas Circuit, to playing with Ray Charles
and accompanying Tina Turner. Overcoming
all odds, he beat them! In not only mastering
the piano, Flint has also mastered the mystery
of life in discovering and then living his
authentic purpose!
As live performances mean everything to
great performers, it’s all about connecting
with audiences! The shutdowns of COVID-19
have made it increasingly difficult for
performers as there are no concerts, no
shows, no opportunities. Learning to reinvent
himself via online platforms, Flint presented a
show from his living room utilizing Facebook
and received over 1700 views. Finding some
light in the dark times, Flint cheers, “I’ve been
more productive during the COVID than ever
before with so much time available. However,
the creative spirit is all about sharing.
Performance is my way of loving you as I’m
here to delight, to inform, to tickle the basic
instincts, to create joy, to make people glad.
Whenever people see a Flint Long show, they
forget their cares.”
Experiencing the medley of high notes
and low, Flint has learned many lessons since
that six year old boy sat down to play for the
very first time. In realizing his gift, Flint tells,
“Every hour I spend on the piano bench,
whether performing or practicing, I know I’m
doing God’s will. There’s nothing else that
I could be doing. I should be practicing 5-6
hours a day. I should be pushing my songs,
promoting them. I should be trying to engage
with Ronnie Milsap and develop a friendship.
I should be putting myself out there more.”
In looking back over the score, Flints
encourages, “Reach inside yourself and be the
best you can be. Don’t make compromises.
Don’t waste your time. Don’t squander your
talents. You have to bring out the best in
yourself. Follow your dream and bring out the
excellence—YOUR EXCELLENCE.
My parents didn’t want me to become a
professional entertainer or musician, but I
think they eventually became proud of me.
They were right about the pitfalls of the music
life; there are difficult waters to navigate with
all of the temptations. However, I don’t think
there’s a substitute for excellence. Forgo all
RAGTIME & RHYTHMS con't. next column
the side stuff and bring out the best inside of
you.”
There is nothing new about success, and
being excellent doesn’t ensure success. “You
have to stick to the basics and believe in
yourself,” shares Flint. “I do believe in God,
and I believe He helps us. I just think you have
to keep moving forward. You have to keep going.”
With the whole world as his stage, Flint
has chosen to come home to Pinehurst! When
Cheryl’s son retired with the military out of
Fort Bragg, Flint was introduced to this area
and fell in love with Moore County. “Nothing
compares to Pinehurst,” exclaims Flint. “We
looked all around for a place to call home, and
Pinehurst was such a great fit! Moore County
is home. Moore County is Beautiful. Moore
County is peaceful.”
Flint even wrote a song about living in
Moore, and if you are lucky enough to hear
it, then he’ll become your favorite entertainer
ever! I’m sure of it! Connect with him online,
and if you ever have the opportunity to hear
him play—go! From Ragtime to the Rhythms
of life, Flint Long is living his incredible life
song! ☐ Connect with Flint Long via all of the
avenues listed below.
• SUBSCRIBE •
Check out the Flint Long Channel
on YouTube.
• CONNECT •
Sign up for online Piano Lessons
with Flint Long.
• PURCHASE •
Flint’s piano instruction book
entitled, “101 of the Best Blues and
Boogie Woogie Licks.”
• WEB •
www.FlintLongPiano.com
• EMAIL •
flintlongpiano@gmail.com
p.30 The Pinehurst Gazette, Inc. No. 142
/www.FlintLongPiano.com
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