"Join us for a spin down memory lane, and a taste of rock'n'roll with Des Moines' very own, and retired, James Freeman," said a HUD official who remembered the era like it was yesterday, Des Moines Acting Field Office Director Bill McNarney. The Iowa HUD Office proudly shared their special event, and both the curious young and the once-young curious turned out to hear James Freeman tell his fascinating story.

Growing up in the "projects" of New Haven, CT, Freeman stood on the corner with his high school friends singing the songs of the 50's. A record producer heard them and encouraged them to cut a record - and the rest was history, as they say. They recorded In the Still of the Night in the basement of their neighborhood church, St. Bernadette's, and the song entered the top forty later that year. He talked about playing in the famous Apollo Theater in Harlem, and going on tour with Chuck Barry, Fats Domino, Little Richard and the Platters plus many, many other famous artists and stars.

In fact, a playbill he displayed showed the Five Satins headlining, and special guests The Platters and Harry Bellefonte following! He said he was in awe of these famous people and felt very lucky to be in their presence (The Five Satins sang in the one set of clothes Mr. Freeman's mother sewed for them - while the other groups changed their clothes with each song).

After the New Haven group made In the Still of the Night, which did climb high in the music charts, Freeman said the members went their separate ways. "At that time if you didn't have a hit single every month, unless you were like The Platters with hit after hit, once it slowed down, you had to go out and get a job." The song did sell approximately ten million records.

HUD Committee member Pam Dodge, honored guest Jim Freeman, HUD Acting Field Office Director McNarney, and Committee member Krista Bowersox reminisce, but decide against trying to harmonize.

Freeman moved to Iowa in 1970 to attend Drake University. He said more fame and fortune has come to him the past few years since his induction into the Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame in 1998 than it did when the record was released in 1956. Last year, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) also named The Five Satin's In the Still of the Night one of the "Songs of the Century." (The Five Satin's version of the song was re-released in 1960 and again in 1961 - both times also hitting the Top 100 - and was rerecorded and released by various artists since then, including Boyz 2 Men in 1993.)

"We came out of the projects in Connecticut, we got lucky," Mr. Freeman said of the Five Satins. "There's always an avenue. You don't have to get bogged down in everything around you. We found our solace in singing. Not everybody can be a Sammy Davis, Jr., but anything can happen."

Those attending Mr. Freeman's presentation went away not only humming the tunes of the Five Satins, but having heard the stories of a quiet, unpretentious man, wondering where would 'The Five Satins' be today in a different time or with just more hit record.

Secretary Martinez and Deputy Secretary Jackson continue to encourage all employees to take this confidential survey to express YOUR honest opinions about your HUD workplace. The goal of the Workplace Satisfaction Survey is to identify and hold on to the things that are good about HUD's workplace, and work to make improvements in the future. YOUR opinions will be taken seriously - but to make a difference, you need to participate!

This survey is open to HUD employees only, and staff will find additional information on HUD@Work, on HUD's internal Intranet site. Just click on the "more" link in the Today's Feature box (in the upper right hand corner of the page) to get a direct link to OPM's secure website, and your opportunity to take this confidential survey. Don't forget to write down the HUD survey logon, and the survey password - you can't take the survey without them!

It's your future, and you can help shape it by taking part in the HUD Workplace Satisfaction survey...but please act soon.