Sometimes you need to rely on the information that you are given. You may even believe it to be true, only to find out it isn’t so. Being right and wrong can add an extra layer of complexity to any situation.
I learned early on in life about the importance of your source. I also learned not to believe everything I read. In addition, I learned that adults make mistakes just like kids.
When I was 12, I read about Ian Gillan replacing Ronnie James Dio in Black Sabbath. I can’t recall which magazine it was in, but it was likely Circus or Hit Parader. The article had his name misspelled as Gillian though, with a second i. However, I was unaware of who Ian Gillan was and so did not know the correct spelling of his name.
I was made aware of the correct spelling though. I went into school the next day, armed with this big, exciting news. Memorising this new name was important so that I could get the story right. A friend of mine laughed at my pronunciation of Ian’s name, given the additional i. The conversation suddenly stopped being about this new change in one of our favourite bands.
The discussion then centred on how to spell Ian’s name. I was certain that I had memorised it correctly. My friend was certain he was correct. As he was a fan of Deep Purple already, I assumed he was correct and I let it go.
I checked the magazine that evening and I had read its incorrect spelling correctly. It was difficult in that pre-internet era to verify something like this without getting to a shop to check the spelling on the album or cassette. As I lived on a farm, far away from record shops, this was a non-starter.
My friend brought in his Deep Purple cassette the next day to confirm that the spelling was with just one i – Gillan.
It’s funny how a person can be right and wrong at the same time, like I was. But it happens. So it is always good to check the original, definitive source, if you can, before using the information.
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