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THE PER DIEM GAME
November 29, 2006 | 12:53 am
TALES FROM THE ROAD
By: Harlan (Hucky) Austin
My inspiration for this article came from Bob Seger’s song Turn the page.
A long and lonesome highway, east of Omaha.
You can listen to the engine moaning out its one lone song
you can think about woman, or the girl you knew the night before,
but your thoughts will soon be wandering, the way they always do.
When your riding sixteen hours and there’s nothing much to do
and you don’t feel much like riding, you just wish the trip was through
When you’re working on the road, members of the entourage and the crew receive what is called “per diem” (which means “every day” in Latin or something) it’s the daily fee that you are given to cover the cost of meals on the road. Well, back in the day my weekly per diem allowance was around $350. As a young 20-something that was a substantial amount of pocket money, and because I was Prince’s bodyguard I rarely had to use any of it for meals or dry cleaning ect… plus there seemed to always be food at the venues after soundchecks. So I would just keep a giant and constantly increasing wad of cash in my pocket, with little worry that I would be robbed. After all, who is going to try and take money from a big and burly bodybuilder, right?
For the most part, I was pretty responsible about that money, but there was also a lot of “down” time on the road, (hence the whole Bob Seger thing). So Gilbert Jerome and Myself came up with a crazy way to amuse ourselves. We created “the Per Diem Game.”
This was how it worked: one guy would challenge another guy to play. The challenger would reach into his pocket for his wad of money and maybe layout, say $500. The challenged guy would whip out $600. This would continue, with each guy laying out money until you’d find out in the end who had more. You lost when you found out you were short on cash compared to the other guy, and the loser would have to pony up $100 to the winner, buy him dinner and basically agree to let him have bragging rights over your “shortcomings” for a week.
Well, one time Prince saw me playing this little game with Gilbert. He asked “what’s that?” and I explained to him that we were playing the Per Diem Game. Prince didn’t know what Per Diem was, because he didn’t receive a weekly allotment to cover expenses. He grinned at me, and clearly I could see he thought it was kind of silly, but also kind of cool–a stash of cash can make any guy look like a mac daddy.
The next week, Prince walked up to me and challenged me to the Per Diem Game.
I was feeling pretty cocky, being (1) Privy to the fact that I knew he didn’t get per diem and (2) I carried all his cash and his credit cards, (3) wet behind the ears so I agreed to play
Well.
I knew I had to come strong, so I laid out $2000 and I got to tell you I was feeling pretty good about my chances. Prince then counter with $4500 it was like watching one of those counting machines, you know like the one in Scarface or at the bank. At that instant I look back at Gilbert and he’s laughing so hard that tears are coming down his face. You see unbeknownst to me Prince had apparently gone to see Don Peak the tour accountant and asked “how come I don’t get per diem?” and gotten it. Probably back-pay, to boot.
But Prince really was a Prince–he didn’t collect on that win and taught me a valuable lesson: Don’t gamble with a multi-millionaire, you’re never gonna win!
Comments
Funny, LOL! Thank you so much for sharing! 
Seems like you guys were having too much fun! All I seem to remember is a LOT of work! Karen K
Too funny, and clever…expected of Prince. Thanks for sharing.
Did Prince pay homage to your game in Grafitti Bridge? The Per Diem Game looks like what Morris and Jerome were playing in the scene where Morris wins by pulling money out of his shoe.
Great story! Thanks for sharing.
I can’t say for certain, but I believe so. Like I said in the story Gilbert Jerome and Myself would play this game all the time
Btw we started playing the game on the Purple Rain tour 1984/85
i look forward to your posts! this stuff is priceless and gives a cool human side to prince.
This story made me laugh out loud. Too funny! Thanks for sharing.
K2 I’m shocked how could you forget your birthday party in Paris. Don’t you remember when Gilbert (aka Chumley) and Prince (aka Tennessee Tuxedo) walk in the room lol…
Huck… You bring back some great memories and some not so great ones, as well… I was on the way to finally having you beaten at our Per Diem Game. I had somewhere in the vicinity of $700 saved and, maan, I was ready for you! (I was never ready for Gilbert but then, who was?!) I had just left Dallas in the blue van (before the crash) and was on my way to Atlanta. After a long morning drive, I found myself hungry and craving a Big Mac. I pulled into an Alabama truckstop McDonalds drive through. I placed my order and, salivating, pulled up to the pay window. It was then that I started to panic as I reached my hand into the driver’s door pocket, pulled out my wallet and found it EMPTY!!! The thief hadn’t even left me enough cash for a single French fry (Pommes Frites in real French)!! Once my panic and anger had subsided my investigation led me to the conclusion that I had left my wallet in the door pocket the night before then tossed the van keys to the valet (in this case, that’s French for thief). Even a quick call the Dallas hotel manager did not lead to a return of my money. And there was nothing I could do about it personally as I was two states away and on a tight Purple time schedule..! One thing I did learn that stayed with me the remainder of the tour — keep your keys and park the van yourself!!! A rather costly lesson that caused me to never beat you at the game…
Oh man…to have that kinda money to play with!!! Don’t ya wish you had put some of that away or invested it for the ol’ proverbial “rainy day”?
Love these stories….Please do tell more..:-)
Ha, Thanks Yall.
& hello , JB ?
Oh that is a hilarious story. “Why don’t I get per diem?” Too much. LOL
LOL!!!!!
yo,that was awesome!
This reminds me of the scene in Grafitti Bridge with Jerome and Morris and Morris won b/c he had extra money in the heel of his shoe(lol)
Per diem? C’mon, Huck. Prince “can’t pay for thaaatt”!
How funny!! I would be a huge loser at that game, unfortunately!
I read the comment that pvtjoy left you….that would really suck!!!
Great story Huck,
All I can say is at least you got Per Diem! When I started out with 50 Cent at the beginning of his career, we didin’t even get Per Diem. I remember my first day on the road the tour bus pulling up to an Wendy’s resturant and the road manager ordering 40 hamburgers!!! Who knows, maybe one day I’ll do “True G-Unit stories” (but prob. not =) In the mean time I’ll just stick to my insiders guide to the bodyguard business…http://industry-icon.com/blog/
[...] Harlan Austin is a good friend of mine and worked for years as Prince’s Bodyguard. He hosts a site called True Prince Stories where he relates a light-hearted story about his past being a bodyguard trying to bet his bucks against the boss. You can find it here. [...]
Another great story. Terrific bedtime stories for a true Prince fan, thanks!
YOU GUY ARE GREAT,I’M GLAD I FOUND THIS SITE.GREAT STORIES.WE ALL LOVE PRINCE,HE INSPIRES HIS FOLLOWERS.HE’S A HERO.
[...] Harlan Austin is a good friend of mine and worked for years as Prince’s Bodyguard. He hosts a site called True Prince Stories where he relates a light-hearted story about his past being a bodyguard trying to bet his bucks against the boss. You can find it here. [...]
THATS TIGHT THANKS 4 SHAREING THE GREAT STORIES CANT WAIT 4 MORE
hello, I was at the celly in 2002, I got to meet prince twice in two days. it was really cool, the first time was when prince picked up one of his bodygaurds in his purple prowler, there was two other girls with me. I was really shy, I felt like a school girl. I was wearing a brown shirt, I was at the far end of his ride. the other two girls was asking him questions about If he was going to wear his PJ”s that night. I looked up and Prince said hello, I swear I was about to fall out right there. It was cool that he took the time to say hello. The second time, was the next night, I dressed up like someone from the Movie Under the Cherry Moon. I had on a white beret, a tight black sweater, and a short black skirt with white poka-dots. and black fishnet stocking, also 5in stacked heels. I am only 5feet 1 in. well I thought I looked pretty good. I walked into PP. and saw prince”s bodyguard. and thought I would try my luck, I nicely tapped the bodyguard and asked it it was ok to shake Prince”s hand, he said sure, I shooks prince”s hand, I was overjoyed,as I was walking away, I found out that Prince was checking me out. I was floored. A true story.
I love it! I am so glad that you share your memories with us. THANKS!
Just like being there! Great story. It must have been nice working with Prince.
Peace
What a Prince! I can imagine his impish and rougish smirk on his face as he gave the lesson!
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Man these stories are so great….please keep them coming!!!