Cindy Lange-Kubick: Queen and King throw a birthday bash

She’s a former saloon keeper.

He’s a current ambulance chaser.

She turns 72 in two weeks.

He turned 72 two months back.

Both of which — and more — seemed a good enough reason for Joyce Durand (the Sidetrack Bar Queen) and Herb Friedman (the Personal Injury King) to have a birthday party to celebrate their enduring friendship.

So they sent out a couple of hundred fliers to their closest friends and colleagues.

 An odd invitation from two odd people for an odd occasion on an odd date …

And they hope all of them (but not more than that, thank you kindly) can make it to the Sidetrack tonight…

… to celebrate a combined 144 years of general hell raising, coupled with a few good deeds and much fun …

Most people know Joyce from the Sidetrack, an O Street bar, (with a porn shop to one side and a collection agency to the other,) which she once owned, and still haunts on football Saturdays, singing raunchy songs and merrily entertaining the intoxicated faithful.

And most know Herb from his television attorney ads. (Disclaimer: The phrase “ambulance chaser” comes directly from the birthday party invitation, composed by Mr. Friedman, and cannot be used against me in a court of law).

And some others might know both of them from their passionate involvement in Democratic party politics.

And if they didn’t, they would after reading the last line of tonight’s invitation.

Yes we were both born in 1936, which was basically a good year, save for some guy from Arizona …

And, no, neither of them will be voting for that guy for president next month.

And while the invite was composed in fun, they stop being quite so funny when they talk about being friends.

They figure they met at some Democratic function decades ago. Could be 40 years ago by now. Who remembers that far back?

But they must have hit it off because they remained friends, says Joyce.

“I wish I had something scintillating to say. Long-lasting friendships aren’t that full of drama, but I’ll tell you what I think of him — if I’m in trouble I call Herb.”

He’s a good lawyer, she says, and a good person. A man with a social conscience who does good deeds on the sly.

And Joyce?

“Oh, she’s just very bright and very interesting and very unique,” says Herb.

She’s an independent woman with good instincts.

“I don’t know if you know this but she raised three boys by herself. I have nothing but good to say about her.”

Two of his three kids worked for Joyce at the Sidetrack. He was her landlord at one time — owned the bar’s building.

They supported causes together over the years, and raised money for them.

“We both have a social conscience,” explains Joyce. “He cares about the average person. Civil rights, human rights, women’s rights.”

And she does, too.

They try to get together for lunch every few months.

Sometimes they talk on the phone two or three times a week. About politics. Family. The state of the city and the world.

And they never run out of things to talk about.

“We’re a lot alike, that’s for sure,” says Herb

 “We just get along,” says Joyce. “That’s all.”

Really, there’s no explaining friendship.

But birthday parties are another matter.

They threw a big bash for their 50th. And they planned to have another when they turned 70, but it just didn’t happen.

Then, suddenly, they were turning 72.

“That’s 144,” says Joyce, turning funny. “That would make it our gross birthday party, I guess.”

There will be music and lawyers and political-types and perhaps some off-color testimonials.

Then there will be the odd combination of Herb and Joyce together in a bar.

Sounds like a good time.

Reach Cindy Lange-Kubick at 473-7218 or clangekubick@journalstar.com.