Former Metal Drummer Turned Singing Cupid Delivers Love — And Embarrassment

Every Valentine’s Day for the past 10 years, Joe Eason has had one mission as Casper’s singing Cupid. 

It’s not to deliver love.

It’s to maximize embarrassment — as much embarrassment as humanly possible.

“I had a friend of mine named Keith, and I think it was my second or third year of doing this,” Eason told Cowboy State Daily. “And he rode around with me when Valentine’s Day was, like, on a weekend, and made this little 15-minute documentary he titled ‘Delivering Embarrassment.’

“So that’s kind of been my tagline ever since, because I know there’s people who do telegrams that are actually kind of romantic and sweet. But I just want people to know right away that if I’m walking in to sing to someone, I’m bringing as much embarrassment as possible.”

And he admits that perhaps the most embarrassing thing about his singing telegrams are his own performances.

Eason, who was once a drummer in a heavy metal band called Faisst, feels the embarrassing approach is what really works best for him.

“My singing voice is not what I would call lovely,” he said. “I was a drummer for a reason. So, this is more about just being embarrassing, rather than hitting the notes to be on ‘American Idol’ or anything.”

Eason’s telegrams have been hugely popular, with him completing as many as 35 for Valentine’s Day each year.

Playing It To The Cupid Hilt

Eason actually delivers singing telegrams all year long. But Valentine’s Day is the king of all days for this side gig. Valentine’s requires lots of honey lemon tea to soothe his throat, especially since it usually includes a couple days leading up to the actual holiday.

To get ready, Eason will completely clear his schedule, taking a day off from his regular job cleaning carpets, so he’s not doing anything else but singing telegrams. The madness on Valentine’s Day starts as soon as 7:30 a.m. and continues until 6:30 p.m. that night. 

For the occasion, he will dress to the Cupid hilt, while keeping it as goofy as possible, with tiny but extra fluffy white wings, and flashy red silk boxers and a sash. There are also knee-high leather sandals that channel an ancient Rome vibe, complete with a gold headband and cheap plastic bow. 

Imagine that walking up to your door. It’s obvious he’s making quite the scene before he’s even opened his mouth to start singing. In one hand, there’s the huge bouquet of floating balloons, and the other grasps a flimsy cupid’s bow. The victim — er recipient — can’t help but know, in the pit of their stomach, that they’re in for trouble.

Eason’s Cupid gig has led to some pretty funny assignments over the years, as well as a little notoriety. Not only do people recognize him when he walks in the door to do a singing telegram, but he also bumps into people who know of him when he’s doing normal, everyday things, like shopping at the grocery store.

He Can Be Bought, But Not Blocked

Eason has had people yell at him when they see him coming, trying to ward him off, as well as offer him cash on the spot to not sing at all. 

But, while Eason can be bought, he won’t be blocked. Once he’s been hired to do the job, he’s going to finish it. Every last blessed singing note.

But he does let all his victims know that turnabout is fair play in the game of love and war. He will absolutely allow his embarrassed victims to hire him for an equally embarrassing revenge telegram. 

“And I’ve had that happen,” Eason said. “This one guy, within 10 minutes of my leaving his shop, he’d hired me to go sing to his girlfriend. So, I’ve had a lot couples on both sides in the same day before.”

He’s also had the stars align, in an almost cosmic, karma-like way, delivering perfect, but unintended, revenge. Like the Valentine’s-themed singing telegram he just did Thursday at an office in Casper. 

One woman had bought a singing telegram for her coworker, but unbeknownst to that woman, her own husband had also ordered up a singing telegram for her.

“So, what’s going to happen is, I’m going to go sing to this co-worker of hers, and she’s probably going to film it and laugh and have a good time,” Eason said. “And then I’ll go out to my car and sit there for a second, and then I’ll bring in another balloon bouquet and break the news to her that I’m actually singing to her now.”

The Funny Costumes Are Always Ready To Go

Eason has all sorts of costumes for his singing telegrams besides the cupid outfit. He doesn’t do as many singing telegrams outside of Valentine’s Day, but there are birthdays, and there are those “just because” occasions, where someone wants to have a little fun at a colleague’s expense. Eason is there for it.

He has a hallway closet in his home devoted to all of the costumes he’s collected over the past decade. That makes it easy for him to grab a costume and go for a few singing telegrams in between his regular job cleaning carpets.

“I’ve got a taco suit and a banana suit that I just kind of had for Halloween slash whatever else,” he said. “And I’ve got a fireman costume and a gorilla suit. It’s a big, hairy gorilla suit that’s hard otherwise see out of, but that one is always a hit.”

His personal favorite though, is the blue gnome suit, which is clearly channeling some sort of Smurf vibe. 

“That one came about because I got hired for a telegram five, six years ago, and the gentleman said, ‘Well, my wife has a thing for gnomes. Do you mind if I got you a gnome suit? Would you wear it?’”

The answer to that was not only yes, but heck yeah. Bring it on.

“It’s actually like a pretty cool costume,” Eason said. “It’s easy to put on and take it off, and, other than Cupid for Valentine’s Day, it’s one of my favorites. It’s got the hat with a beard and everything, but it’s still breathable and I can even see out of it, so that helps.”

It’s Still About Love, Even If It’s Goofy And Revenge-Filled

Eason got started with singing telegrams 10 years ago when a friend recommended him to Michelle’s Balloons, who was looking for someone to deliver balloons and singing telegrams.

Eason liked the idea because he’d done a lot of performing in the heavy metal band he and his friends once had, and missed it. 

“I’ve got a family now and I’ve settled down, so I don’t do band performance anymore,” Eason said. “But I’m super thankful that I’ve been able to keep my performing career afloat. It helps me scratch that itch that I always have to perform and entertain people, and I’m super thankful for the people of Casper who put me to work every year doing this.”

Eason can still get a little nervous before a performance, though.

“I get a little bit of the butterflies,” he said. “I’m there to be wild and embarrass the person, but I don’t want to mess up the song, and I have a little bit of nerves that keep it to where I’m not like, losing myself in laughter.”

Still, occasionally, if his victim is losing it, he can’t help but giggle a little bit himself. 

Nerves, though, are also why he prefers at least a week’s notice for songs not on his greatest hits list — the most requested singing telegrams. That way, he has a chance to practice, so he can be at his most embarrassing best. 

The top of his greatest hits list is his favorite,” L-O-V-E” by Nat King Cole, followed in a close second by “You are My Sunshine.”

The other songs people have really liked over the years are “Hot Stuff” by Donna Summer, “No One Likes you” By the Scorpions, “My Girl,” by the Temptations, “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing,” By Aerosmith, and “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” By Def Leppard.

For which Eason will, quite often, literally pour a little sugar on the recipient of the Telegram.

That’s for sure embarrassing, Eason acknowledged. But, in the end, he figures the telegrams are still all in the spirit of love. Even when it’s goofy or revenge-filled love, it still shows how much someone really cares.

Contact Renee Jean at renee@cowboystatedaily.com

Renée Jean can be reached at renee@cowboystatedaily.com.