It was Nov 1979 and Frank Zane was the current Mr Olympia. I was at Plymouth State College, NH and had started doing bodybuilding contests the yr before.
A good lifting buddy of mine at the college , Bob Thayer, asked some of us from the school gym to come down and help out at bodybuilding meet his former HS principal was putting on near Keene NH.
I am 5'9" br hr/eyes fairly wide shoulders, narrow hips etc. This was the era of Zane so any bodybuilder with those features "looked like Zane "to other bodybuilders in that time period LOL.
When I met the principal and show promoter, he remarked at how I looked a lot like Zane. My buddy Bob chimed in quickly with; " He should! Frank is his older brother." The guy looked at me for confirmation and I went with it. The thing grew and took on a life of its' own. At dinner with him and the other lfiters I made up a bunch of BS about the Zane family history ;how Frank met Christine and how we all get Frank to pig out during Christmas dinner after the Olympia and photo shoots, etc. I was asked to be the head judge of the contest and I accepted with an aw shucks modesty. My buddies were sure to gab anyone that knew me at the night show and quietly inform them who I now was.
The judges were introduced at the night show and my intro came last and went as follows:
" Our head judge tonight is a real special guest. He is currently climbing up the bodybuilding ladder in in New England contests and is a student at PSC. He is the youner brother of 3 time Mr Olympia Frank Zane.
Let is give a warm welcome to ... Howard Zane". I stood up with great pomp and circumstance wearing a borrowed green suit. I slowly tunred and gave the "presidential wave" to the crowd.
I even signed an actual autograph on some kids program who had his older brother in the show.
I crack up when I think that some middle aged guy might have some old bodybuilding show program stuffed in some family album with a 'Howard Zane' autograph on it .
Howard Zane hehe
