“An honest compliment or the smallest act of caring have the potential to turn a life around” is a motto that I live by. I am Randall King, also known as “Dr. Chocolate” in the Corvette community.
I was given my first Corvette, a 1981 red coupe, as a graduation present from my parents which began a decades long love affair with not only the car, but also with the community as a whole.
In the late 90’s, after the first C5 came out, several Corvette clubs started popping up, and one of the criteria was that each member had to own a C5. I was dismayed by this and decided to start attending shows, promoting the love of ALL classes of Corvettes and the inclusion and fellowshipping of ALL Corvette owners. Being a lover of dapper dressing, I would wear my colorful matching dress shirt and shoes along with a doctor’s lab coat that I created with patches of all Corvettes from the C1 to the C5. As each new class has come out, I have added the new patch. I became known as the “Corvette Doctor”.
I started attending Corvette shows on the east coast, dancing and bringing smiles to people’s faces. I took on the persona of the “Dancing Doctor” with my white lab coat donning the flags of all classes of corvettes. I brought an entertainment aspect to shows that was different and enjoyed by all. Upon attending shows with Corvette racer and enthusiast Evangeline Rickman, I was advised by her to spread my message further and “Go west young man.” While attending a show in Memphis, I met and became a mentee of Wil Cooksey with whom I continued later on to accompany on his book signings at Corvette shows crossing not only state lines but also ethnic lines. I have attended shows in states from Maryland to Arkansas, Texas, Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and the Carolinas just to name a few. My favorite saying is “I bring a vision to your eyes and a smile to your face!”, and I am a lover and admirer of ALL Corvettes and ALL Corvette enthusiasts!
