Tonight I caught part of the show of two world class guitarist. Their names are Mark Cosgrove and Roberto Della Vecchia and they played at the Palace Theatre near where I live. A guy named Steve Kauffman owns the theatre and he is an amazing guitarist as well. $13 bucks for some great musical inspiration was more than worth it. Their music reminded me of some great times I have had with music over the years. Some of my favorite guitarists include professional speaker buddies
Tim
Bays, Jana Stanfield, and Mike Rayburn. Other favorites include four categories
1) Someone old – David Wilcox - I have been listening to him for over twenty years 2) Someone new – Robinella - I just heard her in the Old City in Knoxville on Sunday and really like her sound 3) Someone borrowed – my buddy Keith just loaned me some Dave Matthews guitar music and I LOVE it. 4) Someone blue – Billie Joe Armstrong, a blues master.Not many people know this but I play a mean guitar. I try to keep some of my skills hidden as I don’t like to brag about my talent but just between us I am a World Class-less Guitar player. I mean I play so poorly that my wife hides all my G-strings (guitar strings, OK?). In college, I played my guitar in a talent show and sang the song “I Want to Make it With You” by
America, who was already WAY out of style. Add in my big hair and surfer Joe dress and I was a winning candidate for
America’s Got NO Talent. It would have been difficult to find just one female contestant had I been on a casting call for a show like The Bachelor. While the real studs on campus were listening to REO Speedwagon and Bruce Springsteen, I was amassing quite the collection of future E-bay 8-Tracks including the Commodores, Earth, Wind and Fire, and vintage Michael Jackson, all courtesy of the Columbia Record and rip off Tape club. I can remember playing air bass guitar as Lionel Richie belted out “You’re a Brick House”. Even though my air guitar was almost as bad as my real guitar, I am proud to say that over the years after people have heard me play a real guitar, I would get lots of request - requests to take my guitar and smash it over my head. But just like good music creates good memories, I now realize that that bad music creates good memories too. Today is the anniversary of the death of my best friend, Bill Walter. When we were in 9th grade (the year Bill and I met), we played lots of bad music together. One song I remember was called “You Take a Stick of Bamboo”. It stands out as the stupidest song of the 20th century. Bill and I would sing it over and over again strumming the three guitar cords we knew. Then to add insult to injury, we’d try to harmonize like Donny and Marie Osmond or Seals and Croft. I’m sure anyone passing by would stop in their tracks to pray when they heard us…pray to be temporarily stricken deaf and pray to NEVER have to hear us again. But we had fun and that was what music is all about. As long as you don’t play too loud, too long, or too much, being bad can really create good – good laughter, good friendships, and good memories.
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Thanks for sharing your blog with me! I can just imagine you and Bill playing your guitars in high school. I wish I could remember that song! For Bill’s 9 year anniversary yesterday, Austin and I watched the video of his Colorado funeral and listened to a cassette tape of the Florida funeral for the first time. Austin wanted to see/hear excerpts about his dad. We listened to your wonderful speech about your best friend, and we both laughed and cried! It is still a big blur, but at least time has healed the severe pain and has brought us peace.
Thanks for keeping Bill’s memory alive with all you do on his behalf! You are our “angel among us”!!
Hopefully, we can talk soon!
Love to all the Richardsons!
Kathy