Hi Charlie, Franz et al,

I am glad I found this thread too. I just happened to be searching on Google for Simple Boy and found it. If you want to know about my dad there is a website from Steve Trussel that is essentially a collection of stories and articles, (yes, including the negative stuff) that he has accumulated over the years. (http://www.trussel.com/f_mel.htm ) It is quite an interesting read and quite extensive. A lot of the negative stuff is propaganda, designed to stir up emotions, but there is a grain of truth to it. My dad was a simpe soul who had this burning desire to always learn and consume more. First it was with music, learning first the harmonica, which he played the hell out of, and then the banjo. He moved the whole family to North Carolina just so that he could learn to play from Obray Ramsey. He was a bit eccentric like that. (I happened to be born during that time so I ended up with the name.) He did a lot of traveling and met up in the deep South with some of the great old blues players and later hung with Woody Guthrie before Woody died. He consumed life. Eventualy he got this idea that he could teach people about life through playing music and somehow that turned into a commune of people around him. It was an interesting experiment which still lives on to this day, although sadly my dad died in '78 when I was a teen.

The "Lyman" family lives on in California and Boston (Fort Hill) although I left in '89 when I met a English girl who I married shortly afterward. Coincidentally Bonnie, I live in England now too(since '98)

Regarding Simple Boy, I have a recording of it which he made in North Carolina at the time. The sound quality isn't that great, but it might be worth a listen. I haven't listened to it in years.

It is good to know that there are people out there who still remember my dad and appreciate his music. I think he was a hell of a harmonica and banjo player, but I think he would tell you himself that he wasn't much of a singer, (though he tried his darndest). I have been toying with this idea of putting together an album of his music, but I don't know that there would be a market for it. He never had an interest in in the "big time" and to him "career" was a bad word, so he never became widely known.

I am still in touch with Sofie, my mom, who has been married to Jim Kweskin for about 20 years now. She and Jim were recently in Japan for a big Jug Band memorial because Fritz Richmond died recently. All the olf band members showed up. I gather they had a big get together in Cambridge a month back too when they got back from Japan. My mom said people showed up that they hadn't seen in 40 years.

Franz, regarding the Roaming song, I am sure the "family" has a recording of it. I remember hearing it, so it must be recorded.

Anyway, great to hear from you. I'll check in on the thread every now and again to say howdy. Cheerio from England. Obray