Dear friends of Jim Hickam: I am sorry to pass the news on that Jim Hickam passsed away this afternoon at the Jackson Manor Nursing Home in Jackson, MO. Jim had a battle with cancer that lasted only a few months. He went down hill fast and finally succumbed today. Judy Domeny Bowen, a folk singing buddy of ours and a good friend of Jim's put it best, "Fly Jim fly!!" I kind of figured that the angel Gabriel, being the consummate musician that he is needed some lessons in playing the guitar in open G tuning, and as many of you know Jim is just the man for that job. Jim will probably be the only one up there playing a G-tuned guitar rather than a harp. Just last week, Jim rcorded a radio show with us. He had to join us by phone since he was too weak to come into the station. If you want to hear Big Jim's last radio show it will air on Southeast Public Radio this Saturday at 7 P.M. and on WEIU radio this Sunday at 9 A.M. If you are out of range , you can listen on either station's web site.

http://www.semo.edu/sepr/programming/local_folkconnection.htm