Suzy Thompson here - there are probably other links between these three terrific singers, and I am one. I haven't seen either Art or Michael face-to-face in decades (I haven't travelled much til recently due to our raising our developmentally disabled child who is now happily living in a group home nearby) but Michael Cooney was one of the first folksingers I heard in person. I have played a bit of music with Michael; he once went many miles out of his way in order to return my fiddle, which I had left at a gig, to me, for which I am forever grateful. I was in touch with Art last year, when he kindly supplied a wonderful photo of Kilby Snow with the New Lost City Ramblers for the film "Always Been A Rambler". I've been playing music with Geoff for I guess about 15 years now, on and off. He continues to be my favorite singer to accompany, and that is really saying something, because I have had the privilege of backing up some great singers. Geoff lives in Los Angeles, I don't think he has ever lived in Texas.

By the way, our Geoff & Texas Sheiks show at the Freight & Salvage in Berkeley was incredible. There were numerous times when the whole room (the 7 musicians onstage plus more than 500 people in the audience)just took a collective deep breath and went to that magical other place, the place you always strive to go to when playing music, but it doesn't happen very often (except for a few geniuses like Ornette Coleman who seem to be able to get there very time). I always enjoy playing, and have a good time performing, but it's rare for that to happen to me and even rarer for it to happen numerous times over the course of the night. Not only that, but Bonnie Raitt sat in with us and sang several songs -- and that was something I'll always remember.

I don't know when the Texas Sheiks will play again. It's a big band, a lot of air fares to get everyone together, but I'm hoping that some festival somewhere will want to have us play.

I am pretty sure that Art, Michael and Geoff have not been in the same place at the same time, but I'd be very surprised if Michael and Geoff didn't run into each other in the early 60s somewhere in New England. If I remember, I'll ask Geoff next time I speak with him.

And -- hi Art!!! Thanks again for the pictures! And if Michael Cooney is reading this, greetings from the left coast from me and Eric!

Suzy T.