I knew Rick back in the late '70s into 1980. I have in my memory a beautiful summer night, under a clear sky, when Rick and I and another friend were all walking down my street (I don't remember why) and Rick was playing a strat through a Pignose and singing, that beautiful voice of his. Another time, I'd won an ASCAP songwriting contest, and the prize was being in a songwriting group headed by 2 high up members of ASCAP. An honor. Each week we'd present a song. One week Rick agreed to perform one of my songs for the group. I was thrilled. But after we got there, after a few minutes, he said to me, "I can't perform for these people," and left. I'm sorry to say, we never spoke after that. I should have been more understanding of his temperament, but I wasn't. After his passing I regretted it, and still do.