Tommy Thompson from the original RED CLAY RAMBLERS wrote a grand song called "HOT BUTTERED RUM".

When chimney smoke hangs still and low,
Across the stubble fields of snow,
And angry skies reach down and sieze,
The sorry blackened bones of trees,
In the dead of winter when those silent snowbirds come,
You're my sweet maple sugar honey---hot buttered rum.

When dreary Christmas decorations line the streets and filling stations,
And dimestore santas can't disguise their empty hands and their empty eyes,
In the cold of winter when those tinsel angels come,
You're my sweet msple sugar honey---hot buttered rum.

When gloves and boots and woolen parkas
Bring cold comfort to the heart,
And bitter memories freeze the tongue,
And songs of love are left unsung,
In the dead of winter when thos cold feelings come,
You're my sweet maple sugar honey---hot buttered rum. ________________________________________________________

Sadly, Tommy Thompson is now in a North Carolina nursing home suffering with Alzheimers Disease. A terrible time, I'm sure, for Tommy and a great loss for us all. He was a great talent and a wonderful guy. I'll always remember walking around the Winfield, Kansas festivalgrounds and listening to Claire Lynch while sharing drinks from a paper sack with Tommy. That was completely against all the rules at that good festival--but nobody ever knew---'til now! If anyone would like to drop a line to Tommy, you can do that at:

Tommy Thompson
104 West Main St.--#5
Carrboro, North Carolina 27510
I do hope the place is still there after the recent floods...

Art Thieme