My brother Elmer was a musician and my greatest inspiration. He didn't write songs but loved hearing them and suggesting new avenues. We 'collaborated' by long distance telephone on several songs. And he had the most retentive memory for lyrics I've ever known. I could call him out of the blue and say, In the second verse of so and so how does the third line begin? He might not have heard the song in 50 years but he never failed me.

He and I were the two youngest of a large family, and except for one time when I knocked him down, we never quarreled. We debated lots of things though because we rarely agreed. If most of the time I have learned to stick to the subject rather than attacking the person he is responsible. He died at age 62 in 1999 of lymphoma after 12 years of battle.

So you can see why I'm fond of the name, Elmer.