I only had the pleasure of seeing Walt perform once, in Seattle, and never had the opportunity to meet him. This thread has persuaded me to revisit him, through his recordings, not only to see what I have obviously missed musically, but to go back in time, briefly. I was only in the Great Northwest for two years, January 20, 1961 (the day of Kennedy's inauguration)to January, 1963 courtesy of the U.S. Army. The experience was an indelible one, however.

Don Firth's book is one I would love to see come to fruition. By the way, Don, my Mother, now 99 and in end-stage dementia, was a pioneer nurse and physical therapist who specialized in polio rehab in the '30's and '40's. I visited with and knew many people who suffered the lifelong after-effects of the disease. It often made them stronger people in many ways, as you might well testify. She was the one person in my family who supported my interest in music. Until you mentioned your early years, I had almost forgotten that fact.