I spoke with him a half year back and he's doing well consid'rin'. I asked considrin what and he replied, "Considrin these golden years can really suck." He never complained that I recall, but he did have a way of getting to the nub of a situation and expressing it in a few well chosen words. He's carried that attribute with him through his life and his songs. He could pace a set better than anyone I ever heard and his albums were like that, too. Great songwriter.