Wow - this brought some memories back!

I think my first would be in the late summer of 1975. Me and a guy named Dick Polley had a little country duo going and often were invited to play at outside street dances. The little town we were living in only had a population of about 6-700. On the weekends it brought lots of tourists from Boise up to get away and see the sights of this historic old town. This night we were playing a benefit for one of the old timers who was having some medical problems. One of the loggers had borrowed a flat bed trailer and pulled his semi and this trailer up by the service station - we added a few straw bales for atmosphere and then got up and began singing our regular repetoire of songs. We received a request from the audience to let a young lady, we didn't know her, sing "Summer Time" with us as back up. I can't say as I'd ever played the song before but as the lead guitarist it was my job to do so. It was around midnight, a full moon was our only lighting, and it must have been around 80 degrees with a light breeze - one of those perfect summer nights. Summertime was written on such a night I believe. Well this little gal comes up on stage - she was quite attractive and when Dick asked her what key she said in "C" - OK - Man could she sing! Made my heart melt on the spot - then she looked at me for the lead. I can't say as I have ever played better (I'd never played the song before). It was magic pure and simple. I couldn't have hit a wrong note if I'd tried - all the time this lovely young lady is looking at me and smiling - then I relinquished the song back to her and as she sang the song I played the lead quietly in the background - Dick (who wouldn't normally stay out of any vocal) played the most sensual rythym backup I'd ever heard. At the close the audience didn't move or say a word - last song of the evening. Then someone in the back started clapping - kind of bowled us all over. Never saw the young lady again and had never seen here before. To this day I still play Summer Time by myself and in private - with my wife once - but mostly just me to me.

I was also somewhat of a rowdy and was hired to be Merle Haggard's bodyguard when he played in Boise in 1976. After he was on stage I got to stand right in front of him while the concert went on. There was a pause and he looked at me so I asked him if he would play "All Around the Water Tank" from his "Same Train - Different Time" album. He looked at the audience and asked them if they knew who Jimmie Rogers was - to thunderous applause he played a couple of those old hobo tunes. I was the envy of my peers that night!

In 1979 I went to a Sons of the Pioneers night club show in Lewiston, Idaho. It wasn't much of a club and there weren't a lot of folks there to hear them. They have been idols of mine from when Roy Rogers was their lead vocalist and I was thrilled - although some of the originals had been replaced by family members. I did get to go on stage during the break and visit with the lead guitarist who told me about growing up in folk/bluegrass music. We had a common thread. He handed me his guitar and I played Arkansas Traveler for him - I guess you could say I'd been on stage and played with these guys - stretch of the truth - but I've never been around lots of professional musicians. We're all back porch musicians and any close encounter with "real" musicians is a note worthy of mention to us!!

I think the two very best moments of music were when I learned "Waltz Across Texas" and sang it to my Mom on the telephone when she was feeling blue one night. That and singing "Whispering Pines" to my dear sweet wife and partner Jan - it is her favorite song - makes her melt when I sing it to her. Puts a lump in my throat to even think abut it.

Then there are all of the songs I sang to my kids, my horse once, my dog always enjoyed anything I did, and - geez - where does one stop?

I think here -

Steve