Art ... I just read your posting and I want to thank you for it and for refreshing Walt's thread. You said something the really hit me ..."the music we made was all there was that had any impotance." So very, very true, my friend.

I spent increasing amounts of time with Walt during the last years of his life. During one stay with him in Honolulu, he started bequeathing me things. Small items, including many letters, journal entries, etc. While we both knew he was a shortimer, I was puzzled by this. Then he explained that he wanted me to write his biography. I didn't take him seriously at first, then when I realised he was very serious, I freaked out as I've never considered myself any kind of a writer. In fact, the very first piece of serious writing I EVER did was Walt's obituary for Sing Out, and Don Firth and Sandy Paton know how much I sweated writing that!

In retrospect, starting this thread, and contrubuting to it, and drawing others out, probably is my statement to Walt.

Thank you again Art for bringing this up. CHEERS and BEST WISHES ... Bob(deckman)Nelson ((as Walt would say ... "KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON))