Rick,

Willie at the Horseshoe? I just don't need to know that he ever played there, I'm jealous as hell. Although based on the description I'd guess that this was about 1967, I doubt my mom would have let me go as I was eight. If she knew what Willie would come to mean to me she probably would have taken me.

I'm guessing Roy Orbison as the other artist. I'm no really that familiar with country, keep it to Willie, Waylon (who I'd have guessed but I think he has brown hair), Johnny Cash who would never be caught in a white suit, Hank who I believe was no longer with us at the time and I don't think ever played an electric and Merle Haggard.

I know what you mean about breaking up at a Willie show. He sort of puts everything in focus, it's really no big deal, let's get on with life and have fun.

The first time I saw Willie in Wheeling I was there on a golf trip and he happened to be in town. It was magical. I raved about it to my sister Susan for about three years. When I saw that he was going to be there again last September I told Sue that I was there was no way she wasn't going with me. She had heard me rave about Willie for years, had heard a bit of him and thought he was okay, but didn't get what I was going on about.

I just loved watching Susan's face during the show. Having been trained classically she is not easily impressed with guitar players, but she leaned over to me while Jody Payne was playing a solo and said 'this guy is a super player I'd like him on his own, but then Willie plays and you almost forget about him.' She was mesmerized by Willie's playing, singing and his songs. And the band was rock solid, taking time to showcase everyone's considerable talent.

After the show we bumped into Jody Payne at a bar near our hotel. We sat and gabbed for a couple of hours and made the fatal mistake of trying to drink tequila with Bud Chasers with a guy who has been on the road his whole life. He and Susan had a great chat about music, he and I talked about golf and banjo's. It was a wonderful night. I'll go see Willie and Family anytime they're in a small venue within a day's drive of Toronto. Back to the Horseshoe. I was in High School during my Rock years. One day a buddy of mine asked me if I wanted to go to see April Wine at the El Mo that night. Having seen them a few times prior to that I told him no. Of course when I saw the paper the next day The Rolling Stones were on the cover, playing live at the El Mo. Just how many o's do put in Looooser for that one? My buddy might be a bigger loser as he decided no to go because I wasn't going.