Dear

Here's the Dear I'm most happy I've still got with me. My lovely wife, Christine, who's birthday is today! Here she is showing some of her many talents:



She can use the backside of a deer as a pencil sharpener!

She lets the kids eat popcorn in the living room!

She can grill better than me!

She designed this costume!

Happy Birthday, Sweetie-Pie!

Gear

Like most musicians, I've gone through a lot of gear in my life. Most of it was crap, but there were a few things I sure wish I'd held on to. Like that '65 Gibson SG Junior that I sold for $50, and now sells on eBay for close to $1000. Or my beautiful Sun speaker cabinet with two huge 18" speakers. That monster took up the entire back seat of my '68 Cougar, and it weighed a ton! But compared to bass cabinets today, with those puny 10-inchers grouped together like a fly's eyeball, that Sun was rockin'! I'll take two 18-inchers over four 10's any day! (not in a gay way, though of course there's nothing wrong with THAT :)

Anyway, the one piece of gear I've kept and lovingly guarded since I was 13 years old is my '79 Fender Precision, which is still in mint condition. With the rosewood fingerboard, sunburst body, and black pickguard, I think it's a work of art. Judge for yourself:



The Precision was not my first bass, though. See if you can guess what the young aspiring rocker is plucking in the pictures below.

Working Musicians

I recently ran into a guy who had travelled from New York to Southern Maryland to just perform at a local county fair. He must not have been paid much, so I assume he did it because he loves what he does.

But here's the kicker -- The guy is a Neil Diamond Impersonator!! He drove hundreds of miles to entertain a few dozen blue-haired ladies in folding chairs, mixed in with guys like me who can't avoid a show like that.

I thoroughly enjoyed both of his shows I attended, as did my wife. In the video, I'm the guy singing "Then he became one!" a measure early.

More power to working musicians like Mr. (almost) Neil Diamond .


The Frog Who Dreamed About Being a King



I Am I Said