Music…

Music has always been a good friend to me. But after being diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease, we’ve become very close. It’s no KP but it sure helps put my mind in a better place when it’s been trying to wander to the dark side of life. As you’ve read over the last few months, I fall back on various songs and artists for specific reasons. There are many times I don’t know what I’d do without it.

My relationship with music really got going in junior high. KP and I both invested in high-end stereos and would spend countless nights in one of our basements cranking up the tunes. Turntables were great for the LPs, but those 8-track tapes would run all night long. We spent many hours in the record shops at the mall, spending our hard earned allowances. Our collections grew so large our carrying cases wouldn’t be allowed as carry-ons on a flight today.

Just because we were always together doesn’t mean we always agreed on our music. KP used to tease me that I would listen to Milton Delugg and his Band With a Thug from The Gong Show. This isn’t true, but I will admit to occasionally having Ambrosia or Christopher Cross playing on my car stereo. (Did I mention that the very first thing we did when we got our first cars was head for the car stereo shop?)

KP tended to lean toward a little more aggressive bands like ZZ Top, AC/DC and Aerosmith. One group we always agreed on was Boston, which was our first band we saw in concert. Their album got played over and over at our homes, in our cars, and at our parties. It didn’t hurt that their first big hit, More Than a Feeling, featured a girl named Mary Ann. One of our prettiest high school cheerleaders was also named Mary Ann and I was lucky enough to be asked to be her escort during Homecoming.

To list all of our musical influences would take pages… and that’s just from the 70s. After moving away from Kansas, I still loved my rock ‘n’ roll but country started to creep into my playlist. (Yes, it’s true, I did make mixed tapes in the 80s.) Alabama and Randy Travis became fixtures on the speakers but so did Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Alman Brothers. I’ve been looking for an excuse to post Simple Man and this is it:

A lot of years and more than a million miles have passed by on my musical journey, not to mention hundreds of concerts. I’ve found that the older I get, the more I appreciate the artistry of song writers and performers, coming to enjoy all genres of music. As I write this post, Amy and I are getting ready to go see Here Come the Mummies with six of our good friends. This is a band you’ve probably never heard of but one that I enjoy immensely.

I first saw them at the House of Blues in Chicago. One of my very close friends was a regional manager for Live Nation and put a small group of guys together to go see this band. I’m not a big boys’ night out type of person, but because these were all good friends so I figured I’d make my usual appearance and be home by 10:30. Pulling a disappearing act is part of my MO.

When midnight rolled around and I wasn’t home, Amy was a little concerned. At 2:00 she got to hear ALL ABOUT this awesome band that I just had to stay and see. To shorten a long(er) story, Amy got to work with our good friend from Live Nation and brought them back to Chicago for my surprise 50th birthday with more than 200 of my friends. They completely surprised me and I must say… I have the best wife and group of friends ever!

Here’s a taste of Here Come the Mummies but a video can’t do them justice. They must be seen in person.

Today I still love my rock ‘n’ roll and southern country, but I’ve also discovered Christian rock and country. As you’ve read week after week, I’ve posted some of my favorite songs by these new-found bands. Thanks to modern technology I have so much fun finding new artists. Amy and I take long road trips at least a couple of times a year. My favorite way to fill the hours on the road is to ask Pandora to play one of my favorite songs, new or old, then let Pandora pick what comes next. I’ve found countless artists and songs that I just love to listen too. (It’s also a great way to find old songs that you’ve forgotten about.) To remember what I’ve just discovered, I take a pictures of the car stereo screen to capture the songs that have caught my attention.

This Saturday we’re heading to Milwaukee to catch Zach Williams and MercyMe. Zach’s spiritual journey is very similar to mine, with many years spent away from the church, believing we could do it all on our own. He’s written a book about his journey, Rescue Story: Faith, Freedom, and Finding My Way Home. It’s a good read that I highly recommend.

MercyMe‘s I Can Only Imagine is one of the first songs I heard after we left the hospital and was told I had ALS. It’s a song I’ve listened to over and over again, bringing me peace every time I hear it. I’ll share it now to help bring this entry to a close:

Well, writing this has been a whirlwind trip through the last 50 plus years of my life. The hardest part has been condensing so much that has inspired me into these few paragraphs. It has helped me to set a new goal – to live long enough that I’ll be able to write in-depth about the music that I love so much. (I guess I’m just going to have to write that book!)

Thanks as always for hanging in there with me week after week. I hope I’ve brought you a little joy.

Have a great weekend and God Bless.

Coach