Make happy your soul with that old STEEL GUITAR RAG

Uncle Don was 16 or 17 and hanging out with my Dad making music when I first remember him. It was a family joke that it didn't matter what time Mom made dinner, he'd be at the door.
He had dark brown hair and laughing eyes and large (to me) hands with long fingers. He laughed easily and often.

He and Dad used to just sit and jam at each other with their guitars for what seemed like hours back then. The music would get faster and the licks longer and the sneers and smiles bigger.... I'd just watch them and listen.

Uncle Don would furrow up his brow and squinch down his eyes and stick his tongue out the corner of his mouth when he was really working it. Then he'd glance up at Dad and flash the biggest smile and just dare him to top that lick! Dad would hang his mouth open, like he had to get more wind, and cut one right back at him!

They'd knock back a few beers most nights. Sometimes, a few too many....I remember we were watching the olympic gymnists one night when they came in. The man on TV flipped himself upright from laying flat on the floor...he just put his hands behind his shoulders on each side of his head, brought his feet up, dropped his feet and pushed with his hands at the same time and - ta da! - He was standing up again.

Dad and Uncle Don decided they could do that! We sat there on the couch and watched those two guys lay down on the floor and start doing what the guy on TV did.

Well, almost.

They flopped all over. They had boots on and the noise was horrendous when their feet hit the floor. They would get allllll most up and fall back and crack their heads on the floor. They would almost make it and windmill their arms but over they'd go the wrong way. They ended up on their butts and landed flat on their backs.

Finally, trying to make us think they were just doing it to make us laugh, they really did flop around like fish. We all were screaming with laughter. They never did get all the way up.

I went to see Uncle Don and Aunt Sharon on and off over the years. I got to watch him play on stage at the Driftway one night. Never could do that as a kid. Dad didn't take us to the bars when he played.

I arranged for him and Dad to be at my house in Belding once, as a surprise for them both. They didn't talk much but the smiles were the same. So were the 'tudes. The strings on my guitar and Dad's stayed warm for three days.

When I wanted to buy a house we went to Uncle Don once we found one. He got us a good deal and I still live there.

Now Uncle Don is jamming with Dad and the rest of the amazing band they must have up there. I can almost hear the music.

My heart is torn for the family. I have lost my father, step father, and husband in the last several years....I know how hard this will be for them.

As an aside: I was at jam session Saturday afternoon. One of the guys started playing steel guitar rag. I picked up on it first and then the rest of them got with it. When we got done I told him it was one Dad almost always played. Dad and Don played it the day they were at my house, doing what I call challenge style, taking turns on the leads....as far as I know that's the last time they played together.

I found out later that Saturday afternoon is when Don passed on...and I was playing Steel Guitar Rag with friends....now that's timing.

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