*originally published at The Covington News in November of 2016
I'd like to give thanks that a transplanted Yankee named Judy met a Newton County boy named Billy while matriculating at that university in Athens back in the day. I’m thankful for the fact that the aforementioned northern co-ed got into music like Joan Baez and Peter, Paul and Mary and bought, and learned how to play, a Harmony guitar while she was in attendance.
I'm also thankful that I was able to mess around with and attempt to play said Harmony guitar as a young boy.
I'm quite thankful that I befriended a beautiful and sweet Biggers girl years ago who had the voice of an angel and could play a pretty good guitar, too. I'm thankful that we kicked off a wonderful musical relationship that would turn into a romantic relationship, years later. She's the best, and I'm a lucky man.
And I'm thankful that I married into her family which consists of folks who are all as good as gold and incredible musicians and singers as well. It's always been an honor to play several of the Biggers Family Band’s shows we've done over the years.
I'd like to give thanks for being a part of a group back in the mid 90's called Southern Freight. To Bobby D. Stephens, Jamie Sherill, Wm Greg Peters, Scott Bowen and some of the others involved with that — Thank you! And I wish somebody could find the video of us playing at that big blowout at the Wiley Farm in which we tore up "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed."
And an additional shout-out to Scotty B for being a musical comrade in so many groups throughout the years in addition to Southern Freight: The Enduring Chill, The Cosmic Rednecks, The Cool Swap, and Neon Madmen.
I'm thankful for the Old Library Basement crew, AKA, The Tin Roof Wranglers: Cham, Brad, Reb, Rob, Tedo & the rest.
I'd like to give thanks to Michael Zahn, God rest his Soul. He saw a need for original acoustic music in our area and gave the opportunity and an outlet for several of us back in the early 2000s at his restaurant. And thanks to RL and Trish who continued that tradition after they took over that spot.
