A friend notified me our longtime friend Rod passed at 5:40 a.m. Rod was 85.
I met Rod January 2, 2007. He and his wife Jo had opened their
restaurant -- Miner's Grubstake -- in Atlantic City, Wyo., that day.
We became fast friends. Rod had been a music teacher all over
Wyoming, and he envisioned starting a community string band.
Many who'd never ever touched a musical instrument came
under Rod's spell, and we formed the Atlantic City Strum Lords.
I traded my sax background for a banjo. Rod said, "A guy is standing
atop a tall building and drops a sax and a banjo to the ground.
Nobody cared!"
A local highway patrol officer took up the mandolin. Another
friend, not dissuaded by Rod's joke, also picked up a banjo. We
became what Rod called the class clowns, and he wouldn't let us
sit next to each other. A gal learned the guitar -- Rod's favorite
string instrument. Jo played the stand-up bass. Another local guy
already very good at the guitar joined in.
We played every Wednesday afternoon at Rod 'n' Jo's house after
consuming way too much of their homemade soup and all the other
carry-in food the rest of us took.
We each had a music book with all the tunes Rod taught us, and
he expected us to practice between Wednesdays! We did.
After a few years we played in public at a local celebration. Jo had
made sing-along books to hand out so folks could join in with us.
For many years after that we played at lots of local events.
We played mostly bluegrass and old C&W, but sometimes Rod would
slip in a more modern song just to shake things up a bit.
Rod's heart must have been solid gold. Nary a harsh word came
from him, and he'd give anyone his last shirt. He and Jo sold their
beloved restaurant, hung around in Atlantic for a few years, and
eventually moved to northern Arizona's more agreeable climate.
That was the end of the Strum Lords. Rod's the one in the plaid
shirt and bib overalls.
I last saw Rod about three years ago. Rest in peace, my friend.
Please send your warm thoughts to Jo.
I met Rod January 2, 2007. He and his wife Jo had opened their
restaurant -- Miner's Grubstake -- in Atlantic City, Wyo., that day.
We became fast friends. Rod had been a music teacher all over
Wyoming, and he envisioned starting a community string band.
Many who'd never ever touched a musical instrument came
under Rod's spell, and we formed the Atlantic City Strum Lords.
I traded my sax background for a banjo. Rod said, "A guy is standing
atop a tall building and drops a sax and a banjo to the ground.
Nobody cared!"
A local highway patrol officer took up the mandolin. Another
friend, not dissuaded by Rod's joke, also picked up a banjo. We
became what Rod called the class clowns, and he wouldn't let us
sit next to each other. A gal learned the guitar -- Rod's favorite
string instrument. Jo played the stand-up bass. Another local guy
already very good at the guitar joined in.
We played every Wednesday afternoon at Rod 'n' Jo's house after
consuming way too much of their homemade soup and all the other
carry-in food the rest of us took.
We each had a music book with all the tunes Rod taught us, and
he expected us to practice between Wednesdays! We did.
After a few years we played in public at a local celebration. Jo had
made sing-along books to hand out so folks could join in with us.
For many years after that we played at lots of local events.
We played mostly bluegrass and old C&W, but sometimes Rod would
slip in a more modern song just to shake things up a bit.
Rod's heart must have been solid gold. Nary a harsh word came
from him, and he'd give anyone his last shirt. He and Jo sold their
beloved restaurant, hung around in Atlantic for a few years, and
eventually moved to northern Arizona's more agreeable climate.
That was the end of the Strum Lords. Rod's the one in the plaid
shirt and bib overalls.
I last saw Rod about three years ago. Rest in peace, my friend.
Please send your warm thoughts to Jo.
