It’s no secret. Mother died in a bus wreck on Valentine’s Day. That was in 2003. The first year after was full of foreboding loss in all corners.

On the one year February anniversary, a week of seriously gloomy Texas skies dissolved into a soft Currier & Ives snowfall. The lawns and trees were covered in a mantle of pure and silent white. I had geared up for a weather delivered emotional wallop as February 14 landed. This first anniversary I was given a gift in the snow. Peace. Later that day the sun came out. The snow gave way to the blue shining Texas skies. I immediately felt God had sent me comfort in my sorrow. The rough places had been made smooth.

The day mother died I was on an island in the Caribbean for a friend’s wedding. My brother had left me a message to call him, but did not mention why. Phones were scarce and I caught a tram to the main hotel building to call back. On the tram I began talking to a man from Scotland. I excitedly told him that mother was a Scot, and I was proud to know that part of my ancestry. The man got off the tram before I did and as he left he spoke to me directly in a language I did not understand. Then he walked away. I looked back and he was gone. I now believe he was giving me a Gaelic farewell. What I believe now is that his farewell was angelic. In a few minutes I would learn of mother’s death. For reasons I would soon know, I was being told goodbye and to be strong. From Scot to Scot.

Today is February 14 again. It’s 2010. I’m not in Texas for the first time since 2004. In LA it’s sunny. Here there are hearts and flowers and all the usual February trimmings. No one here knows that Valentine’s is different for a small group of people in Texas.

Yesterday I went to the LA Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast. Afterwards I had the chance to speak to Lloyd Ogilvie. Lloyd was pastor at Hollywood Presbyterian where I attended during the 70s and 80s. Lloyd is a Scot. My mother’s family is part of the Ogilvie clan which I was thrilled to relate. As we parted he gave me the Ogilvie clan parting. I can barely pronounce it. I certainly cannot spell it. He said it to me in English, “ fight to the end.” Don’t give up. I got the message. From Scot to Scot.

Got to see Crazy Heart. Good film. Jeff Bridges delivers and the reviewers recognize that. Glad to see T-Bone Burnet team up with the late Stephen Bruton for so much of the music in the film. When I first moved back to Texas, Peter Coyote told me to look up Stephen in Austin.  I tried, but we missed each other.  I wish now that I’d saved the message he left on my phone when he called back. Saxon Pub won’t be the same without Stephen’s guitar, but these songs from Crazy Heart will play on. Talent, pure and simple. Burnet also dropped in a Townes Van Zandt song which always perks up my ears. Haven’t met T-Bone… yet. Still have his vinyl lp I bought in the 80s. Enjoyed his concert back then at the Palace Theater across from Capitol Records in Hollywood. Good Music memories.

Merry Christmas! 

This morning’s paper carried this item:

10 YEARS AGO IN THE TELEGRAM – JD Hinton, a long-time Central Texas resident now a singer/songwriter based in Los Angeles–will be performing with a “choir” of Los Angeles singers entertaining Pope John Paul II in the Vatican on Christmas Day.

Ten years of memories and new friendships with the finest singers in the world!

“… the days dwindle down to a precious few” (oh how I wish I’d written that) and here we are headed toward Christmas 2009.  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!  I am Yule-tiding in Texas where folks are hoping that – just once –  Santa would use Longhorns instead of reindeer on his annual visit.  Back to LA in January.  To my beloved friends in Scotland, Happy Hogmanay!

The  JD HINTON “Songs in the Night” concerts in Hollywood feature a new JDH Band… extraordinary musicians.  They are:

Guitarist Billy Watts has recorded/performed with : Dixie Chicks, Bonnie Raitt, Lucinda Williams & Carlene Carter. Billy is currently working and performing with Eric Burdon, Jackson Browne, John Trudell, Teresa James & the Rhythm Tramps, and The Twilight Lords.

Phil Bloch is recognized as one of the premier rhythm & blues drummers in LA.  Phil has worked with Terry Evans, Ry Cooder, Solomon Burke, Little Richard, Marva Wright, Willie Green, Jr., Hamish Stuart, Delaney Bramlett, Steve Cropper, Tom Scott

Rick  Solem you may know from his time playing piano with Dave Alvin & the Guilty Men.“… I place him right next to The Blasters Gene Taylor in the boogie woogie/blues/New Orleans style of piano playing.”  Dave Alvin

Joe Lamanno has played bass with Tina Turner, Rick Springfield, and Harriet Schock plus a variety of LA and So. California artists over the years including The Association, The Turtles, and Bill Medley.

It’s sad news to hear Patrick Swayze died.  It was the final bit of bad news about him that began over a year ago when we all learned he had a deadly form of cancer.  This is all so starkly opposite from what we knew about him from his screen roles.

Ashton Kutcher smartly (and I think caringly) sent a tweet about Patrick’s death that included a link to the Saturday Night Live scene where Patrick and Chris Farley played shirtless Chippendales dancers.  It shows Patrick in fine form and willing to do what it took to make the scene work.  Ever the pro, he was the straight man – second banana that helped stage Chris Farley’s comedic highlight.

I liked being around Patrick. It only happened a few times, but it was always fun.  The last time was at a mutual friend’s birthday party in a Hollywood restaurant. We had the whole place on La Cienega to ourselves.  I became the DJ for the night.  The place had a good sound system and everyone agreed we’d need music to make this a party.  I brought boxes of CDs from my collection to provide the soundtrack for the evening.

The party worked!  There was dancing going on immediately. Some couples.  Some groups of women who all hit the floor together.  In some ways it was just like the jr. high school dances you remember.  Girls on one side of the building.  Boys on the other.  At this party, Patrick and a lot of the guys were on the street front patio so they could smoke cigars and backslap.  Their dates and wives had their own fun inside.  I had the music.

I remember this party every time I hear Patrick’s name come up.  After the guys had spent a substantial amount of the party hanging out together, they broke ranks and headed through the open air entry back into the restaurant.  Patrick came up to me and said “Play some Motown.  We’re going to dance with these girls.”  I’d been playing Motown throughout the night.  They could have danced anytime.  But now was the time that they wanted to dance… and now they would sweep in like knights on horseback and show the women who loved them why they came to this party in the first place.

R.I.P.   Patrick

JD Hinton