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The Texas Trip

From: Randy B
Email:
Remote Name: 209.40.133.200
Date: 29-Sep-2002
Time: 07:17 PM

Comments

I just read Ron L's post and it meant so much, those last moments with Mick. He said the Mick mentioned the Texas Trip again and It makes me feel so special that he had a good time on his last trip home. I thought I would post my memories of that time for those who weren't here and posterity.

My family was shocked when an unknown Norwegian and a bewhiskered old man showed up and whisked me off on a whim to meet Mickey in March.

I will never forget driving up to Mamies in New Caney and going into Mickey's traveling sanctuary the motor home. I walked back in that narrow hall barely large enough for one person to stand and Mick sat up and said,"you must be Randy". He was an old friend from the first time your eyes met.

We talked and the subject of songwriting came up. He said, "Do you see a notebook out there somewhere" and here I am, a perfect stranger , looking through cabinets and under tables for a notebook in my idol's mobile home. When he found it, he embarked on a lesson that lasted about an hour. He fumbled through the yellow legal sheets and handed me a crumpled, folded sheet and told me to keep it. He must have had more than a dozen rewrites of that same song "A Song For Stephen" in his notebook. He gave me one for Bud, asked me if I knew of anyone else that collected his works seriously. I told him Donna in Lubbock had her walls plastered with his memorabilia according to Bud and he handed me another transcript for her and later gave Magne another song. Totally unselfish in his giving.

The three traveling musketeers left Houston on cloud nine playing a copy of Winter winds he had also given us never expecting to see him again and feeling so fortunate to have met him.

Later, in June, Bud came whizzing into my studio in his little red truck saying that Mickey was on his way back to Oregon and would like to stop and say hello if we could find him a 20amp plug for his motor home. Mickey and Susan pulled in late in the afternoon and he looked so much better than he did in Houston we were really encouraged. As afternoon turned into night, the trains that run west of my studio sounded their cry out across the valley and the Texas wind kicked up and a big smile came over Mick's face. He loved those sounds.

We spent two wonderful days over that Memorial Day weekend even getting to sit in the garage and play alittle and swap stories with Mick as he sat there silhouetted against the full moonlight howling out a new tune or two. I came out the next morning to make sure they had gotten off altight and all that was left were memories.

I felt much the same this morning when I found out that he had gone on to play the big palace. Here we are left with just memories, but what memories they are and what a legacy of great music to listen to and say,I knew him and we were friends and I held his hand and cried and laughed and talked of great things past and present. Susan, Mamie, Children and all the family I'm thinking and praying for each one of you.Miss ya pal!

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