Miracle

When I first retired, I began listening seriously to the blues. True blues take time to savor, time that teaching had never allowed me. I knew artists like Stevie Ray Vaughn, BB King, and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. I even owned CDs by some of these bands. But I had no idea how far or how deep this genre ran. I have learned that most of the blues revolves around the strength and the originality of the featured guitar player—often part of the band’s name—and no one really cares too much about the vocals. However, having no musical talent or training, vocals were the most important draw to music I appreciated.

Last week, I created my own website. Two days ago I decided to feature a song. There was one obvious choice: “Miracle,” by Rocky Athas. My brother commented on the song that the strat guitar was sweet. He asked me on the phone later if Rocky thas ever sang, and I told him I didn’t really know much about him or his band, so I decided to look.

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I had never really researched the band. I had no idea it would reveal this:

Motorcyclist dies in Cotton County accident

Posted: May 04, 2014 9:34 PM PDT

COTTON COUNTY, Okla._One man is dead after a morning motorcycle accident on I-44 on Sunday. We've learned that the motorcyclist, 65-year-old Larry Samford, has died from his injuries. According to the accident report, Samford clipped another motorcyclist causing him to lose control just after 10:30 this morning. He was thrown from the bike onto the roadway before a third motorcyclist ran over him.

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Larry Samford, the only blues vocalist I have ever heard that could rival Paul Butterfield, received this note upon his death. A proud Viet Nam vet, a proper gang cyclist, and this was it? I was stunned. Asked why he did not sing his own songs, Rocky Athas responded why would he with Larry Samford to sing them. I agree. Nobody did it better.