"John we'll miss you! RIP my friend."
He was a friend of mine...
That tune keeps running through my head as I think about the loss of a good friend and a great human being. I was lucky to be able to play with John Schlocker in the Southland Band for well over 10 years. We did hundreds of gigs and logged thousands of hours at the Banjo Cafe, pizza joints, festivals, parties, and even a "Nun Run" or two for good measure. John was great! He was never down, always ready to pick and do his best regardless of the situation. He was a very funny man! On stage he always was on the far left just off my left elbow. I got to hear his off-the-cuff bantor and conversations every time we played. Southland was a great band to be part off. Egos were checked at the door and we played music we really liked and enjoyed each other as friends, not just 5 guys playing a gig.
We had a great time entertaining ourselves and anyone else who cared to come along for the journey. Schloc was a great sport on stage. I'd introduce him as Jamal or Juan or some other crazy thing and we'd have a good time with it. I'd also talk about him as a banjo teacher at McCabes. He would always have some off mike comment about his intro. One from McCabe's sticks with me where he softly said "Still working out of the Scruggs book..." That was John!
John had a way with words!!! I don't know what the literary term is for what he did but it was priceless. The band of gals that played around in the 70's or 80's known as Penny Royal became Panty Royal; "I Wonder Where You Are Tonight" morphed into "I'll Wear Your Underwear Tonight"; Phil Salazar was known as Full Salad Bar and Monroe's Hornpipe? Monroe's Hash Pipe, of course!
John and I got into talking like a Pirate for some reason. Nothing heavy just an Arrrr or two! I'd call him on Sept 19, Talk Like A Pirate Day, and leave him a message. I didn't do that this year even though I thought about it. I makes me sad now to think about it. Why didn't I call him? Why didn't I let him make me laugh? I feel stupid, selfish, sad and guilty to have let that day pass without a good laugh with my friend Juan!
John will be missed. It's hard to think about not being able to joke with him let alone pick with him again. His sudden passing should be a reminder to us all that life is not always fair. Tell those you care about how you feel about them. Take time to call an old friend and share a laugh or talk like a pirate! I don't know where John's spirit has gone but hopefully he's happy somewhere and is still working out of the Scruggs book!
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<<< John's 60th Birthday Party!!!
Southland on YouTube:
John Schlocker and Larry Brown Memorial Concert ar McCabes, 3/20/2011
1-Shenandoah Breakdown
2-Hot Corn Cold Corn
3-Rabbit In A Log
4-I'll Never Love Anybody But You
5-Head Over Heels In Love with You
Tom Sauber with Pat Sauber on on mandolin at McCabe's
Friday nite Chis Hillman was at Vincenso's and I got a chance to record him with the Greatful Dudes.
Turn Turn Turn - 3/19/11
enjoy!
Pickin' from John's Memorial party on YouTube: Mississippi Shores
"College Days"
BILL MOYERS: Every Memorial Day I think about what these men did and what we owe them. They didn't go through hell for a political system that functions on bribery, or for off-shore tax havens that pass the cost of national defense from the conglomerates that profit from war to the ordinary people whose children fight it, or for an economic system that treats working men and women as disposable cogs to be tossed aside at a predator's whim, or for an America where the "strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must."
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