We were on tour and between shows outside Fort Worth, Texas…

We were on tour and between shows were set up in a hotel outside Fort Worth Texas. I took a short flight ahead to do some promo for the next show in Killeen Texas and had one of the best times I can remember with some great people from the local radio station. One of the best memories I ever had from the road was that time alone in a small Texas town.

The next afternoon as I watched the truck pull up very late, I got this awful feeling in my gut. I knew something was wrong and boy was I right.

Wally came up to me and told me we were in deep shit and should cancel the show. He said there had been an accident and Chip was taken too the hospital in serious condition and Jacques fell ill as well. Management had to arrange cash before Chip or Jacques were looked after. Chip spent a week in the hospital before his brother came and took him home and Jacques was admitted as well and says he slept for three days and only remembers getting out and rejoining the show.

So, after being bludgeoned with all of this and inquiring as to there present status I had to begin the process of figuring out how to do a show that would be full of holes where a solo might be etc. We did our best to cover and Wally and Maris did a lot of improv but I can still remember a few points where we stopped and the silence was deadly and after we all realized the solo was gone came the fear and then counting in to carry on with the piece.

There just wasn’t enough time too rearrange the tunes that night. A few days later we did but honestly it wasn’t the same.

I didn’t get together again with Chip for over three decades when Jacques showed up with him at my daughters wedding.