The Bluebird of Happiness

“THE SILENCE WAS LIKE NO SILENCE I HAD EXPERIENCED IN MY LIFE… IT CAME ON AND ROLLED OVER ME WITH A SLOW HOT BREEZE THAT HAD TRAVELLED 1,000 MILES OVER 3 STATES OF DESERT COLLECTING THE WHISPERS OF INDIANS AND THE HEAT OF MOTHER EARTHS VAGINA TO FINALLY REACH ME.”

SEPT/OCT

THE LAST FEW MONTHS HAVE DELIVERED SOME OF THE GREATEST MOMENTS OF MY LIFE….

WE CAME ROARING IN FROM SHOWS IN ENGLAND, HIT THE STAGE AT THE TORONTO URBAN ROOTS FESTIVAL THEN STRAIGHT TO MAJESTIC ST LOUIS TO JOIN OUR SISTER ELIZABETH COOK.

HEARING HER FLORIDA COUNTRY SOUL EVERY NIGHT THROUGH THE
MIDWEST INTO THE MOUNTAINS AND DOWN TO THE DESERT WAS A HIGHLIGHT OF OUR 2016 TOURING SCHEDULE…

WE CRASH LANDED AFTER OUR SHOW IN SEATTLE , EXHAUSTED FROM FLYING TO SOME COMMITMENTS WITH BLACKIE AND THE RODEO KINGS IN CANADA WHERE WE BOTH LOST OUR VOICES AND WITHOUT VOICES THERE’S NO SHOW… RIGHT??? MID-TOUR

WE FLEW HOME TO RECOUP JUST IN TIME FOR OUR SOLD AT SHOW AT NASHVILLE’S LEGENDARY BLUEBIRD CAFE.

WE WERE FOLLOWED THERE BY FANS WHO HAD TRAVELLED FROM ENGLAND, CANADA CORNERS OF AMERICA AND INCLUDED SONGWRITING GIANT DAN NAVARO IN FROM LA.

DAN JOINED US ON A SONG HE JUST RECORDED OF MINE WITH JANIVA MAGNESS CALLED “I’M GONNA STAY THAT WAY”, FROM THE FIRST LHO ALBUM (A QUIET EVIL).

A THRILL TO SAY THE LEAST.

ALSO IN THE HOUSE WAS THE GREAT LUCINDA WILLIAM’S WHO (AND I’M HAPPY TO REPORT THIS NEXT BIT) “SWOONED” THROUGHOUT OUR 2 HOUR SHOW.

WE BECAME INSTANT FRIENDS AFTER YEARS OF HANGING AROUND DRESSING ROOMS AND BACKSTAGES AND WE EVEN RECORDED “IF I CAN’T HAVE YOU”, TOGETHER BUT TONIGHT WAS DIFFERENT. TONIGHT WAS ABOUT INSTANT LOVE…

AFTER THE SHOW WE ALL WENT TO DINNER.

OUR MANAGERS TOM AND CLIFF , MY BAND THAT NIGHT WHO INCLUDED STAR OF STAGE AND TV SCREEN, AND FELLOW RODEO KING , COLIN LINDEN AND NASHVILLE DRUMMER BRYAN OWENS ALONG WITH BOTH MY KIDS MADELINE AND THOMPSON HIT THE DEPTHS OF NASHVILLE HIPNESS AND HUNG IN THE DARKNESS OF A HOLE IN THE WALL BAR FOR HOURS AFTER THE SHOW AT THE BLUEBIRD…

SOME OF THE ROADS I’M ON , I’M GOING DOWN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE AND I’M DOING IT WITH MY SON, THOMPSON

HE’S MY SOUL BANDMATE AND IN MANY WAYS THE SPIRIT AND THE GUTS OF THIS TOUR…

YOU GOTTA CHOOSE BRAVE WARRIORS TO STEP ON STAGE EVERY NIGHT WITH AND I GOT THE BEST OF THE BEST..

HE’S 24 YEARS OLD AND AS GENUINE AND SOULFUL AS ANYONE I’VE EVER HEARD SING….

EVERY NIGHT I LOOK AT HIM ON STAGE AND I SEE THE BABY I PULLED UP OUT OF THE CRIB FOR MIDNIGHT FEEDINGS. I SEE THE OPEN FACED LITTLE GUY WHO ALONG WITH HIS SISTER MADELINE SHAPED ME INTO THE PROUD MAN I AM NOW…

HE’S GOT A QUIET PEACEFUL STRENGTH THAT CARRIES THE LOAD DAY IN AND DAY OUT AS WE CUT THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE LAND FROM SUN UP TO SUN DOWN EVERY DAY ON TOUR..

THE GUY IS A PRO. HE FIGURES HE WAS JUST BORN IIN THE BREED.

TOGETHER WE TRAVEL OUT TO THE FRINGES, OUT TO THE UNKNOWN PARTS THAT OUR QUEST HAS CREATED FOR US..

WE DRIVE THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS ON TREACHEROUS ROADS, LIKE GREY RIBBONS THAT RUN AROUND THE WAIST OF GIANT SNOW COVERED BEASTS AND OUT ACROSS THE DESERT NO MANS LAND THAT ARE THE HOME TO A MILLION SPIRITS ALL TUGGING ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND COVERING OUR OVER EYES FROM PLAYING ‘GUESS WHO, PEEK A BOO’ THE BACK SEAT OF OUR CHEVY SUBURBAN ..

THEY WANT US TO CRASH OUT THERE AND JOIN THEM FOR ETERNITY BUT THOMPSONS WITS ARE TOO SHARP AND HIS HEART IS TOO PURE TO BE DRAGGED IN BY THEIR TRICKS.NIGHT TIME , LOST IN AMERICA WHERE WE CHARGE OUT IN THE DARKNESS PAST THE DRUNK DRIVERS THAT KILLED JOHNNY HORTON AND CLEARANCE WHITE.

WE KEEP GOING FEELING THE LEGENDS OF THE LAND ALL AROUND US VISITING THE SHRINES AND LOOKING FOR THE NAILS THAT WERE USED TO HANG OUR HEROS TO THEIR CROSSES.

THIS IS THE ROAD WE READ ABOUT AND IT WAS ENDING AT THE JOSHUA TREE MOTOR INN…

THE HOLY LAND OR AT LEAST ONE OF THE HOLY PLACES THAT WE HEARD ABOUT ON THE NEWS.

THE JOSHUA TREE INN IS LIKE GETTING TO DRIVE AROUND IN THE CAR THAT HANK WILLIAM’S DIED IN AND SURE THERE’S SOME SICK-O TOURIST CURIOSITY AND SHALLOWNESS THAT GOES ALONG WITH THE THOUGHT OF WHAT HAPPENED THERE, BUT DEEP DOWN WE KNEW WE HAD COME TO A PLACE WHERE WE BELONGED.

THE SILENCE WAS LIKE NO SILENCE I HAD EXPERIENCED IN MY LIFE… IT CAME ON AND ROLLED OVER ME WITH A SLOW HOT BREEZE THAT HAD TRAVELLED 1,000 MILES OVER 3 STATES OF DESERT COLLECTING THE WHISPERS OF INDIANS AND THE HEAT OF MOTHER EARTHS VAGINA TO FINALLY REACH ME.

I LIT UP A SMOKE STOOD UP ON THE ROOF OF THE TRUCK AND LOOKED OUT OVER THE GIANT.

THE DESERT EMBRACED ME LIKE NO OTHER LANDSCAPE HAD DONE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD…

I FILLED MY LUNGS WITH THE BURNING AIR, LET GO AND GOT BACK BEHIND THE WHEEL AND WE DROVE BACK TO TOWN, TO OUR MOTEL…

ONCE WE GOT THERE WE WERE SURROUNDED BY A QUIET PEACEFUL RETREAT FROM OUR USUAL GRIND OF HOLIDAY INNS AND DRESSING ROOMS…

WE ATE DINNER AND WENT SWIMMING IN THE ANCIENT CONCRETE POOL THAT WAS OUTSIDE OUT MOTEL ROOM DOOR AND A SHORT WALK OVER THE MEDITATION SAND AND PAST THE ERECTED SHRINE FOR GRAM PARSONS.

THOMPSON DRANK CANS OF BEER AND WE PLAYED GUITAR IN THE DESERT NIGHT.

THE SKY LIT UP LIKE A LINE OF POETRY…

THESE WERE PRECIOUS MOMENTS FOR SURE…

SOMEWHERE OUT THERE IN WILD AMERICA WE HAD FINALLY FOUND PECE AND LOVE WE’D ALWAYS HEARD ABOUT…