Post by TW on Oct 31, 2012 19:13:41 GMT -5
October, 2011 - An old friend died. I didn't know about it until today.
My friend's name - Bill Dalton
Bill was a rock star. He really was. He was a member of the rock band Royal Teens, out of New Jersey. You may not of heard of them, but if you've watched any TV over the last few years, you've heard their #1 song. Short Shorts. It was used as the song for a Nair commercial.
Anyhow, at 17, Billy left All Hallows High School in NYC, after Short Shorts rocketed up the charts. Bill had to leave high school for a year to do the tour, but promised his parents that he would use the money he earned to go to college.
After their success passed, Billy walked away from the music, and went to college, getting a degree in engineering, keeping that promise.
Billy decided to totally walk away from the music scene, so he moved to Illinois to work. He didn't want to be dragged back into the business, where most of his friends were deeply involved. He found that the lifestyle was too fast for him, and that wasn't what he wanted.
I had the honor not only of working with Billy as engineers, but to also spend time with him in his home, where he had this fantastic sound-stage set up where he would spend hours, playing guitar, and working on songs he was writing. He could do things with a guitar that would make most guys who are called experts sit up and take notice. He was that damned good, and I mean he would have made Santana, and Chet Atkins blush.
In fact, one day, while Bill and I were have lunch at work, a Chet Atkins song came on, and he told me about the time that he was in Texas, and met Chet in Austin. They got together, and played a little together in Chet's rooms at the hotel, and Atkins asked him if he would do a guitar duet with him for a recording. Bill turned him down, saying he didn't want to go back at it, but appreciated the chance.
The day Chet Atkins died, Bill called me, upset, and very emotional. He said he'd talked to him just a month earlier. They'd stayed in contact over all those years. Bill was taking it hard.
Bill had one vice. Old cars. He'd build up an old car, using period parts, refusing to use new, replacement types. When he was done, he'd put it into a couple of auto shows, then he'd sell them, and start all over again.
He had several heart attacks, but he'd reached a point where he said they'd never kill him. One finally did, one year ago.
He was buried on what would have been his 71st birthday. I always kidded him that he was an old man compared to me. Nine days older. It was a heart attack that took him.
Rest in peace my friend. Your legacy will live forever with the music.
My friend's name - Bill Dalton
Bill was a rock star. He really was. He was a member of the rock band Royal Teens, out of New Jersey. You may not of heard of them, but if you've watched any TV over the last few years, you've heard their #1 song. Short Shorts. It was used as the song for a Nair commercial.
Anyhow, at 17, Billy left All Hallows High School in NYC, after Short Shorts rocketed up the charts. Bill had to leave high school for a year to do the tour, but promised his parents that he would use the money he earned to go to college.
After their success passed, Billy walked away from the music, and went to college, getting a degree in engineering, keeping that promise.
Billy decided to totally walk away from the music scene, so he moved to Illinois to work. He didn't want to be dragged back into the business, where most of his friends were deeply involved. He found that the lifestyle was too fast for him, and that wasn't what he wanted.
I had the honor not only of working with Billy as engineers, but to also spend time with him in his home, where he had this fantastic sound-stage set up where he would spend hours, playing guitar, and working on songs he was writing. He could do things with a guitar that would make most guys who are called experts sit up and take notice. He was that damned good, and I mean he would have made Santana, and Chet Atkins blush.
In fact, one day, while Bill and I were have lunch at work, a Chet Atkins song came on, and he told me about the time that he was in Texas, and met Chet in Austin. They got together, and played a little together in Chet's rooms at the hotel, and Atkins asked him if he would do a guitar duet with him for a recording. Bill turned him down, saying he didn't want to go back at it, but appreciated the chance.
The day Chet Atkins died, Bill called me, upset, and very emotional. He said he'd talked to him just a month earlier. They'd stayed in contact over all those years. Bill was taking it hard.
Bill had one vice. Old cars. He'd build up an old car, using period parts, refusing to use new, replacement types. When he was done, he'd put it into a couple of auto shows, then he'd sell them, and start all over again.
He had several heart attacks, but he'd reached a point where he said they'd never kill him. One finally did, one year ago.
He was buried on what would have been his 71st birthday. I always kidded him that he was an old man compared to me. Nine days older. It was a heart attack that took him.
Rest in peace my friend. Your legacy will live forever with the music.