Daily Grist–“Once you get to be 78 years old like myself, one of the most important things I’ve learned in life is this. You never get too old to learn something stupid.” JD Rhynes
Starting in 1985 until 1991 I think, if I remember right, a for-profit group put on a bluegrass festival at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in grass Valley. I have a lot of fond memories from those festivals, especially the one in 1988 when my two dear friends Vern and Ray perform together for the first time since 1973. Performing with them that day was Herb Pederson and George Inskeep. I will never forget Alan O’Bryant and Pat from the Nashville bluegrass band standing next to the stage with grins ear to ear. That was the first time that Alan had got to see them in person, and he later told me that every time Vern would hit a high tenor notes in harmony with Ray, he damn near had a bluegrass heart attack! Amen to that Alan.
Another one of my favorite memories of that festival happened with the absolute master of the harp Bryan Bowers. I was the master of ceremonies for the evening show and Brian and I were standing backstage talking, and waiting for the stage crew to get his mics set up. About that time the stage manager stuck his head around the curtain and said, JD we are ready to go, so I said to Brian, okay pard it’s showtime. Then Brian said to me just a minute JD, here’s a good joke for you. He then asked me do you know who Salman Rushdie is? I replied; yes I do, he’s the person that wrote that book Satanic verses that had the whole Muslim world mad at him and put a price on his head of $1 million. So, Bryan says to me, have you heard the title to his latest book? No says I, and Brian said; Buddha, you big fat bum! That doggone near put me on my knees laughing! The stage manager said to us again, guys it’s showtime! It took Brian and I about another minute to stop laughing, and every time I look at him I break out laughing. Finally he says to me, JD we can do this, just don’t look at me and we will be okay. So we took the stage and as I am telling the audience what a fantastic artist Brian is, he walks up behind me and whispers in my ear, Buddha you big fat bum! I totally lost it for about 30 seconds, finally I regained my composure, and told the audience make welcome the world greatest autoharp player Mr. Bryan Bowers. He then proceeded to put on the best show I had ever seen him do. Three curtain calls that day! A true master of his instrument.
Then there was a time that my friends the bandSeldom Scene were at the festival. Playing bass in the band at that time was T Michael Coleman, and he like John Duffy his bandmate was a total baseball freak. They always had their baseball gloves with them and a baseball or two, and between sets you could usually see them backstage, or on the festival grounds playing a hot game of catch. When I say hot, I mean 80 mile an hour baseball hot. As fast as they could throw to each other. One Saturday afternoon I walked backstage to my car to get something, and there was John and Michael playing a hot game of catch. My parents car was parked next to mine, and about that time Michael threw John a hot curveball that skipped under his glove and ended up bouncing off the rear fender of my dad’s car. John came in to retrieve the baseball, and I told him you know of course that’s my dad’s car. John looked at me and said , Oops! I had introduced my father and mother to John and the band the day before, and about that time my dad walked up and said hi John, how are you today? John says I’m doing good Mr.Rhynes, just having a hot game of catch with Michael and using your car for a backstop. Then he smiled at me with that impish grin of his. That’s nice my dad said, have a nice day and I’ll see you later, got a folding chair from the trunk of his car and left. I was still standing there with my mouth open, not believing what John had said. John looks at me grinned and said, they never believe the truth do they, and went back to his game of catch with Michael. I never did tell my dad that that small dimple in the left rear fender of his car was a result of a T Michael Coleman curveball that John Duffy could not catch. Good memories of good friends, good times from years past, that sadly are gone forever. One last John Duffy story; Wayne Taylor of blue highway told me about the time at a festival back east some years ago, of a John Duffy story he witnessed. John was halfway into the trunk of his rental car digging around for something. A fan of John walked up with a CD that he wanted John to autograph. The fan said; John I hate to bother you. John replied back to him; then don’t, and just kept on digging through his suitcase for something. Wayne said the fan stood there for about 30 seconds, turned and walked off. True story, but that was the John Duffy that we all loved and respected. Offstage he was a very private person and very rarely stood at the record table to autograph CDs, because basically when he wasn’t on stage he was a very shy person. He was my friend and I still miss him.
