March 27, 2001

Eric - 10 years have gone by since we lost you yet I still remember your voice. It's as clear to me today as it ever was. I don't have quite as many dreams as I used to and I have to say that is good. Waking up from those dreams was way too hard on me. I took your son fishing last summer. He had forgotten how to cast so I had to teach him again. I'll take him out again this summer. Your brother bought him a BB gun and he brought it up here. He shot off about 300 rounds and is quite a good shot. Hopefully someday he'll want to hunt with his uncle and his grandfather. Your shotgun is waiting for him. We watched him in a baseball game last year and he runs just like you. We rode bikes together and rode on the ATV as well. He's a fine looking young man Eric and I know how proud you would have been. I promise that when he gets older your brother and I will tell him all about you. He WILL know who is father is. I just want you to know how much I miss you son. You are always on my mind. Always! And that will never, never change. Eric, you were and are and always will be my hero. I love you my son..... Dad

Gene Clark - "No Other"

Just finished an 8 state 5,000 mile road trip to the Southwest. On the way home, I went 200 miles out of the way, traversing the backroads of Missouri to arrive in Tipton, MO.

I wanted to visit the gravesite of Gene Clark and pay my respects.

Gene Clark was a singer/songwriter and founding member of The Byrds. He never received the attention that some of the other members got which was unfortunate.

After The Byrds he went solo and wrote some great songs that never got the air play they deserved. A couple of those songs will be on my next solo cd "Dewey's Greatest Hits Volume II"

He battled his demons as so many of those musicians did and it's said that the cause of his death may have been attributed to his most famous song being covered by another band. I won't go into the details. You can look it up, ask me about it some time or just not bother wondering about it.

It was a quiet, damp, cold morning when I arrived at that cemetary. Tipton is in the middle of no where and I stood there thinking about being a member of such a famous band and yet his final resting place is far, far from the lights and the sounds and the glamour. I think that's right and fitting yet it some how troubles me. Maybe that's why I went to Tipton?

I heard a couple of young men were mowing the lawn at the cemetary last year. When asked, they didn't know who The Bryds were or who Gene Clark was. I guess all things must pass.

I wish I had brought something to put on his grave........ maybe next time?