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Nov 3, 2022Liked by David Yaffe

Seeing Joe's picture at the top of your article made me gasp. Notwithstanding your emotional article, David, I wanted to briefly share my own experience. I had the pleasure of meeting Joe Williams quite a few times during the 1990s. I worked at a high-end golf resort on the Las Vegas Strip, and he was an avid golfer who showed up to play frequently, always with a beaming smile on his face. After only a couple of times, he started greeting me, in his warm, emotive voice, with a sing-song bluesy ditty: "Jackie, my love..." which always brought a smile to my face. He sang that ditty every time I saw him...probably two dozen times, and our conversations were always lovely even when they were brief and usually about nothing. (I should note here that I never felt like he was flirting and I don't think he meant it that way...he was just being friendly in his special way. He even sang it to me when he was accompanied by his wife!) Needless to say, I was devastated to learn of his death. At his funeral, the church was overflowing with mourners, so my mom and I stood with the crowd outside on that blustery, chilly April day. The PA system broadcast the service so that we could hear everything. There were many "moments," but the most poignant and memorable was when Robert Goulet gave a moving tribute to his friend. When Robert's voice cracked, it was permission for the rest of us to crack, too. Since then, I listen to his music as often as possible, and I imagine him singing to me like before. I hope you'll continue to revere and remember his beautiful, unattainable voice, as I will. Thanks for reminding me.

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"Beets in the Pocket" is the perfect Band Name.

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David, a tour de force! Beautifully written with the deep meaning of childhood, loss and the eternal need to sing the blues. Dick

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Here’s to insider art!

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Failing is what we're best at.

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