Six months went by with the occasional studio job and some duplications, but nothing big. We were getting to the end of the money I had made back at Christmas when Bonnie Burns, a lady that I had produced CD's for her and her sisters called me and said "Bird, I just tried a flea market near Cherokee called Uncle Bills." She sold children's clothes. She said "it didn't work for me because of too many tourist, but it would work for you for that very reason." I had played a lot of Wal Marts in the Mts. of North Carolina and Tennessee and loved playing in that region. I thanked her for the info and Linda, my wife, called uncle Bill and worked out a week end.
I got there and he had me set up by the burger stand since a lot of people came by there. After the day was over we talked and he told me "I'm just an old heathen, but there's something I like about you." We wound up liking each other for about five years. Still do. It was a great place to play and after a week or so he bought some chairs and had me set up right in the middle of the market, the best spot he had. It turned out to be an incredible run. The people were different every week so I did not have to move around. I could play the same place to different people. We were blessed.
During this time is when we bought the Mt. Cabin in Franklin NC. We were spending a lot on places to stay and thought it'd be nice to have a place there. We found this little place that needed lots of TLC but we bought it. I have been remodeling ever since lol! We love it and get away up here as often as we can now that I'm retired from the traveling/performing part of my career.
But after five years with Uncle Bill, we still like each other by the way, I was getting older and my stamina and mental sharpness began to wane. I made a great living doing this, but it took several hours a day to set up, play several sets and then tear down. It also took a LOT of energy. I just began to not have the energy anymore and I was starting to faulter with my words a bit.
After Uncle Bill's, Linda began finding me places to play in FL at places where people were retiring with their RV's etc. I was just playing concerts at these places so it wasn't quite as rigorous, but the anxiety was starting to show as I worried more and more about forgetting my words. It was starting to not be fun.
Linda had gotten back into real estate by this time and she got the HUD contract for our area. She'd get a few houses a month, but nothing too much. Then the economy crashed and the housing market went south. But, God provides. Because she had the HUD contract, she started getting a LOT of listings, all of which would sell, because HUD had so many they would just lower the price every two weeks until it sold. Suddenly, she was selling lots of houses. Under priced, but in quantity. One day I had just gotten back from one of the few flea markets I still tried to play and as had been starting to happen, I laid down and basically passed out from exhaustion for a while. Later we sat down and Linda said "baby, you don't have to do this anymore if you don't want to. You're old enough to retire and we don't need the money. Just go in the studio and record." I very reluctantly took her up on it. It was hard at first because I feared the unknown. I had played all my life for the most part and I knew that the level I performed on could not be maintained without continuing to play. I had gotten it to the point I could do an hour and a half concert and basically keep peoples attention. So if I stopped, it was most likely over. But I decided it had to be. We'd all like to be 30 again, but it's not going to happen.
I got there and he had me set up by the burger stand since a lot of people came by there. After the day was over we talked and he told me "I'm just an old heathen, but there's something I like about you." We wound up liking each other for about five years. Still do. It was a great place to play and after a week or so he bought some chairs and had me set up right in the middle of the market, the best spot he had. It turned out to be an incredible run. The people were different every week so I did not have to move around. I could play the same place to different people. We were blessed.
During this time is when we bought the Mt. Cabin in Franklin NC. We were spending a lot on places to stay and thought it'd be nice to have a place there. We found this little place that needed lots of TLC but we bought it. I have been remodeling ever since lol! We love it and get away up here as often as we can now that I'm retired from the traveling/performing part of my career.
But after five years with Uncle Bill, we still like each other by the way, I was getting older and my stamina and mental sharpness began to wane. I made a great living doing this, but it took several hours a day to set up, play several sets and then tear down. It also took a LOT of energy. I just began to not have the energy anymore and I was starting to faulter with my words a bit.
After Uncle Bill's, Linda began finding me places to play in FL at places where people were retiring with their RV's etc. I was just playing concerts at these places so it wasn't quite as rigorous, but the anxiety was starting to show as I worried more and more about forgetting my words. It was starting to not be fun.
Linda had gotten back into real estate by this time and she got the HUD contract for our area. She'd get a few houses a month, but nothing too much. Then the economy crashed and the housing market went south. But, God provides. Because she had the HUD contract, she started getting a LOT of listings, all of which would sell, because HUD had so many they would just lower the price every two weeks until it sold. Suddenly, she was selling lots of houses. Under priced, but in quantity. One day I had just gotten back from one of the few flea markets I still tried to play and as had been starting to happen, I laid down and basically passed out from exhaustion for a while. Later we sat down and Linda said "baby, you don't have to do this anymore if you don't want to. You're old enough to retire and we don't need the money. Just go in the studio and record." I very reluctantly took her up on it. It was hard at first because I feared the unknown. I had played all my life for the most part and I knew that the level I performed on could not be maintained without continuing to play. I had gotten it to the point I could do an hour and a half concert and basically keep peoples attention. So if I stopped, it was most likely over. But I decided it had to be. We'd all like to be 30 again, but it's not going to happen.
So I had gotten into Model Trains and started an Ebay store, www.PaPaTrains.com and I began working very hard to build it. I found I wasn't missing the road. Strange. I had loved it so when I was younger, but I didn't have a wife and kids waiting for me at home then either. I had been married and had a daughter who I loved dearly, but her mom and I were just too different and wanted different things out of life. We have good relationships today thankfully. But I certainly in no way was mature enough at that time though I probably should have tried harder. Anyway, no one waiting at home anymore so I traveled and played music and stayed single. Until Linda. I had found my soul mate. And not only did she understand me as an artist, she encouraged it. Thank you God!!
After I retired from the road, I lost my Dad, the only hero I ever had. That was a very strange year. I was now having thoughts I'd never had before. Before I was ten feet tall and bullet proof, I thought. Now I'm faced with mortality. We all will pass, sooner or later. I threw myself into my Ebay store work and pretty much didn't do much music for a couple of years. I was about to think the studio work was over as well. Then came Brother Devlin.
It was about 2011 and I had gotten use to not playing much except a song each week end at church. I was ebaying and Linda was on the HUD train and we had the money for me to start spending more time at the Mt. Cabin working on it. I built a porch about half again as big as the house since the house was rather small. About 20 by 30. Now it's about 30 by 30. And finished roughing in the interior after we re-arranged the rooms a bit and even took one out so the living room would be larger. I built a shop there so I could do better work in finishing the house. It was coming along, and losing Daddy had become somewhat easier, though it will never be easy.
After I retired from the road, I lost my Dad, the only hero I ever had. That was a very strange year. I was now having thoughts I'd never had before. Before I was ten feet tall and bullet proof, I thought. Now I'm faced with mortality. We all will pass, sooner or later. I threw myself into my Ebay store work and pretty much didn't do much music for a couple of years. I was about to think the studio work was over as well. Then came Brother Devlin.
It was about 2011 and I had gotten use to not playing much except a song each week end at church. I was ebaying and Linda was on the HUD train and we had the money for me to start spending more time at the Mt. Cabin working on it. I built a porch about half again as big as the house since the house was rather small. About 20 by 30. Now it's about 30 by 30. And finished roughing in the interior after we re-arranged the rooms a bit and even took one out so the living room would be larger. I built a shop there so I could do better work in finishing the house. It was coming along, and losing Daddy had become somewhat easier, though it will never be easy.
