Let the music play (Part 2)

Mike, Debbie, and John McFee

It is not often that my sister Debbie is speechless. But when I mentioned over dinner tonight that I had been able to score some backstage passes to meet the Doobie Brothers, she simply didn't know what to say. Here she is with guitarist John McFee and husband Mike at tonight's show at Binghamton University. It was a rousing two hour concert, and we were on our feet for most of it.

Patrick Simmons, Jamie, John McFee, BC, Tom Johnston

My wife is quite the rock-and-roller! She hoots, hollers, dances, waves her arms, and sings with every song she knows - as in ALL of them. It was a tremendous night with these legendary rockers. They are really nice guys, and we enjoyed the invitation to go backstage to meet and greet the band. They also upgraded our tickets, so we were front and center, about eight rows back, for a most extraordinary show.

So, gentle reader, how did this transpire? It seems that Victoria Stockham, wife of friend and trumpeter Jeff Stockham, is the sister to the road manager of the Doobie Brothers. When we ran into her at a recent jazz gig that I played with Jeff, she made the connection and offered the deal. It was amazing.

So here is a shout-out to Victoria, shown here with the ubiquitous John McFee. They are long-time friends, of course, and she made sure that everybody was warmly welcomed and introduced. She is a dear, and we are grateful beyond words.

As I tell my kids frequently, life is all about our friendships. It's not who we know - but how we know them, how we treat them, and how we welcome their gifts into our lives.

Then there is the music - - the surging, joyful, life-giving music. It has great power to change our lives.