Three Notable Deaths
Three deaths of notable persons all resonated with me. The passing of former President Gerald Ford resonates with me because he was the first president I was aware of. When I was a kid, I remember there was stuff on TV about Watergate and I had no idea what a Watergate was. I was only like 7 years old. But I remember Ford being president.
For some reason, my brother Orvis had a big poster of President Ford. At some point, he was going to throw it away and I asked him if I could have it.
Gerald Ford was my introduction to politics. I was young but was fully aware of the 1976 election of Jimmy Carter. I was sad that Ford lost.
So how much did I really know about him at the time or Republicans in general? Not much. I knew he was a Republican. I knew he hadn’t been elected. And he was the first president I’d ever known. One could say that poster of Gerald Ford got me hooked on politics.
As I grew older, I grew appreciative of Ford’s role in limiting the damage to government in pardoning Richard Nixon. Nixon’s pardon wasn’t for Nixon. He didn’t deserve it. It was for the nation.
The second notable passing was of the Godfather of Soul James Brown. “Say it loud! I’m black and I’m proud!” What can I say that hasn’t already been said? This man was a living legend. There’s probably no more influential character to modern music. From his moves, to his style, his message and his music, James Brown has been copied, ripped off, sampled and imitated.
James Brown made music funky. His percussive, rhythmic music changed music forever.
I’m an amateur music producer. I put together musical compositions for my friends and family’s ears only and I still sample James Brown. Driving home from Starbucks this morning I was listening to a rock song I’d composed and in the middle of it, a rock song remember, I’d inserted a snippet of Funky Drummer and it works.
James Brown will live on.
The final notable passing was of local burger king Dave Heim of Dave’s Giant Hamburgers fame. I can’t count how many of his delicious burgers I consumed while I attended Armijo High. Sometimes it was crowded and I might be late getting back to class waiting for one of those burgers but it was worth it. After high school, I’d still go by Dave’s from time to time to get ahold of the best burgers in town.
Dave’s burgers will live on.
In fact, don’t be surprised if some Armijo high student goes to Dave’s Giant Hamburgers after school and is reading a chapter in his history book about Gerald Ford while listening to a funky James Brown sampled rap track on his iPod while muching on the best burger in Fairfield. It could happen.
For some reason, my brother Orvis had a big poster of President Ford. At some point, he was going to throw it away and I asked him if I could have it.
Gerald Ford was my introduction to politics. I was young but was fully aware of the 1976 election of Jimmy Carter. I was sad that Ford lost.
So how much did I really know about him at the time or Republicans in general? Not much. I knew he was a Republican. I knew he hadn’t been elected. And he was the first president I’d ever known. One could say that poster of Gerald Ford got me hooked on politics.
As I grew older, I grew appreciative of Ford’s role in limiting the damage to government in pardoning Richard Nixon. Nixon’s pardon wasn’t for Nixon. He didn’t deserve it. It was for the nation.
The second notable passing was of the Godfather of Soul James Brown. “Say it loud! I’m black and I’m proud!” What can I say that hasn’t already been said? This man was a living legend. There’s probably no more influential character to modern music. From his moves, to his style, his message and his music, James Brown has been copied, ripped off, sampled and imitated.
James Brown made music funky. His percussive, rhythmic music changed music forever.
I’m an amateur music producer. I put together musical compositions for my friends and family’s ears only and I still sample James Brown. Driving home from Starbucks this morning I was listening to a rock song I’d composed and in the middle of it, a rock song remember, I’d inserted a snippet of Funky Drummer and it works.
James Brown will live on.
The final notable passing was of local burger king Dave Heim of Dave’s Giant Hamburgers fame. I can’t count how many of his delicious burgers I consumed while I attended Armijo High. Sometimes it was crowded and I might be late getting back to class waiting for one of those burgers but it was worth it. After high school, I’d still go by Dave’s from time to time to get ahold of the best burgers in town.
Dave’s burgers will live on.
In fact, don’t be surprised if some Armijo high student goes to Dave’s Giant Hamburgers after school and is reading a chapter in his history book about Gerald Ford while listening to a funky James Brown sampled rap track on his iPod while muching on the best burger in Fairfield. It could happen.
Comments