In Memory of Hughie Thomasson

I received this from my good friend Lawrence tonight; I’ve been trying to think of something to write all day to honor Hughie and the words just wouldn’t come…

So I share with you what Lawrence has written; I hope you don’t mind, Bro…

In a place you only dream of, where your soul is always free
Silver stages, golden curtains, filled my head plain as could be
As a rainbow grew around the sun, all the stars I’ve loved, who died
Came from somewhere beyond the scene you see, these lovely people played just for me

It is with great sadness that we mourn the passing of another person who touched our lives. Hughie Thomasson left us for guitar heaven Sunday night, having suffered a heart attack. He was 55. He was a driving force of The Outlaws, a guitar band that some would call a knockoff of Lynyrd Skynyrd, but of one of the few bands that followed Skynyrd that I still enjoyed. I had seen the Outlaws a few times, including one very memorable night at Roanoke Civic Center where they shared a bill with The Allman Brothers, and it was a great night. I remember my sister having a copy of their live album, and it was pretty damn good. When I was in California in 88, while working at a sporting goods store called Mel Cottons, that greatest of all stations at the time, KFOG, was playing the studio version of Green Grass And High Tides, and I was getting into the jam, and all the “kids” that worked there were wondering what I was getting into, and then my boss, Don Sulgit, came to the back playing this crazy air guitar solo, and he was just getting into it. He was the only other person there that had that appreciation for music.

Tommie, I don’t know if you remember, but you brough Gary over to the house one night, and I was listening to them, and he said he thought this was the band that his cousin played for, but was not absolutely sure. Within three months he was their biggest fan, and I never had the nerve to tell him when he would gloat that I remember when he didn’t know who they were, but thats okay. I would have felt the same way. We had some fantastic times listening to them too.

I received this news from an old and dear friend, Paul Oyler today, and it very much caught me off guard. He and I, and his brother David, who I have known even longer, were at that ABB/Outlaws show, and it was classic.

I now think of that first verse, which is quoted at the top of this email, and I think about those lovely people who did play just for me, and he truly was one of them.

Hughie, you will be missed and we love you very much. As kings and queens bow and play for you.

Green Grass And High Tides (part 1)

Green Grass And High Tides (part 2)

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