As I said in my first blog.. I won’t be going in order of events. Every day something happens, or a memory pops up, good, bad, funny, awful.This week was no exception.
It’s not pretty. Tuesday, April 8th, I saw a post on Facebook (damn Facebook) from Jim, an old musical acquaintance, a mutual friend had passed away. We first met when I joined the band in Tallahassee. Billy was a great singer, truly one of the best blue eyed soul voices ever. We did not get along. He quit within the year. I stayed on the road for 10 years with the band, eventually took it over. He went off and I had no idea where he had gone. Years later we bumped into each other on the road , newfound respect.
In 2011 I got a call and a text message. It was odd, but I returned the call. He just wanted to say hi. After 25 years???? Gave me his info and said to stay in touch. I didn’t. Later that year he texted me over and over, left a few messages just to say hi again. It was weird, he reached me a few times and asked if I had any work for him up north, He was in Florida looking for work . Divorced, kicked out, no job, started sounding more and more desperate with each call.
In 2012 the barrage of text and calls started up again. Asking for work. He had no money, was going to live in a shelter . His daughter kicked him out of her house. I had no place for him. It had been 25 years and we were not really close. But I did what I could.
Spoke with our mutual friend and we formed a plan together.. The idea was to get him up to northern florida and stay with Jim for a while till he was up on his feet. Sing again. Jim sent him a $100. I told him if he had something together I could try and get him some work. He never made it to northern Florida. I’m guessing that $100 went right into a Jack Daniels bottle. Had some sort of injury so pain pills were in the picture .He just wanted to sing.
Time went by. 2013 was the same. I was in no condition to help anyone.
Battling my own demons.
I was in Florida for my 3 months . Apparently he tried to reach me a few times. I was not in a position to get back to him. When I came home there was a message to call, he was in the panhandle and very excited that he landed a singing job for New Years Eve.
I didn’t get back to him ..call Billy….I forgot. My life was resuming. There was a lot to fix. Fast forward to April 8th. Here are the details we know as of now.He was living in an apartment paid for by the Veterans Association. Someone checks in every few weeks to see how the tenants are doing, most were homeless, jobless, disabled, addicts, alcoholics.
They found him on the floor. He’d been dead for several days. Pills all over, large bottle of some sort of hard liquor empty. Accidental mixture of pills? Intentional? We will never know. His daughter is trying to figure it all out.! !!I should have called him back. Should have known he was a serious addict and needed help. Should have tried to get some help for him. If it were today I would. Call someone in Florida and try to get him into a rehab. Now I know people who could help him. He never asked for that kind of help. Never admitted he was in that kind of condition because of his addiction.
It wasn’t just bad luck. He destroyed everything and every relationship he had. If we don’t ask for help we don’t get it. If we have no family to care we are left alone to suffer. If we don’t tell our friends the nature of our disease how are they to know? The picture of this broken, beaten, man is burned into my head. I can hear his amazing raspy voice singing the blues. What a waste. I wish I could go back. Return the call. Know what he was going through. Now I know. He is the second ex-band member to die of addiction this year. But that’s for another day.
Rest in peace Billy