My Da and I both shared and expressed a deep passion for music and I am blessed for it today.
I was tuned into music from a very young age and my earliest memories are hearing my dad play and sing in our home. I bawled my heart out when I first heard him sing 'Ol Shep' long before I heard of Elvis and I'd cry tears of laughter when he'd perform Old MacDonald or The Laughing Policeman at community events. He was a natural entertainer and could light up a room with a song.
When I finally got a guitar, I'd join him for many a jam session in the house and then at the Care of the Aged Centre, family gatherings or some other event. Good times.
I'd hear songs like Raglan Road, Bye Bye Love, It's a Sin to Tell a Lie and many more sung at sessions and I'd be learning the chords for weeks. Showtunes, old cowboy country songs, Irish ballads, I would learn from my da. High Noon, Your Cheatin' Heart, Blueberry Hill, The Black Hills of Dakota, Little Ole Wine Drinker Me, The Curragh of Kildare, The Rare Auld Times and a hundred more besides…
He's 6 years gone from us today and I miss him dearly. He was a force of nature, a family man - a friend. He was my da and I love him dearly.
Here I perform one of his favourite songs, Pete St. John's Rare Auld Times. For me, it'll always be my da's song. Peace and love. Offer a prayer, a song or a toast to him today.