| Subject: remembering Dick Fegy |
Author:
Robert Dahms
| [ Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
Date Posted: 17:54:53 01/25/06 Wed
I remember after Dick died someone mentioned a website dedicated to him, and that Randy Searle, my old bandmate and friend from "Cimarron Creek" had written a nice bit about Dick. I always felt that I wanted to contribute something myself, but not being a computer person, I never got around to it. I'm still not a computer person, so a friend is putting this on for me. Anyway, Cimarron Creek was a good working band that I was in for eight years or more in southern California. In those years, 1980's, there was lots of 5-and-6-nites-a-week work, and we had all we could handle and more. So much more that with a 5 piece group any one of the core members would sub out on any given night if they could make $5 or $10 more down the street. This was going on with all the bands at the time and tho one might dwell on the negative aspects of such behavior, the positive results ultimately were so much more rewarding, especially in the case of Dick Fegy. I remember the first night I saw Dick, we had a gig at some nameless rat-hole somewhere in Lakewood or Downey or any one of those forgetable God-forsaken places up there. Anyhow, I walked in and Dick was on stage setting up his equipment. I think it was by now the weekend and we had most likely gone through 8 or 10 subs already. Unlike some players, Dick was not especially a clothes-horse or Bea Brummel, this night in particular. He was bent over setting up his amp with an old flannel shirt, grubby jeans, rather overweight and his butt crack hanging out I must say. So I'm thinking to myself, "Holy Moly Randy, where did you find this guy?" Soon, however, it was 9 o'clock and we started the 1st set. Now I had been playing with these guys for 7 years already, but somewhere during the 1st tune I got the old sinking feeling of "what am I doing here?" I was in the presence of greatness and I knew it. Dick would play something and it would be my turn, but in these conditions you try to underplay as much as possible, you feel like such a chump. It wasn't even the notes or lines he played, to me it was the tone. Tone is everything and everything he played was so wonderful and rich it was like listening to Scotty Moore, Merle Travis, Joe Maphis...all the greats rolled into one. Anyway, on the first break I told Randy I think I'll go home, you don't need 2 guitars here. What a humbling experience. All I could do is swallow my pride and tough it out. Sure glad I did because we worked together quite a lot after that and I think I had the edge on him at pool. When you look back through the years, there are certain highlights that stand out. Playing with Mr. Fegy is one of the best. Sorry it took so long to write this down.
Robert Dahms
January 2006
Davenport, Iowa
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
] |
|
