My Uncle Buddy

My Uncle Buddy wasn’t around much. My parents said he was traveling from town to town doing his music from an early age.

When he was around he always brought gifts that to us were treasures, but in reality they were small trinkets. Things like beer caps from a beer not sold in the area or a books of matches, chewing gum, leaflets from the shows he did (wish I would have saved some of those). As kids we would always beg him to sing us a song and he would never disappoint. I have memories of him pulling a napkin out of his pocket from a diner with lyrics written on them. He would practice his songs with us as his audience. He was kind and gentle but I always had a sense that he was sad or troubled. He was gone for weeks or months at a time.

Uncle Buddy’s favorite trick when he would come home was to magically make a guitar pick appear from behind our ear. Corny, but a fond memory.

Fun facts about Uncle Buddy: Born on  May 5th 1939. If he is still with us he is 79 years old. Most people, even family, don’t know that Buddy’s real first name is Walker. Family members said that he was called Buddy from an early age and the name stuck.

https://www.buddydamen.com

-Duke Kostner 

I’m in

There was an unspoken understanding when you were with Buddy–it could be sitting on a porch and apparently nothing going on or it could be playing music or it could be anything else–but maybe it’s easiest to talk about when talking about music.

You didn’t have to be a great musician to play with Buddy. Technical skill was like a fancy instrument. It could be flashy, but if you didn’t know how to use it, what use was it? The flash could keep you from going somewhere real. It’s not that technical skill wasn’t important–it was–and if you didn’t acquire some proficiency, there was a commitment you weren’t making.

But there was something more important–a willingness to let go of yourself, to respond to what’s around you and what’s moving through you, to tap into the vulnerability that allows us to connect and can leave us feeling alone.

It’s like there was a question in the air, “Are you in?” And you had to make a decision. Even sitting on a porch, saying nothing, you had to make a decision.

https://www.buddydamen.com

-Poochie Wolcott 

Buddy Blogs

Howdy folks! Welcome to the Buddy Damen & The Last Call blog.  We got lots to chew on! This is a great place to chat with us about your love of music.

We look forward to chattin’ with y’all.

Come pay us a visit at https://www.buddydamen.com/blog

 

~ Duke Kostner

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