The Wayfaring F-50R's continuing saga...

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OK, so I didn't say anything about this gig beforehand, cuz i didn't want to "jinx" it! LOL!

Months ago we were contracted to be the entertainment at the 20th annual "Silver Spur Awards" presented by "The Reel Cowboys".
All about celebrating westerns and actors, writers, directors, stunt people...everyone involved in western TV and motion pictures. Every year they honor a select group...this year's honorees included Katharine Ross, Wilford Brimley, Barry Gordon, Bo Swenson...and Kris Kristofferson.
The president and committee came to see us at a local venue, and just fell in love with us and they have been coming to a lot of our shows ever since. So, when it came time to produce the show, we were in!

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So, we were asked to not only do our show, but also help Kris, who not only was receiving a couple of awards, but also said he wanted to perform "Me & Bobby McGee". Obviously we JUMPED at the chance! LOL! I have admired Kris' songwriting and performing...well....FOREVER!
So, we were doing soundcheck, and in walks Kris and his lovely wife Lisa!!! After we finished, he came on and I ran his guitar (Gibson) thru my setup...wireless into my preamps into my Quilter and out to the house via direct and mic in front of speaker. (Soundman's choice). Sounded GREAT!
We ran thru "Bobby McGee", and he turned to me and said, what's next? I said he could do any thing he wanted to do!! We both started softly strumming...and started singing "Help Me Make it Thru the Night" almost as if we had rehearsed it! Lead guitarist Craig Stull laid in some tasty fills. (Keyboard player grabbed his phone and got video of it!) It was magical! Just impromptu and fun!

Notice I'm all "geeky" and "fanboy"...and not in stage clothes yet. This was at soundcheck:

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SO...the show was awesome...band was great...I was in good voice as was Susan...we picked just the right songs and got a tremendous response from the sold-out crowd...Kris was flat-out AMAZING...and after 'Bobby McGee" he got a standing O, and turned to me and said..."can we do Sunday Morning Coming Down"? Oh man!! OF COURSE!!! Just magical! I'll get the video when they are done editing it, but I wanted to share this with you...

The ongoing saga of the F-50r I got from Neal now has another chapter:

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I just couldn't help it! I'm such a fan, and to actually share the stage and perform with him was a real blessing! So I asked him if he would be so kind as to sign my guitar! What a guy! And I could have taken ANY of my guitars for this gig, but I thought it was somehow appropriate to take that Wayfaring F50r for this one!
 
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sixx

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What a truly awesome experience. Thanks for sharing that!
 

twocorgis

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Great yarn RR! Good for you, Kris Kristofferson is a national treasure. I'd have been gobsmacked!
 

Rich Cohen

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Outt a sight, man. Is that cool or what? Too much to handle! Let me see....can I remember any more cliches from the 1960s? Congrats. Boy, am I happy to see Neal's D-55 gettin' some respect!
 

Christopher Cozad

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Once in a lifetime opportunity! What an honor!

I know I would have been happy simply attending, but to be selected as the contracted entertainment...WOW!

Congratulations, you deserve it!

Were all the honorees in attendance? That list is part of the Who's Who of my youth.
 

Neal

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Well, well. I'll be darned...

That F-50R, once considered lost for good, is living a charmed life! Very cool.
 

txbumper57

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What an Awesome Memory Retro! If I were you I would get that signature sealed in nitro ASAP! Congrats on what sounds like a Magical Night for everyone and I can't wait to see the video. Kris is one of my Songwriting Heroes. What is the story on The rest of the Honorees? Wilford Brimley and Barry Corbin as well as the rest of them are all Favorites of mine. First time I remember seeing Wilford Brimley was as the trucker in "The Electric Horseman" and my introduction to Barry Corbin was as the crazy Texas Oil man flying into the Big Fight in Jackson Hole, WY. in Clint Eastwood's "Any Which Way You Can". Congrats on a great night my friend, You all deserve it!

TX
 

Rayk

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Guess I need to know who this guy is because I don't have a clue at least by name but that don't matter as long as the experience is great ;)
 

wileypickett

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"Sunday Morning Coming Down" is my favorite KK song. Discovered it via the Johnny Cash version, but I think Kris's is even better. (Thanks for sharing your adventure!)
 

gilded

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Real nice, Retro. Very, very happy for you. Thanks for sharing, too.

My band plays a lot of different styles of music, but I guess I sing most of the Country songs in our five-piece. The would be the Merle, Kris and Lefty Frizell stuff, so I do sing Me & Bobby McGee and sometimes Help Me Make It Through The Night. But man, pulling Sunday Morning Coming Down out of the air on Stage, that's fantastic. Kudos!

A little side story:

I grew up on the 'same block' in the '50s and '60s with a family of musicians who have had a large impact on my home city. Dad was a Big Band drummer on the Palisades before WWII. Mom had a music degree from a local Texas college. The oldest son played Jump Blues guitar.

The youngest boy, Stephen, a friend of mine, played killer banjo and guitar. Stephen made a connection up in the town of Woodstock with Kris, then wound playing with him from '71 until he passed away in '09. Retro, I've heard a lot of Kris stories over the decades, so please believe me when I tell you I know Stephen is happy that you took such good care of Kris!

All the best, gilded
 

walrus

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Great story! This is one autographed guitar that looks totally excellent! Sealing it permanently as TX suggested is a great idea!

walrus
 
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