It has been almost a week now. My sorrow has not diminished even a little. We have all grieved & cried. I've cried so much that I have tired of wiping the tears from my face and just let them dry where they fell....
For all who read this or who knew Sterling, please know that you were more precious than gold to him.
I got back on my bike today. Sterling would have wanted it that way. We rode literally thousands of miles together.
Every trip was an adventure. While we shared many other experiences, I wanted to share a chapter of his life in the wind with all of you. He dearly loved the freedom that riding afforded him.
My bike is a Harley. Sterling rode a Honda. Harley riders, as a general rule, don't even wave to Honda riders much less ride with anyone on a Honda. Sterling was able to tear that barrier down with ease. On many of our overnight trips there would be 3 or 4 Harleys and one Honda. We only asked Sterling jokingly to stay behind the Harleys and not to wave at other Honda riders.
I am from Clarksdale Mississippi. Home of the Delta Blues and infamous Crossroads. Sterling was a bluesman. Any of you that enjoyed his music know that. One of my fondest memories is of a motorcycle trip we took together to Clarksdale. We called it the Delta Blues Cruise.
En route, we stopped in Memphis to take him to Beale Street to experience the blues scene in the deep south. Settled in at BB King's on Beale to listen to the house band. After the first set, Sterling let the band know that he played and ask if he might join them during the next set. Those of you who are players know that letting someone sit in without a practice is a dangerous move. Near the end of the second set, probably the last song, they invited Sterling to the stage. After a nod to step up to the microphone, Sterling wowed the crowd. There were several smiles and nods from the band members in the background. There was rousing applause from the crowd. The band finished the set with 3 or 4 more songs using Sterling as their front man. I will post a couple of photos of that experience in the days to come. The smile on Sterling's face will let you know how much he enjoyed that evening. Later in the trip he also performed at the Delta Blues Museum and at Hopson's Plantation, a local blues venue. Same reaction from the crowds.
On one of our rides toward another blues point of interest, and very near the original location of Muddy Water's cabin on Stovall Plantation, we rode through a dust storm that was moving acres of top soil from one field to another. Once the sand stopped burning our faces and we could see the sun again, we stopped and talked briefly about that unexpected experience & our next destination. We carried on. Once back from the trip, Sterling reminded me of the dust storm and said that he thought that his playing had changed. Said that he "had the Delta in him" as a result of riding through that cloud of field dirt....
If a little dirt could have such a dramatic influence, you know that each and every one of you made Sterling's heart smile.
I know that the privilege of knowing Sterling certainly added priceless value to our lives.
