The beauty of Jesses music lies in its genuineness and simplicity--Three chords and the truth as he always used to quote that great songwriter Harlan Howard. To anyone who ever had the pleasure to meet Jesse or see him perform in an intimate setting, those qualities were a reflection of him as a person. It is always risky to engage in idolatry of the departed--it often involves a degree of license which would bemuse the people who knew them better than those who observed them from afar. But I know this: Jesse always came across as a real and genuine man, without guile and always considerate of how he connected with his fans. He was, in fact, the self-effacing southern gentleman he projected on-stage. Im sure he had faults--and that he would be the first to offer them up. But Im also sure he was the first to look past the shortcomings of others. I thought I would share a story and a picture: A few years back, when Jesse was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, my girlfriend and I were in Utah to run a marathon when we read the news on-line. I also read somewhere that Jesse had an interest in trains and as I recall, even thought about spending some time building a model railroad. Since we were visiting Promontory Point (site of the driving of the Golden Spike), I picked up a book about the building of the early railroads and a reference book about trains and sent them to Jesse, thinking it might entertain him during his recovery. A few weeks later I received this lovely note. Here was Jesse, in treatment for what we thought was the cancer that might take his life (fortunately he survived a few more precious years), and he thought to write a touching note of thanks. Its a note I hold dear. As I said, a warm and genuine person. God, well miss you Jesse.
Posted on: Fri, 30 May 2014 00:18:18 +0000
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