~e~

Jimmy Strader

Hello friends,

My friend, Jimmy Strader, passed away Monday. His funeral will be at 4 p.m. Friday at All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria Ave.

You know, the term genius is thrown around way to much, but anyone who has seen Jim play can not deny him that. Anyone who knows the least little bit about music knows what a phenomenal talent he was. Know, understand what I am going to say right now, because I am as serious as I have ever been, Jim was as good as anyone who has ever picked up a bass guitar, period. The fact that he is not in the Oklahoma Blues Hall of fame or The Jazz Hall is stupid. It proves that stupid people are in charge of all that rig-a-ma-roll. Oh, he will get in now for sure, but it's a little to late. You know why? Because he's DEAD! That's why. Good job team. Stupid, stupid people. That is the perfect example of why the music industry is so screwed up. It is run by business men not musicians. Besides, Jim thought that stuff was a bunch of crap anyway, so as far as I am concerned you can leave him out. You didn't want him before, so don't bother now.

Sorry.

Jimmy was a gentle giant who I loved very much. I would sit and listen to him talk. He would quote John Baconthorpe or Che Guevara or say things like 'It is hard to believe that right deductions from true principles should ever lead to conclusions that can’t be maintained or made consistent.' I would sit there with a real serious look on my face and nod, the whole while thinking 'What the hell is he talking about?'. It was hypnotizing to listen to him. I always walked away having learned something.

Now, I have a extremely wide musical taste, from Sun House to the Sex Pistols. But when I was younger it was only the Beatles. There was no one else as far as I was concerned. Jim was at the house and I was in the 8th or 9th grade. He said something about some band I can't remember and I said something stupid like "Yeah, well they ain't the Beatles'. Jim said to me "Don't limit yourself. I know that you feel like your betraying the Beatles, but you are really betraying yourself." Now, I don't know if that is the reason why I expanded my musical horizons, but if it is, he gave me something I could never pay back in a million years.

Here are a few seeds he planted~
1) Rock n roll isn't about great musicians, it's about great music.
2) Don't listen to what anyone says, Charley Watts is God on drums.
3) The Gibson SG is kind of a squirrely guitar.
4) That shit will destroy your life or maybe even kill you.
5) Miles Davis gets it.
6) The Ramones are a strait forward rock n roll band, just listen to the hooks.
7) Paul McCartney out of this world guineas, so is Les Claypool.
8) I saw a roadie bust Hank Thompson's guitar but I never told anyone.
9) Sometimes playing less is the only way to play it.
10) Don't try to write a song, just write a song.

I was honored to have Jimmy record with me. I will cherish those tracks till the day I die. Jimmy gets it.

My heart is sick. I will miss my friend very much.



Adios,
~e~