Remember me talking about meeting Danny Seraphine?

Drummer for Chicago. And I met him completely by fate. I had gone into the drum store I use in Fresno to buy some sticks... owned by a guy named Dana. Dana and I had become somewhat friends over the years. I was paying for my sticks when Dana asked, "You're not staying?".

I didn't know what he was talking about... said so, and Dana replied something like "Oh, I thought you were here to meet Danny Seraphine, he's giving a clinic here today".

Danny was in Dana's backroom office, awaiting the clinic start time, so Dana invited me back and so... spent some time with Danny Seraphine and Dana before he went out for the clinic and entertaining the guests.

To make this short... one of the best afternoons of my life. But we didn't really talk "Chicago"... or "Drumming"... almost not at all... what we talked about was just making music, both of us for our entire lives. I told him a line I've posted here several times...that I had probably played every cow pasture, barn, ranch in Calif. and a few other western states. Danny was interested, avidly so... asked me many questions about those jobs... Can't remember all we said that afternoon but I remember him telling me, ( I forget how he put it), something like he 'envied' me.

I took that to heart... and in fact... at that time I was thinking about retiring from playing in my band, for good.... then didn't, completely anyway. Pretty sure it was that talk with Danny was the main reason I'm still playing today. - JamesJM