Many people have asked what sparked me to write Man with the Banjo. Curiosity about my father's pre-George Robert life probably commenced the day he commissioned me a Lieutenant in the USAFR. He would not have been able to do this had he not been an officer himself. But how did he receive his commission in 1935? The country wasn't at war...he hadn't attended any service academy or graduate from a university. In November of that year he passed away, leaving me with a ton of questions that were never asked.
My father and I had a musical connection that provided a forum for many snippets of his earlier life to surface. As time passed, my curiosity deepened, but I was never able to put all the snippets and pieces together. Then I read Lowell Schreyer's 2000 publication of The Eddie Peabody Story that chronicled my father's musical career from 1921 until his passing in 1970. At that point and without any formal organization, I sat at a computer for about a month and typed out what I call a mind dump. When I printed what I'd written -- almost 900 pages -- my only thought was Now what do I do?
George, I just finished your book and loved it. Your father was a great man. Thank you for telling his story.
ReplyDeleteThank you Charlie. I'm pleased that you enjoyed it. Sorry it took me so long to reply...I'm new to Blogging.
ReplyDeleteA great book! One error I spotted (being a Brit Banjo player) though...Harry Reser was American. The chap who was peaved was Tarrant Bailey Jnr, a classical banjoist. Either way, it did not detract from being a super read and thoroughly entertaining in every way. Well done!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely correct! I apologize for the error.
ReplyDeleteWhen I young, I was Mr Peabody's paper boy in Madison, Maple Bluff, WI. I also mowed his lawn as the children were to young to do the job. I sure enjoyed doing the job as he always paid me a little extra for the fine job that was done, in his opinion. I use to play the accordian, and like the song Lady of Spain, so he would play that song on the banjo for me, when I would get up the nerve to ask him to. I'm very proud to have had the honor to consider Mr Peabody a person that I looked up to and admired.
ReplyDeleteDuane "Dewey" Moore
I just recovered a stolen banjo that your father gave to my father in the 1960s after a guest performance on the Lawrence Welk Show. My father was Neil LeVang, guitarist and banjoist for the show from 1959-1982. Your dad was such a great musician! Thanks for this page, Mark LeVang
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