Every Book Needs a Soundtrack

Just lately I've been cranking out one song after another on players and coaches in ACC Basketball Book of Fame. I know, I know. No one writes a soundtrack to a book.

Maybe not, but what's that got to do with me?

Some of this energy has to come from the company I'm keeping at our book signings. Met a bunch of great new friends, but it's the juice I'm getting from the Spuds that are showing up, my best friends in the world from a long time back, that has recharged the batteries. We were all living in Chapel Hill in the 70s, all single and all up for anything and everything. And we had us a time.

Keeping that kind of headlong pursuit of kicks, kicks, kicks, year after year after year, requires the kind of stamina I can no longer sustain. But I can still rally to the occasion on occasion, especially when I look up a see the likes of Robert T. "Bobby D" Donnan walk through the door over at the Barnes and Noble in Durham last week..

I hadn't seen Bobby D in way too long. Back in Spudtowne, we wrote a lot of songs together. Never really co-wrote, we just wrote side by side and helped each other along. I'm not sure it's such a good idea to start telling you too much about Bobby D because I wouldn't know where to stop.

But I will say that Bobby D's take on life is not always one I would have thought of, but I'm always mighty glad somebody did.

Bobby D is a busy man these days. He's so busy he says he can't take the time to write a song, at least not the way anyone other than Bobby D might write a song. He said he's willing to download one, if any are available. And he said that it's the damnest thing, but from time to time some are. He writes his songs in one torrent. He downloads them. I might have to try that some time.

I'm nudging Bobby D to help me write the soundtrack to my book. I figure I need a few more tunes, and any written by Bobby D would be one less on me. Maybe he'll download a couple and we'll have our road show out on the road by spring.

The photo at the bottom of this post is actually one of inestimable Bobby D taken by our long-time Spud pal Laura J Toler. It's fitting you only get to see a slice of his profile, for Bobby D always was the L'Angelo Misterioso of Spudtowne.

But in the meantime I'm making my rounds around North Carolina this week. The fun can be had in Cary Tuesday at the Barnes and Noble at 760 SE Maynard Road at 7, and in Charlotte Thursday at Park Road Books at 4139 Park Road. That signing also starts at 7. Then this weekend I'm heading home to Franklin for Saturday's book signing uptown at Books Unlimited at 60 East Main. I believe we're starting in the morning, around 10:30 and we'll be there as long as they need me.

I got to warn you. I will have my guitar. And I will be insisting you raise your voice in a rousing rendition of Sail With the Pilot. And if you really beg me, I might even play version of my latest called:
(Think real greasy blues riff going on with harmonica)

Rodney, Randolph and Tim

The Deacons had descended
To the bottom of the ACC once again
They had 5-3 Muggsy Bogues and Mark Cline
And the personnel quickly got real thin
Dr. Hooks brought in Dave Odom
To get the program back up and running again
Which is what Dave proceeded to do
With Rodney, Randolph and Tim.

They never played together,
Now ain't that a shame
But from the day Rodney and Randolph showed up
Til the day Tim Duncan played his final college game
The Deacons could take on any team in the country
And on the right night with the right breaks
The Deacons could win 
(spoken: With the possible exemption of Kentucky).
It was a Golden Age at Wake Forest
With Rodney, Randolph and Tim

From the day he walked on campus
Rodney Rogers was a man
When you take the court with Rodney as your teammate
You know just where you stand
He poured in 35 points in Cameron
In front of his family and friends.
It was a Golden Age at Wake Forest
With Rodney, Randolph and Tim

Sitting in the locker room with Randolph
Who was always as forthcoming as he could be
He said I can't imagine anyone having more confidence in themselves
And if I could it wouldn't say very much about me
Yeah he left Jeff McInnis a sprawling
While he motioned for him to get up
And drained another three on him
It was a Golden Age at Wake Forest
With Rodney, Randolph and Tim

Tim Duncan was from a different planet
At least he wasn't from around here
Never saw a human show less anxiety
Never saw a human show less fear
Now Tim was going to be Tim
You just had to know that about him
It was a Golden Age at Wake Forest
With Rodney, Randolph and Tim

Hope to see you this week.

                                                         (Photo by Laura J Toler)