"The End of the story...the Beginning of the rest of it."

As some of you know, I've co-authored a new book with Sonja Paris, the widow of the late and great saxman Johnny Paris of my former group, Johnny and the Hurricanes. John had many hits such as Red River Rock, Crossfire, Rockin Goose, Reville Rock, Sandstorm, Timebomb, Buckeye, Saga of the Beatles and many more, all recorded between the years of 1959-1967. The "Sopranos" TV show even used one of our tunes in episode 74! Our writing is near completion. It has been a year since he passed away, and a year of heartaches, legal, copyright, trademark, and many other issues unanticipated when we began to write. Sonja has had little time to grieve, and myself even less to breathe.It has been as amazing writing about him, as the book will be. Stolen master tapes, lies, bad business deals, American Bandstand, the Beatles, lost loves and more than a few hidden ones. And all the while, even though we know he's gone, he has been with us both in spirit and dreams. Strange occurances at odd times have given us every reason to believe that we all transcend death in some unfathomable way, unknown and unaware by most of us. Most of us except Sonja and I. Just how, you'll find interesting when you read the book, which we hope you all will.
Today's "Drivin' Sideways!" is about how life goes on. Its voices in your head, and faint sounds once familiar, in the dark of night. Its a breeze on a cheek or ear when there is no wind. Its the tingle I feel every time I would write about something significant in Johnny's life. I'm not ashamed to say Ive shed a tear or few. It's very, very hard to write about someones elses life, without living, or re-living some of it. Some made me laugh, and some as I wrote, made me incredibly sad. He was such a big influence on me when I was just a 'young-gun' guitarist in the Hurricanes who thought he knew it all, but didn't. And now 30 some years later, as his biography sits finished, I only now realize what it's like to have someone tell your story, as I've tried telling his. It's why we both felt him around us so much, even though we know he's gone.
Reknown psychic Sylvia Brown has said that change that appears suddenly out of nowhere is a sign. And hangups on telephones, can be indications of energies moving in mysterious ways. Is that really true? Can you really feel the presense of someone who passed on? Of course. We should all look for those little things that have no explanation. We haven't had to, because they have been all around us. This is my message to you this week: that life doesn't end at the end...that end is just a new beginning. For Sonja and I, the journey hasn't been without some trials, tears, laughs and tribulations, and thats all as it should be with something as powerful as telling someone's life story. She was his wife, and I his bandmate and friend, but both of us had to give and live a little more through it, to be able to tell it to the world. It hasn't been easy.
Today, as I re-edited and added pretty much the ending to a part of it, I was struck with sadness. An overwhelming feeling came over me. It's these times I know I'm not alone in my writing. It's those chills I always get when I feel my Mother and Father..and John, standing behind the veil, right behind me. I realize as much as they arent really there, that they are in sprit, and that is all we are anyway in this world and the next. A spirit that goes on, only to be reborn again and again, I feel...till we get it right. It doesn't take a strong belief in God or religion to know there is something else waiting for us to do when we get to the other side. I guess with John, it was to come back to us in spirit to help us tell his story, which is really the story of us all.
We all dream, and hope, work and pray for those things we believe will make us, and those we love, happy. Sometimes, when we aren't successful doing that in this life, we revisit those we've left behind, so that they know they aren't alone. And Johnny has done just that. At times throughout this writing adventure, I've felt aged, and my hair has gone much more grey. I felt tears when I shouldn't have, and laughed when no one knew what it was I was laughing at. I wasn't sure myself.
It hasn't been easy writing the book. Especially about someone like John, whom I called my friend. In many ways, I've had to relive it for him, and through him, to be able to tell the world all about it. And true, now we've done just that. We've told the world his story, and to a degree, ours as well. So friends, in your own lives, it may be the end of the story, but it's just the beginning of the rest. Live your lives, for life can be short, and try to make the best of your time left with those you love. You may just have to write a book about them someday!

Take care friends, and remember. "Love is All...All is Love...Always"Until next time...keep your hands on the wheel, and your foot to the floor when your'e...Drivin' Sideways! Peace All!"
*Special Thanks to: My Spirit Guides, Muck Sticky (for the laughs), The Hurricane Shelter, Team Detroit, La Grizzy, Sonja Paris, Larry Patterson and Treasure Island Gold, "Lucky" the Wonder Dog!
Email me at:
duanethomas@johnnyandthehurricanes.com
hurricane.duane@atilarecords.com
visit me at: www.myspace.com/duanethomas1