(Columns often contain opinion)
About two weeks ago, I got an email from Jamie Jones, an area musician who was named the Greater Augusta Arts Council’s Artist of the Year in June.
He wanted to chat about Don Rhodes.
Don, the longtime columnist for The Augusta Chronicle who wrote for Augusta Good News until his death in June, had nominated Jamie for the award but passed away before he could present it.
When Jamie and I talked, Jamie said Don had been a cheerleader, mentor and friend for many years.
He recalled the first story that Don had written about him when he was just a teenager. Over the years, Jamie, a drummer, singer and songwriter, would play for numerous bands around town including Impulse Ride, People Who Must, Tobacco Roadkill and Ed Turner’s No. 9 Band.
In 2003, in Don’s Ramblin’ Rhodes’ column, Don wrote about a project that Jamie and John Kolbeck had worked on. They recorded “Down By the Railroad Tracks,” an album of songs that Jamie’s grandmother and aunt had written.
Jamie said he was blown away by Don nominating him for the arts council award and wanted to do something for Don’s family and friends celebrating their first Christmas without him. Don was born on Christmas Eve.
Inspired by a quote from Don as well as that 2003 recording, Jamie put together a song called “Friendship is the Greatest Ship to Sail.” The lyrics came mainly from emails Jamie had kept from Don; the music was a collaboration between Jamie and Ruskin Yeargin. John Kolbeck played guitar on the recording.
And this column serves as a debut for the song and a thank you to Don. The link is below.
While I’m writing about Don and songwriting, this isn’t the first time that Don has had writing credits on a song.
Don’s sister, Linda Humphreys, sent me an email on Dec. 8, just three days before Jamie reached out and told me about a song he’d written with Eryn Eubanks in 2003. Called “They Could’ve Had His Room,” it’s about the innkeeper at the nativity.
The timing of the two emails seemed serendipitous.
Eubanks, who spoke at Don’s memorial service where she said many things that echoed Jamie’s sentiments, recorded the song in 2003. Here’s the YouTube link.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for 35 years. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here. Broad Street Beat is a column highlighting area music.
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