Thanks for the read, glad wild Bill never stood in front of me at a show😀

Just chatted with Bill last weekend as he was in Eugene for a book signing (which I missed) but then he came to the Elvis Costello show and ended up sitting right by me. He's always a pleasure to chat with and was way into biking, as well, which is another subject I always broach with him. Have seen him at tons of Dead shows and he stands out, but always talks with folks. In Chicago, at the Fare-the-well shows, he took a bike taxi into the venue. It was pretty humorous, looking like a rickshaw, dragging this huge guy through the crowd with everyone high fiving him and waving.

If you really want to read about Bill's hoops/Dead/biking lifestyle & his story of recovery & redemption from his life threatening back surgery & many other medical issues check out his book,Back From the Dead.

A great read filled with interesting stories and chapter titles right out of Dead songs...a long strange trip indeed! (I still vividly recall many of Bill's college games & his 44 point 24 rebound NCAA title game production & the awesome 77 NBA title.)

When Bill mentioned how personal going to the shows was for him I recalled how prior to every Beacon run friends , business associates would always invite me to go with them to one of the shows. I rarely accepted those invitations and when I did I usually regretted the experience. The Brother's at The Beacon for me was about family. Most of the 5 plus shows I would go to yearly I was accompanied by my older Brother. We would stand side by side in the back of the loge swaying and rocking to The Brothers . My wife and kids would also accompany me occasionally . Those were great times too. The personal , spiritual experience is what brought me back time and time again .
Being a hoops fan in addition to loving The Brother's Bill Walton was one of my favorite all time ball players. The UCLA -Memphis State Final was one of the greatest individual games any player has ever had in an NCAA Final.
One final note I need to mention is I met Bill at a fundraiser I attended with my father who is a Holocaust survivor. My father (not a hoops or Brother's fan) upon meeting Bill picks up his left shirt sleeve to show Bill the number that was tattooed on his arm by The Nazis . My father abruptly than asks Bill if he knows what the number represents . Bill of course was a perfect gentleman responded that he had never seen one of those tattoo's. He marveled at my fathers fortitude and will to survive and build a family and life here in the United States despite losing his parents, grandparents and siblings . When Bill spoke to all of the attendees he mentioned my father by name while he was making a point about his personal struggles and his ability to never give up hope .

Very enjoyable. Thanks, Al. Hard to believe that at one point things got so bad that Bill even forgot about the music.

One final note I need to mention is I met Bill at a fundraiser I attended with my father who is a Holocaust survivor. My father (not a hoops or Brother's fan) upon meeting Bill picks up his left shirt sleeve to show Bill the number that was tattooed on his arm by The Nazis . My father abruptly than asks Bill if he knows what the number represents . Bill of course was a perfect gentleman responded that he had never seen one of those tattoo's. He marveled at my fathers fortitude and will to survive and build a family and life here in the United States despite losing his parents, grandparents and siblings . When Bill spoke to all of the attendees he mentioned my father by name while he was making a point about his personal struggles and his ability to never give up hope .

Thank you for sharing this. Any of us are lucky to be alive any day, but for those of us who are descendants of European Jews our very existence is a small miracle. I can't tell you how much it means to me that Bill acknowledged that publicly and was so respectful of your father. May his family's lives be a blessing.