Photo Memories of a Good Man and Good Friend

Today’s blog post was supposed to be a new video feature that I shot last weekend. Honestly after hearing the news about a good friend who passed I just don’t feel like fighting some software that needs updates so that I can do the final edits. I’ll push the video back and show it to you later. Today’s post needs to be about DaddyO. If any of you would like any of these photos without the watermark (it’s automatically applied by my site) let me know and I’ll send you a clean copy.

My first introduction to Jamie (DaddyO) was hearing Pushrod play at the Stray Kat 500. The rowdy loud rockabilly sound was fun, the silliness of all of the guys in the band made the performances epic.

Later that evening Pushrod played again, this time in the tiny conference room of the host hotel. I didn’t know anyone at the show yet really, but the guys laid on an intense and insane performance for a standing room only crowd. Over the years I caught up with the band in Austin on Lonestar Roundup weekends and became friends with the guys. Actually in Austin I became the chauffeur for the guys and their ladies when some of us had a drink or two. Again the performances were epic.

Somewhere in here was when Atlas Speed & Custom became official. T shirts and hats advertising the shop were being sold at the Lonestar Roundup and Daddy-O invited me to stop by some time. “It’s a cool old quanset hut building, looks awesome in pictures.” I was sold and planned to come down to Denison for the KKOA show in October and finally go to Atlas and check out the shop and some of the projects that Daddy-O was working on.

That Friday night I went to a local bar, Smitty’s I believe was the name. Pushrod was playing and I had a handful of friends in the audience, but other than that the entire packed bar were complete strangers. I hadn’t been feeling well earlier in the evening so the band was on stage and rocking when I showed up. The boys stopped in the middle of a song to welcome me to the bar like I owned the place. It was always a good time watching Pushrod perform.

The last 2 H.A.M.B. Drags weekends Pushrod performed. It was good to see the guys someplace north of the Red River.

Then in 2013 I made a trip down to Texas for the Texas Thaw, money was tight and Daddy-O knew it. He generously offered up a cot in his pad for me to save some bucks. Every time I was to be in the area, he always invited me to stop by the shop. Many other folks echo the same thing when they were coming through town. Daddy-O was always up for showing off what he’d been working on, and it was always stuff that’s cool.

Later in 2013 I was back in North Texas for Pistons N Paint. On Sunday before heading back to KS I met up with Jamie and we went for a ride in Atlas 1 and did a little photoshoot. I had a blast riding around getting the comedic version of the history of Denison, TX. Afterwards we were back at the shop for a bit, talking life, women, music, hot rods and kustoms. It was a great time and that’s where the first photo at the top of the page came from.

 

I miss you my friend, the world is a less kool place without you.

Royboy