The Eulogy written by John Williams

Sid Fisher

I DON'T KNOW THE PROPER WAY TO EULOGIZE MY BROTHER SID FISHER BUT A SPEECH FULL OF PRAISE AT A TIME LIKE THIS IS BOUND TO FALL WAY SHORT OF THE MAN.
BUT LIKE MANY OF YOU HERE TODAY I HURT.... FOR I HAD THE PLEASURE OF KNOWING SID, AND THE HONOR OF MAKING MUSIC ALONG SIDE HIM FOR A GOOD MANY YEARS !
SO I'LL JUST TELL YOU HOW I SEE IT.......

SID LIVED LIFE TO THE FULLEST AND HE MET IT HEAD ON, HE DIDN'T SAMPLE LIFE...... HE DEVOURED IT !
WHETHER IT WAS PLAYING A GUT WRENCHING SOLO THAT LEFT YOU WITH YOUR MOUTH WIDE OPEN , KNOWING YOU JUST WITNESSED SOMETHING TRULY UNIQUE, OR
DUSTING HIMSELF OFF FROM A RUN OF BAD LUCK ON THE SLOTS.
AND AS WE ALL KNOW ...... SID HATED THAT GAMBLING DEMON
AND TRIED TO BEAT IT EVERY CHANCE HE GOT !!!

SID WAS A REALIST, AND A FIGHTER AND NO MATTER WHAT HE WAS DEALT HE TOOK IT ALL IN HIS STRIDE, SHRUGGED IT OFF AND MOVED ON !
THAT'S THE WAY HE LIVED & THE WAY HE FACED DEATH

FROM BEING A MUSICIAN'S MUSICIAN & JACK OF ALL TRADES
TO RAISING CHICKENS AND A PET PIG.
HE WAS A NO FRILLS, NO HOLDS BARRED, BARROOM GUITAR PICKER
WITH A LOVE FOR GOOD MUSIC PLAYED RIGHT AND THE OCCASIONAL 3 FINGERS OF JACK DANIELS WITH A SPLASH OF COKE.

I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER YEARS AGO AFTER BEING ADVISED MANY TIMES BY OUR CLOSEST FRIENDS TO CLEAN UP OUR ACT AND DRESS A BIT NICER ON STAGE.......
SO WE ALL SHOWED UP TO PLAY THIS WEDDING, ALL SQUEAKY CLEAN IN RENTED TUXEDOS, SHINY SHOES AND HAIR NEATLY COMBED & IN WALKS SID WEARING HIS BLACK FEDORA AND A BEAUTIFUL BLACK TUX......
WITH THE SLEEVES CUT OFF ......!

HE SMOKED, HE DRANK, AND HE PARTIED, BUT NEVER AS HARD AS HE WORKED, OR PLAYED.
AND HE WAS A SCRAPPER,.... AS SEVERAL OF US HERE CAN TESTIFY TO.

WHAT HE BORROWED / HE RETURNED IN BETTER SHAPE THAN HE RECEIVED IT IN.
'CAUSE HE SAID YOU CAN'T BORROW ANYTHING WORTH A DAM ANYMORE....
WHAT HE WAS PAYED HE EARNED 10 FOLD AND WHAT HE WAS WORTH YOU COULDN'T PUT A PRICE ON.
HE WAS HONEST, STRAIGHTFORWARD & LOYAL.!

HE WOULD HELP ANYONE, WITH ANYTHING, ANYTIME, DAY OR NIGHT AND HE'D TAKE THE TIME TO EXPLAIN THE SIMPLEST TASK TO US SIMPLE FOLKS. WITHOUT CONDESCENTION.
AND ALL OF THIS CAME FROM THE GOODNESS OF HIS HEART !

SID WAS A PROLIFIC MUSICAL WRITER AND COMPOSER OF TRULY ORIGINAL TUNES....
TUNES THAT WERE DELICIOUSLY STUFFED WITH FUNKY LITTLE RIFFS, SYNCOPATED RHYTHMS, POINTED LYRICS AND THE EVER RECOGNIZABLE SID FISHER SIGNATURE SOUND !!!
YEAH, JUST LIKE HENDRIX, STEVIE RAY, BB & CALPTON...WHEN YOU HEARD THAT FENDER SING YOU KNEW IMMEDIATELY IT WAS SID...HE HAD TASTE, HE HAD PASSION AND HE PLAYED FROM HIS VERY SOUL

IN SPITE OF HIS RUFF EDGES, SID WAS A KIND MAN WHO HAD A SOFT SPOT FOR HIS FRIENDS..... AS WIDE AS THIS VALLEY !!!
WE WILL MISS HIM DEARLY

HOW DO YOU SAY GOODBYE TO A FRIEND LIKE SIDNEY FISHER.....?

...... THANKS BROTHER SID FOR ALL THE GOOD TIMES.... WE'LL.BE JAMMIN' DOWN THE ROAD.....