this one

This Road Of Music
By Alan Rhody

With the holidays rapidly approaching and the end of another year that seems to have virtually flown by, I want to thank all those who have supported my music and art through 1996. I'm a most fortunate individual, having been blessed with a loving family and a host of real friends in and out of the music world I've chosen to work in for the last twenty-five or so years. I also grieve the loss of some of those friends in the past year. Two of those people being the incredibly talented Walter Hyatt, who we lost in the Valujet crash in the Everglades and singer, songwriter, guitarist, Coleen Peterson who was finally winning hard-earned success and acclaim as part of the Canadian group, Quartet, which includes Sylvia Tyson, when she lost her battle with cancer back in October. Both of these individuals were as loved and respected as fine caring human beings as much as they were for their music.

I'm not sure this column will continue in 1997, but I want to send the following lyric out to all those people who are facing hard times this holiday season and hope that their lives will be happier in 1997.

And A Rainbow


If you're ever. frightened by the wind

Howling through the trees some lonesome night

And it's like a calling out for help

In the heart of a dark and mournful sky


It's just the man in moon sighing from a sad old tune and he has to hide

Behind a cloud 'cause he can't stand to see

Two people in love say Goodbye


And so he cries, and that makes the rain

He almost dies, the thunder and lightning are his pain


He looks down still in fear


But the people need his tears-to survive

And he hears the words "forgive me"

and .. I need you" somewhere in the night

And his old friend the sun, he's the one who's always right on time

And he starts to warm things up and brings and end

To the darkness for awhile


And they both smile, and that makes a brand new day

Tears of joy start to fall and a rainbow takes all the pain away


(From the CD, "From A Real Good Home" (DMighty Nice Music, used by permission)

Mr. Rhody is a Louisville native and an award-winning song writer and painter making Nashville, Tenn. his home since 1977. Available for concerts and workshops, he can be reached at P.O. Box 121231, Nashville, TN 37212.