Photo courtesy of C.P. Vaughn

There are no words adequate enough to express the profound sorrow all of Champ's friends, family, and fans feel to never be able to look upon his sweet face or to listen to him play his fiddle and his blue guitar. He is gone from this earth but there is a part inside each of us where he lives. We will always miss Champ - every single day - until we too leave this earth and join him in that honky tonk in heaven.

Toni and the boys do a cover of a Blaze Foley song called "Darlin' ". I wrote a poem to them about this song and gave Champ a copy of the poem the last time he played Hippie Hour. Here are the words to "Darlin" and the poem.

In the near future I will post more photos and video of Champ from his birthday, the last Barndance he played, and his last Hippie Hour.

Darlin' written by Blaze Foley

Oh darlin, oh darlin
Way over yonder and I'm alone
I need you oh I need you
To come back home come back home
Every morning every morning
Reach out for you I reach out for you
But you're not there no you're not there
What shall I do, what shall I do?
What shall I do? Nights are lonely yeah nights are lonely
All by myself all by myself
Want you only want you only
Nobody else nobody else
Come back to me come back to me
It's been too long it's been too long
Got to soothe me come and soothe me
Come hear my song come hear my song
Let's hear that song Oh darlin, oh darlin
Way over yonder and I'm alone
Oh darlin, oh darlin
Come and hear my song come and hear my song
Oh darlin, oh darlin
Way over yonder and I'm alone
Oh darlin, oh darlin
Come and hear my song come and hear my song

(In Response to Darlin', a Blaze Foley song, performed by Toni Price & the Boys)

Your Song

Your song is in me
It is the beating of my heart
It is the soaring of my spirit
It is the stirring of my soul

Champ bidding us a fond farewell at the end of his last Hippie Hour

Yes, I hear your song

I hear your song
in the flowing of the river
in the swaying of the breeze
in the caress of butterfly wings upon my cheek

Your song is in me
It is the giggle bubbling up
It is the tears spilling out
from behind closed eye lids
It is the catch in my throat
where my voice should be

Yes, I hear your song

I hear your song
in the embrace of dear friends
in howls made to a full moon
in the flip of mermaids' tails

Your song is in me
and there it will remain
in the melody of my dreams
in every good deed
in all the love I give
that comes back to me.