Welcome to Issue 4 of Honky Tonk Angels!

It's been a long time since I changed the content of Honky Tonk Angels. The truth is that when Champ Died, it affected my heart so deeply that I fell into a funk and I didn't feel the inspiration to create. It's been a long 2 years and I wish I could say it doesn't hurt as much anymore - but that wouldn't be the truth - cause Champ was one of those rare, special people who touches your life in such a way that you are never the same again.

There are so many people like me - who remember Champ in their hearts and who are still talking about him and making special tributes to him. Toni's new CD "Born To Be Blue" is a beautiful tribute to Champ. This has been an especially hard time for Toni and the Boys who made music with Champ. Bless their hearts for going on - for showing up week after week and playing us through the pain.

Champ left us with so much - he made all of our hearts grow bigger from knowing him and he still is among us and nowhere is this more evident than through his son Warren Hood. It is one thing to raise your child to be skilled in a craft such as playing the fiddle - but it is quite another thing entirely to raise your child to have a noble character - and Warren has both - the skill of a great musician and the character of a noble heart. I've watched Warren go from being the shy kid who on special occassions joined his Dad on stage - to becoming the strong man/child who realized his destiny - one of great joy and tremendous sorrow - and set his feet firmly on destiny's path and led us all by the hand to follow. I remember Champ's memorial service and the performances that lasted all that day and night - and I remember Warren standing tall and steadfast and doing his father proud. Champ, you really left us your greatest treasure in Warren.

Death. Such a funny thing. It's everywhere you look - because death is a part of living. Most of us don't like to look at death much - cause we don't know what to make of it and cause we're scared about realizing that we'll die one day too. But sometimes the people who are in the accelerated state of dying (we're all dying everyday - some of just faster than others) show us how to face death. I remember both Mambo and Champ getting up on the stage to play for us eventhough their bodies were changing due to their disease - showing us in the most humble of ways that it doesn't matter what the flesh looks like - it matters what the spirit looks like - and eventhough it was painful to watch their bodies change because the changes meant it was getting closer to the time for them to go - I wouldn't give up one day of having seen them. I understand that some people choose to remember people how they were when they weren't sick - and I wouldn't want anyone to feel I was disrespecting Champ by posting video of his final days - but I don't think anyone who loved Champ would feel it was disrespectful because they would understand that Champ choose to share those final days with us and they would see beyond the flesh and feel grateful to have seen him and been with him on his way out of this world.

Death is always tragic - especially when we think it came too soon. The first issue of Honky Tonk Angels was dedicated to my Aunt Donna who died a few months before the issue was on the web. She loved life and clung to it with all her being. Then Mambo died - then Champ died - both too soon. Then just a little while back my cousin's daughter Nicole died - only 22 years old - too soon. I'll tell you what I know about death - it is a long good-bye - a "see you later" that may be years from now and the person who is leaving - well it's hard for them - but once they get on the train they are on vacation in paradise and we're the ones left standing on the platform as the train disappears down the tracks - we're the ones who have to turn around and walk away - back to our lives and all its challenges and I don't know about you - but everytime I see that train heading to paradise I think - now that's the ticket! Have a good trip Aunt Donna, Mambo, Champ, Shoeshine Charlie, sweet Nicole - we'll be seeing you soon one day...