Talk:Tommy Faragher

I KNEW TOMMY WHEN

I WAS THE ROAD MANAGER/ROADIE FOR "BONES" WHICH WAS COMPRISED OF JIMMY FARAGHER, DANNY FARAGHER, CASEY CUNNINGHAM, AND GREG TORNQUIST! BILLY FUNK (MY FRIEND, AND THE OTHER ROADIE) TRUCKED BONES' EQUIPMENT ALL ACCROSS THE UNITED STATES ON A NOTABLE TOUR WITH "CANNED HEAT" AS OUR TOUR MATES AND TOP BILLED ACT. COLUMBIA RECORDS HAD CREATE A SPIN OFF LABEL CALLED 'SIGNPOST" TO FEATURE THEIR NEW ACTS INCLUDING BONES. BOB ELLIS, HUSBAND TO DIANA ROSS AT THE TIME PAYED EXPENSES ON THE TOUR WITH HIS PERSONAL CREDIT CARD, AS COLUMBIA RECORDS WAS TIGHTENING THEIR BUDGET, AND PRETTY MUCH WAS LETTING BONES DIE ON THE VINE AS THEY HAD NO MONEY FOR PROMOTING NEW ACTS! MY EYE RUPTURED IN PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, DUE TO A DISEASE CALLED KERATACONUS THAT CAUSES ONES' COREAS TO DETERIORATE. THE TOUR ENDED THERE FOR ME AS IS FLEW BACK HOME TO LA FOR AN EMERGENCY CORNEAL TRANSPLANT, THE FIRST OF SIX IN BOYH EYES OVER DECADES. WHAT DOES ALL THIS HAVE TO DO WITH TOMMY FARAGHER? NOT MUCH OTHER THAB TO ESTAGLISH MY BONA FIDES.

IT WAS NOT LONG AFTER THAT TOUR IN WHICH WE PLAYED WITH SUCH NOTABLE ACTS AS ALICE COOPER IN A CONCERT AT WHICH HE PUT HE HEAD OF A LIVE SNAKE OF SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTIONS IN HIS MOUTH! AS I WAS RAMBLING, NOT LONG AFTER OUR BIG TOUR, AND THE FAILURE OF OUR ALBUM, OR ANY OF THE SONGS THEREIN, TO MEET WITH ANY MEASURABLE SUCCESS; DUE IN NO SMALL PART TO THE RECESSION THAT HAMSTRINGED COLUMBIA RECORDS AND KEPT US FROM ANY SERIOUS MARKETING EFFORTS, BONES BROKE UP.

NEXT CAME "THE FARAGHER BROTHERS" . . . JIMMY (MY FRIEND AND DORM MATE AT UC RIVERSIDE), DANNY, TOMMY, DAVIE, AND MARTY . . . ALL FARAGHERS. LATER PAMMY JOINED ON VOCALS, AND PATSIE DID ARTWORK FOR ALBUM COVERS. ALSO FARAGHERS. THERES ARE SIX BOYS AND TWO SISTER FARAGHERS IN ALL. OLDEST BROTHERS' TALENTS WENT TO ACADEMICS. PUBLISHED FIRST FOR HIS TREATISE ON THE LIFE OF PIONEER WOMEN ON WAGON TRAINS WEST, AND LATER DISTINGUISHED AS A PROFESSOR AND AUTHOR OF NUMEROUS LITERARY PRODUCTIONS. YOU START TO GET THE PICTURE . . . TOMMY AND HIS SIBLINGS HAD A SIZEABLE NICHE IN BRAINS AND TALENT . . . MOSTLY MUSICAL, EXCEPT FOR THE OLDEST, JOHNNY!

AT THIS POINT, I SHOULD INTRODUCE MYSELF. I AM RON SMITH, AND I HOOKED MY DIM STAR TO THE FARAGHER COMET RIGHT OUT OF COLLEGE. I FINISHED MY DEGREE IN ACCOUNTINT AT THE U OF UTAH. IT WAS IN SLC, UTAH THAT I REKINDLED MY FRIENDSHIP WITH JIMMY AND HIS FAMILY. BONES WAS BILLED AS THE OPENING ACT FOR LEON RUSSEL AT THE SALT PALACE IN SLC. THE NAME FARAGHER APPEARED IN THE BILLING, SO I WENT, WONDERING IF IT COULD BE?

I HAD BEEN A BASS PLAYER IN BANDS THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE. MOM SAW TO IT THAT MY BROTHER, RICKY AND I HAD 9 YEARS OF CLASSICAL PIANO LESSONS GROWING UP. THAT AND MY TIME IN THE ALHAMBRA HIGH SCHOOL ORDHESTRA ON STRING BASS (THEY ALREADY HAD A PIANO PLAYER) NATURALLY LED TO ELECTRIC BASS AND ROCK AND ROLL. JIMMY FARAGHER WAS BOTH MY FRIEND AT UCR, AND AN ENTHUSIASTIC FAN OF "THE PLAGUE" THE CAMPUS ROCK GROUP I PLAYED BASS FOR. SO IT WAS NATURAL WHEN I MET UP WITH HIM AFTER THE LEON RUSSEL GIG, AND TOLD HIM I HAD A DEGREE IN ACCCOUNTING, BUT COULDN'T WORK BECAUSE I WAS GOING BLIND DUE TO KERATACONUS, THAT HE OFFERED ME A JON AS ROAD MANAGER FOR BONES, BASED IN REDLANDS, CALIFORNIA. I WAS COLLECTING UNEMPLOYMENT AFTER A SHORT STAY AT CRYSLER CREDIT CORP. AND WAS ABOUT TO RUN OUT OF BENEFITS. BEFORE CCC., I HAD DRIVEN 13,000 MILES THREE MONTHS I A SOLO OUR OF THESE MYSTICAL UNITED STATES, SO ROAD MANAGER FOR A TOURING BAND SEEMED A NATURAL FIT FOR AN ITINERANT MAN OF THE WORLD. BESIDES, I NEEDED THE WORK AND I WAS SINGLE AND ON THE PROD. IT SEEMED A GREAT WAY TO MEET GIRLS WHO PARTY . . . ROADIE FOR A ROCK BAND.

OK, TOMMY, NOW YOU REMEMBER ME? GIVE ME A CALL ON MY CELL (541-373-3439) or text me Jimmmys' phone number so I can reconnect, please.

WHAT IS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT TOMMY IS THAT HE IS A TERRIFIC HUMAN BEING WHO, ALONG WITH THE REST OF HIS WONDERFUL FAMILY, ENRICHED MY LIFE IMMEASUREABLY. MY FONDEST MEMORIES OF MY PAST AS I STRUGGLE THROUGH THE 73rd YEAR OF MY TRAVAILS IN THIS IMPERFECT WORLD, ARE OF MY YEARS OF ASSOCIATION AND WORK WITH MY OTHER FAMILY, THE FARAGHERS. ONE CANNOT BASK IN THE PERPETUAL GLOW OF SUCH GENIUS IN THE PLEASANT AND EXCITING ENTERPRISES THEY INVOLVED ME IN WITHOUT THE INDELLIBLE AND GLORIOUS MEMORIES I AM BLESSED WITH. THOUGH OUR PATHS DIVERGED AFTER I CONCEIVED A CHILD BACK STAGE AT A LITTLE RICHARD CONCERT WITH MY FIRST WIFE, AND DID THE 'HONORABLE' THING', THE FARAGHERS ARE STILL WITH ME ALWAYS. THEY COMPRISE A LARGE PORTION OF MY EARLY LIFE THAT IS WORTH REMEMBERING AND I DO SO VERY FONDLY.

I WENT ON TO DO 25 YEARS AND TWO MARRIAGES WITH THE LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND POWER, AND RETIRED AT 55 FROM MY POSITION AS CHIEF SENIOR ELECTRIC SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE WITH A COMFORTABLE PENSION (UNTIL THE IRS GOT AHOLD OF IT)!!! MY WIFE, PATRICIA, AND I LIVE IN GOLD BEACH, OREGON; A SMALL SALMON FISHING COMMUNITY AT THE MOUTH OF THE ROGUE RIVER IN SOUTH WEST OREGON. I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE PLACE ON FAMILY VACATION TRIPS WITH MY PARENTS WHEN GROWING UP. I SO IDOLIZED THE PLACE AND THE SMALL TOWN LIFE HAVING BEEN RAISED IN LOS ANGELES, I EVEN WROTE AND PUBLISHED A JUVENILLE FICTION ABOUT A LAD WHO MOVES THERE FROM 'THE BIG CITY', AND HAS DIFFICULTY FITTING IN! IT'S CALLED "DECEMBER KING".

BACK TO TOMMY. WHEN HE BEGAN AS A FORMATIVE MEMBER OF THE NEW GROUP AFTER BONES CALLED 'THE FARAGHER BROTHERS', IT WAS APPARENT TO ME IMMEDIATELY THAT A RARE DEPOSIT OF FARAGHER STYLE MUSICAL ABILITY AND ACUMEN CAME WITH THIS PACKAGE. AFFABLE AND LOVEABLE TO MEN AND WOMEN, SPECIALLY YOUNG WOMEN; TOMMY WAS AN INSTANT PERPORMING AND RECORDING STAR. OLDER BROTHER DANNY HAD BEEN, IN MY EXPEREIENCE UNTIL THEN, THE ONLY KEYBOARD PLAYER, FAVORING THE B-3 HAMMOND ORGAN. TOMMY, NATURALLY, BEING YOUNGER BROTHER, SOUGHT TO COMPLEMENT DANNY'S ORGAN AND HARMONICA WORK WITH THE BAND . . . WITH IMMEDIATE AND GHREAT SUCCESS. SO, YOU CAN ADD HUMILITY AND RESPECT TO HIS WELL ROUNDED AND PROFESSIONAL MUSICAL PERSONA.

I BELIEVE I HAVE SAID ENOUGH. I USUALLY SAY TOO MUCH. ASK MY WIFE. ALSO, MY EYE SIGHT HAS DIMINISHED TO THE POINT THAT, EVEN WITH ALL CAPS AND A MAGNIFYING GLASS, WRITING IS STRESSFUL AND DEMANDING. 'NOUGH SAID??!! RogueRon (talk) 23:45, 12 December 2020 (UTC)≈ Ron Smith

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