To all the Newbies (Page 19 of 19)

I have been a fan of Joe's since 2004 - my (at the time) 22 year old son introduced me to his music and even back then his music had the ability to amaze and was just so special.  I had been a huge fan of so many of "the" bands back in the late sixties and seventies, and later SRV but none of them ever affected me as much as Joe has.  Thru the years that followed I would go see him every chance I could, and when rumors started circulating about a show at the Royal Albert Hall happening I decided it was time to get over my fear of flying because there was no chance I was going to miss that one and I made it (in the front row no less due to thoughtfulness of a fellow fan whom I had not even met except on this forum).  That trip was the start of a whole new world full of friends for me that I travel quite frequently to see to this day, and also opened up a world of wonderful music that I never would have found without them.

How does this tie in with what happened to you two ladies?  Well, my husband died last May after a pretty brief illness due to a very aggressive liver cancer.  We had been together for almost 45 years (3/4's of my life).  Him and I had gone to many concerts together over the years but in recent years he just wouldn't go - he had developed a fear of crowded buildings, and so I never did get him to go see Joe in person but he practically wore out my RAH DVD and got such a kick out of seeing me and our son in the front row in little snippets here and there.  When he became ill I received so much moral support from people I know from here and it got me thru some very rough days, and that love and support is here whenever I need it.  One of my best friends lives in the UK (and who I met at the RAH show) and I go and visit with her once or twice a year and we have a marvelous time together (after my husband's death last year I "ran away" to her place for some much needed me-time and healing, followed by a booster shot in November with the mid-Atlantic folks from the Baltimore area that was also much needed).  They, and Joe's music, have kept me sane.  We may not see each other that often, but they are only an email or a phone call away.  Or a post on here.  The other thing that kept me sane thru a lot of this has been my renewed interest in photography, nurtured in part due to the fact that Joe was so good about allowing photography at his shows most of the time.  Now it is time to teach my grandson about good music.  His Dad is the one who introduced me to Joe's music so he has a good start.  "Joe Massa" (as Ben calls him) is already familiar to him at the ripe old age of 2.  I can't wait to take him to his first Joe concert someday.

Welcome to this forum to both of you.  I am so sorry for your losses, and I hope that Joe and this place can help you work thru some of your grief.  This is a very special place.

Sandy