Happy Birthday Billy

Thank you J9MILL, for continuing an ad nausea conversation involving Mr. Ritchie’s courageous artistry and his neighbors’ subsequent judgment. Blah, blah, blah, can we change the channel, please? Are we scared because Mr. Ritchie is honest to his core? I covered my fear, pain, and heart scars; and I would not have withstood the technology-and-human-gossip-driven-judgmental-scrutiny under which Mr. Ritchie has been relentlessly subjected…until now. Mr. Ritchie is mature, honest, brave, generous, courageous, and gracious as is evidenced by his deep and wide philanthropic and business actions. He does not mince his words. Kudos, Mr. Ritchie!!! I’ve witnessed, studied, and personally experienced humankind long enough to know lashing out at others is indicative of my own personal level of pain and fear. In this world, we all possess and sling intentional and unintentional heart scars. We all find ways to soothe them. Judgment arises when we fail to lovingly discern from a different perspective. Songs may be interpreted as glorifying instead of honest-laden; it’s a matter of perspective. Mr. Ritchie does not lie to us about consequences of our behavior. Instead of disparaging, judging, and glorifying our neighbors’ actions with ‘other-than-my-own-quirks-making-me-feel-better-about-myself reality TV shows’, would we chose to use our time addressing our own personal pain, fear, and heart scars? In Mr. Ritchie, and through his artistry, I have found a brave and resilient soul who models hope, faith, truth, and love to me. Today lives no more kind and no more sweet man, who walks amongst us, shares his depth of pain while healing and growing, and continues to bring joy to our wearied masses. May you continue to heal, use your own artistry to give voice to love, and never weary of doing good.

:) God bless <3

I LOVE my new hotspot!!! I’ve been thinking (shocker, I know) and I cherish your sharing with me your significance of June 3, “Sweet Home Alabama” (good movie, too) and “All Summer Long.” Simply and humbly, thank you for sharing this with me. I feel more peaceful and easy right now. I would like to share with you why I love your song so much and it is solely because of your artistry, and yours alone, Mr. Ritchie. I am in no way disparaging Lynyrd Skynyrd for I would not wish to offend them and their musical masterpieces. But it is your combination of the two songs added to your original melody and lyric that make me dance with abandon. And it is your artistic words painting for me this glorious younger me I never have yet lived, but you take me there and make me long to experience it. And it is your song which was the last before bar time and others had long since stopped dancing. But not me…while they do not remember my name they affectionately call me “The Dancing Lady.” And it is your song that brought out tired dancers to the dance floor and our souls were refreshed by your artistry and I could feel all our hearts lift…the smiles and our singing along proved it. Again, simply and humbly, thank you for giving me that soul-refreshing experience. You and your artistry lift up weary souls and bring them great joy. I know firsthand. You’ve done it for me. (Pause…tears). I’m off to Bell South with a pink post it note I would love to share with my perfectly imperfect prince. My wish to the full moon. (Speaking aloud hopes, prayers, and wishes create sound and vibration and good things bear good fruit.) I’m picking up a good vibration. I believe I will have a summer of which I’ve always dreamed…all summer long. All my love. P.S. Thanks for your patience with my re-self-teaching of technology while I was otherwise occupied. I feel like a newbie in many ways. Grins :)

Rest In Peace Billy Powell.

God Bless Billy and his family and friends.... And all those haters can suck my dick... Ok I dont have a dick, but I can get one anytime I want...lol

Thanks for a great "behind the scenes" story. I've listened to and played Skynyrd for over 30 years. I must admit I was a bit of a skeptic at first. But after seeing you with Skynyrd all that went away. This just solidifies who you are and what your about. Happy birthday Billy! Keep on rocking, Bob!

sorry for your loss, what a beautiful memory you have together. years from now when we all have faded away, that song will still be when two friends got together. AMEN just wanted i liked the comment from j9mill, the only person you have to satisfy with an answer is you.

I love that song! Great story!! Take Care & Rock On.

Friends like that are far and few between. I'm glad he inspires you. Can not wait for your new album! Still love ya, where you at??

All Summer Long is a classic now. There is just something fun about opening up the car windows and driving with the song blaring out of the speakers. The minute you hear the first beat come from the radio (Ipod, CD, etc) it IS Summer (in Southeast, Michigan!) LOL

It is one bad ass lick... love when Jimmie plays it.. wonder how hard it was to learn it. Thanks for the story, what a great friend.. and what an amazing guy you are, Bob : ) Great show last night.. I don't care what anyone says about you.. we love you n the band. Your songs make us dance funny-like : )

Hey there Mr. Kid Rock, I just got back from seeing you in Boston and AC. Amazing shows; no doubt about it. Thanks! I've been a fan forever, I always go to your shows. I should feel stoked, yet I feel depressingly conflicted about you. Here's why: your music is awesome, you're growing as an artist, you're getting props all over the map, you're getting involved in charity work... You're on the right track, right? Why, then, do you still glamorize booze and drugs? Maybe you're still in the thick of all that shit? As someone who's been in the thick of it myself and has been blessed to be able to let it go, I can tell you, absolutely, that being drunk and high is not being honest w/ yourself. That's your deal, right? Looking in the mirror and knowing you're being true to yourself? You must realize that drug addiction is a huge part of poverty. It's the root of most problems. Certainly the ones you seem to care about. If you want to help people in a meaningful way, you may want to reconsider your attachment to a lifestyle that for the majority of people ends in disaster. You've reached a place where you can positively affect millions of people. What a gift! You've been placed there for a reason. Nothing is accidental. Please give that the respect it deserves. Consider what message you send. Cocain? I Love Krystal? Someone once told me that I was filling a hole inside myself w booze and drugs and that the hole is supposed to be filled with God's love. I laughed at the time but I now know it to be true. Maybe that's why I'm writing this. Maybe I'm just the messenger. So, instead of listening to "Live Trucker" and reminiscing about HOB and AC, I'm listening to Fleetwood Mac 'Rumours" and writing to a man I don't even know. But, actually, I do know you. We're all the same inside. "Finally, babbyy, truth has been told, now you tell me that I'm crazy, it's nothin that I didn't know...." Stevie Nicks was a badass too! You got this, Rock. Thanks for listening. oxx

God rest his soul. Good friends are hard to find. Everyone has a motive these days. What happened to true friendship? Lord send us some angels, we sure could use some tonight.

Such a great story! Thanks for posting and clearing up a few things,for a few people.

Thank You for remembering Billy on this day Bobby. How sincere. I believe Billy Powell was the greatest piano player of our time. There will never be another like him. He was a kind hearted man, yet a rebel till the end. He is greatly missed by those who loved him. We not only lost a good friend, we lost a legend. May he rest in peace, and who knows...we might meet again someday! Peace.