"Bill passed on at 12:15 today...just past noon with the family gathered round and the Allman Brothers playing softly throughout the house. He was loved and he will be missed."

Around noon today I was driving through Macon, Georgia...ah, the symbolism. I met Bill around 1997 when I began writing for Hittin the Note magazine. A native Georgia son, Bill's sense of humor always stood out for me. He was always grinning about something. He was 18 years my senior, but he respected my work and he never gave me the seniority trip...he didn't have to...Bill was a player. We crossed paths at shows over the years and I often referred to him as my wise uncle.

Around 2004, when he became the editor at Hittin' The Note, we worked closely together. He was always generous towards me. We became barbecue partners...we'd alternate on who chose where we ate, and it almost always turned into some hilarious scene. The last time I saw him was at the HTN headquarters in Roswell, Georgia, and we were discussing an upcoming issue. A month later, he fell ill, and his health became a serious concern. He slowly faded away...

Bill loved music. He told funny stories, and his spirit seemed to capture every soul he came across. Now he's gone and the fact I'll never speak to him again brings a sorrowful ache in the heart. He will be missed. I bow my head in the utmost respect to Bill, his friends and his family...

At Half Mast,

James Calemine
JCalemine@swampland.com