Everybody needs to have a Friend

“Trust in me, I’ll try to do
Everything to help you that I can
Broken wings can heal and mend again
Don’t be afraid to cry your tears out loud
Everybody needs to have a friend”

Everybody Needs To Have A Friend- Wishbone Ash (1973)

When I was in my early teens, I learned a lot about music from my friends. One of those friends, Tom, was a drummer who had a huge record collection and an amazing sound system in his basement. I spent many days with friends in Tom’s basement, listening to records. I still think of him today when I hear certain bands that he introduced me to- Ten Years After, Frank Zappa, Queen, the Doobie Brothers, Yes, and Wishbone Ash, to name a few. I came to love all those bands, especially Wishbone Ash. They were a British band known for their extensive use of harmony twin lead guitars. Their contributions helped Andy Powell and Ted Turner to be voted “Two of the Ten Most Important Guitarists in Rock History” (Traffic magazine 1989). Wishbone Ash’s Argus album from 1972 went on to become one of my all-time favorite albums. It was before the days of the internet and Youtube, and I never got to see the band live, so I was very excited to see that Wishbone Ash was going to be on the Midnight Special TV show. I believe I watched them that night in Tom’s basement, where we would gather sometimes on Friday nights to watch some of our favorite bands.

As time went on, Tom and I drifted apart, although I would still see him occasionally playing drums with other friends in their band. Wishbone Ash’s “Blowin’ Free” was frequently one of the songs on their set list. I was shocked one day to find out Tom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in his late 30s. After a rough course, he went into remission for a short time. They decided to have a big party for Tom’s 40th birthday, and the band would play with Tom on drums. I remember like it was yesterday- we both happened to be in the men’s bathroom, and Tom told me his cancer came back. It was a brutal blow. What started as a joyful celebration became an emotional night. He played his heart out. I really felt bad then that we had drifted apart over the years. I made a point to stay in touch. “Trust in me, I’ll try to do everything to help you that I can. Broken wings can heal and mend again. Don’t be afraid to cry your tears out loud. Everybody needs to have a friend. (Wishbone Ash)” I remember going to his house and listening to music with him just like the old days shortly before he passed. He left behind a wife and 5-year old daughter. It was my first experience with having a childhood friend passing away. It was heart-wrenching.

At that time of my life, I was busy with work and family, and music took a backseat. I lost track of Wishbone Ash, assuming they split up like so many other bands of that generation. Then one day about 10 years later (in the mid-2000s) I saw that Wishbone Ash was coming to Sellersville Theater. I couldn’t believe it! Wishbone Ash still existed and was playing at my local concert venue! Andy Powell had kept the band together and was continuing to put out album after album of great music- I had no idea! I was so excited, and I scooped up tickets right away. It was the first of many Wishbone Ash concerts for me at Sellersville- I’m guessing I’ve seen them over a dozen times, with many different friends, as well as two of my sons. In 2013, I got a surprise when I saw that another founding member of Wishbone Ash, Martin Turner, was coming to our theater. He quit the band for a while and was living in England when he decided to put a band together and play some of those old Wishbone Ash songs. I believe he has only toured here in the States that one time, but it was exciting to see him as well. it’s now been fifty years after that Argus album that I loved so much, and they continue to come almost every year. In 2022, Eva and I were actually the show sponsors for their 50th anniversary of Argus show at Sellersville, and we got to meet Andy in the Green Room after the show, which was quite a thrill.

March 22, 2024: We got to see them again last night, this time celebrating 50 years after their double-album “Live Dates” release, another record I remember listening to in Tom’s basement. I’ll never get tired of hearing this band- so many memories!