Had my cousin Bennie's funeral today, I really wish I could have known him better.
He passed earlier this week, went in for cancer treatment, they sedated him and he never woke up.
We knew it was coming, but the optimist in me thought he would make it through, he survived the 60s and 70s, he was even in the Army from 69-75, though I don't think he ever deployed.
the stories everybody had told about him, they were great.
Several of his old band mates got up and told stories of when they played together, apparently even my dad played with him once, on accoustic, he doesn't know how to play, he just strummed open strings, but they were so loud you couldn't even hear him haha. One of his old band mates is a preacher, and the stories he was telling were great.
But what really brought me to tears was when his son got up and picked up his dad's old Telecaster and played "Little Wing" for him, like he said he wanted played at his funeral.
I remember when he used to give me lessons, would always bring that Telecaster over with his big tube amp,
He was even offered a chance to audition for Blood Sweat and Tears, but he decided to stick with the band he was with then.
He put out an album back in the early 70s called "Velvet Prince" a sealed copy is on eBay right now for $100, I think I'm gonna return the boots I just bought and buy that.
RIP Bennie
