Sadly, my mom, Helen, passed away this past Wednesday. I don’t think a more positive, ‘life is beautiful’ human being has ever graced this planet of ours. She truly was 'salt of the earth'. Along with my dad, Mel, her soulmate for 84 years, my mom lived a truly happy, content, and fulfilling life. Making it to the tender young age of 97 is a gift unto itself. Clearly, I got my musical abilities from her, as my dad was a clap-on-beats 1 and 3 kind of guy, but she was, instinctively, a backbeat girl, feeling the groove on where it’s supposed to be experienced - beats 2 and 4! This has been a trying year, having experienced so much loss. But, in the end, folks like my mom have instilled in me the belief that there is always a bright side of life to not only dwell on, but to embrace wholeheartedly.
Hey Everybody,Rod here. After 45 years of amassing an enormous collection of drum sets, snare drums, cymbals, percussion, Winger clothing (from the good ole days), tour laminates, itineraries, posters and awards, drumheads, drumsticks, assorted hardware, and other mementos, I have decided to part with a tremendous amount of these items. Three of the major items I am parting with are drum sets from–
The Dixie Dregs, ‘Bring ‘Em Back Alive’, live recording (from The Center Stage in Atlanta, GA in early ’92) and tour, including an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in December 1992
The 2002 ‘Hollyweird Summer Tour’ featuring Poison, Cinderella, Winger and Faster Pussycat, plus a Winger tour that followed in the fall of ‘02
The drum set used on several Dixie Dregs tours from the late ‘90’s through 2007
It has been an amazing trip down memory lane sorting through hundreds of possessions, each one triggering a smile, a story, or an unforgettable memory I will cherish forever. If you are interested in checking out some of these items, you can contact my friend and fellow drummer, Ed Tucker, at Studio 3T studio3t@icloud.comOr join Ed’s Facebook group: Vintage Drum Collectors & Players. Type in “Rod Mo” in the question to join the group.It’s gonna take awhile before each and every item is listed, so make sure to check in over the coming weeks to see what new things have been added.Thanks for all the great years. It has been, and continues to be, an incredible ride.Rock On!
Rod
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WINGER - Better Days Comin' - All-Star
4-12-2020
‘Hi, this is Mel, how can I help you?’ For years, these were the first words my dad would speak upon answering the phone. I think this phrase pretty much sums up the kind of person he was; always wanting to lend a helping hand in any way he could.
My dad passed away yesterday and, almost immediately, the memories of an extraordinary life began flooding my brain. He was a professor by trade, having taught at a handful of colleges and universities in New York, including Columbia University. He would often comment that he never felt like he worked a day in his life, as his love of teaching and being among young, talented, motivated students inspired him to no end.
At the age of 10, watching The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show along with my parents and sister, Carol, I knew then and there what I wanted to be when I grew up. From that day on, and continuing to this day, my parents have been my most ardent supporters, having attended nearly every single New York area concert I have played since 1976, be it with Winger, Dixie Dregs, Steve Morse Band, Rudess Morgenstein Project, The Jelly Jam, Jazz Is Dead, drum clinics and festivals, you name it. The last show they attended was the Dixie Dregs reunion concert at The Paramount Theater in Huntington, NY on March 15, 2018.
After a recent hospital stay, an attendant came into the room with the wheelchair to escort my dad out of the building. I introduced myself to him, and he immediately reminded me that he knew who I was, having helped me a few years ago when I was being treated in the hospital’s ER for kidney stones. He also told me he was a guitarist, a major Dixie Dregs fan, and had seen the Dregs every single time we have played on Long Island since the ‘70’s. I then introduced him to my dad, to which he replied, ‘What, are you kidding, I know your dad, and I also know your mom. Every Dixie Dregs fan on Long Island knows them. They’re just as famous as the band members, because every Dregs fan who has come to your shows these past 40+ years sees your parents every single time. He then proceeded to tell me exactly where they were sitting at The Paramount Theater concert two years ago!
My dad has been an inspiration to me, and many of my friends, for a lifetime. In fact, quite a few of my friends have told me that he has been a role model, playing a major part in how they try to live their lives. I am forever grateful to have had him in my life. The floodgates have opened, and the countless, beautiful memories of this amazingly special man, my dad, are everywhere I look…
