October 11, 2013

It is so true that one life experience can affect a person in a profound way. Jerid tells his story and how the boys helped shape the man he became.

Jerid

Palm Springs, California

My friend Marcus and I were tight with the Bee Gees when we were in middle school. I was 11 when I started listening to their albums, and I remember it because my whole attitude changed after I began to get into this world of music. I was not a happy kid, mostly because I had a rough time at home. No story necessary…….just wasn’t a Beaver Cleaver house, and it was better to be out of sight most of the time. I was lucky to have a great friend in Marcus, and he would invite me over to his house, where I spent most of my time. He had all the Bee Gee records back to Mr. Natural, and we decided we wanted to be like them and be songwriters. I thought Barry Gibb was a god because he could write music that was beautiful. He inspired me to write my first song when I was 12. I have been writing music ever since, and I think I’ve listened to every Bee Gee song ever written. I started to play guitar in the 8th grade. I just got away from all my problems when I sat down in the music room at school and began to play. The big thrill came for Marcus and me when we went to the One for All tour concert in Universal City. Marcus’s parents gave me the ticket as a birthday gift and took the two of us to the concert. I’ll never forget opening that envelope and seeing the ticket. I tried not to cry but didn’t succeed. No one had every done anything that nice for me. As a kid who wasn’t really paid much attention to, this was something I never had dared to dream about. Anything I could say would not do this concert justice, so I can only tell you that the memory is my best memory of my life to this day. The crowd was pumped up, and I knew I was going to freak when I finally saw Barry, Robin and Maurice walk onto that stage. The time waiting for that concert could not prepare me for the performance I witnessed. Barry was more than I imagined he could be, so cool with the audience, real finesse, and so smooth…a pro. I wanted to be like him. Maurice was having fun from the minute he came out and waved to the crowd. I loved him; he was so full of personality. I was this mesmerized kid. I just wanted to know him. He had no attitude or ego. Robin’s voice burrowed into my head, and I still can hear him singing. His voice echoes in my mind all the time. No one can duplicate that sound. He gave me chills. The music did the talking, but I felt like they were really nice guys, musicians I could identify with all my life. Everyone we talked with before and after the concert had been fans for years, very dedicated and full of love for them. I left that concert in some kind of hypnotized state. I replayed it in my head for months, and I never looked back. They have affected my life in a good way ever since. The music gave me hope and got me through many years of neglect. When I look back, I’m pretty proud of myself for being smart enough to appreciate their talents and to go down the road where the music shaped who I became as an adult. They will always be my musical heroes.