Growing up Bass Player (The End of Apple Jack)

Tensions began between Bob and me. Bob seem to change. I know he didn’t have an alcohol problem, but his attitude towards the band and me seem to change. Part of it may have been me, I know I was getting tired. Bob had developed a liking for marijuana; he was even growing it in his basement. Drugs tend to alter your perception of what is right and wrong. This includes music. It is difficult to play music with musicians who are on drugs. I became more aware of in later years. Bob was my first experience with dealing with someone on drugs so I didn’t recognize it as a cause. I perceived it as an unknown cause of friction in the band.

I read this some were long ago:

Three men walk up to a locked door, none had a key.

One of the men was drunk on alcohol

One had been smoking marijuana

One had done some acid

The one that was drunk said “let’s just kick down the door”

The one on acid said “Oh, let’s just float under the door”

The one who had smoked marijuana said “let’s just sit down and wait for someone with a key to open it”

One night will working a job at the local Elk’s club and were scheduled to on play until midnight. The people and the management asked us if we would play another hour. This would have meant another $40.00 in each our pockets. Bob without even asking Gary or myself if we wanted to play another hour, said no. I lost it. I felt and still do that the only reason he didn’t want to continue was that he had smoked his last joint and wanted to get back to the source, home. Amongst a lot of hollering, screaming and arm waving I told Bob what he could do with the band. I then packed up my equipment and left.

That was the end of Apple Jack. I talk to Gary a couple of days after the break up. He told me he was glad we quit. He said he was getting really tired. He later found out he had diabetes. That lead to a kidney transplant. That pretty much ended his music career. I did not see or talk to Bob until several month later. Bob played with another band for a while and then quit his day job and went playing music on the road.

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