What Was The Best Compliment You Received

[Clyde Mattocks]

I corrected the bass player on something he was playing behind me and he said, "Sure, I don't want to f**k it up no worse than it already is."

[Ian Rae]

Say Clyde, that's a pretty good general-purpose motto

[b0b]

I had played "Strawberry Fields Forever" and a woman told me that she could hear the lyrics in her head as I played. Guess I finally got the phrasing right!

[Michael James]

I was playing for this private birthday party and I noticed that an older gentlemen sitting in a lawn chair was really digging the music. For some reason I had a feeling that he was a musician so on break I asked him, What instrument do you play? He said "I'm not a musician, but I've been known to pump my organ". He smiled and chuckled, as did I.

[Michael Johnstone]

Two come to mind. One time I was playing with Jo-El Sonnier when he lived out here in L.A. He told me in his Cajun manner of speaking: "Hey man I love da way you play - real economic. You leavin' out some beautiful notes!"

The other one was kinda indirect but Gurf told me about it later. I was playing at the Cowboy Palace in Chatsworth with Buddy Hollywood and I broke a 3rd string during the last song of the set so I stayed onstage to change it while everyone else went to the bar for a drink. Some lady came up to Gurf, pointed up to me sitting behind my MSA and said: "That guy in the wheelchair is pretty good".

[Bill McCloskey]

Around 1973 I was living in Boulder CO, and some how I got the idea I was booked to play guitar in Aspen. I was mistaken. Ended up going to the Jerome Hotel bar where I met a drunken Hunter Thompson, walked in the local radio station because I didn't know any better and they let me play a couple of tunes on the air. Then I met up with another street musician and we hung around for a while.

At some point, Dan Fogelberg came by and invited us back to his house to jam. Crashed on the couch was Don Henley and on the floor was Glenn Frey. About 3 in the morning Dan Fogelberg turned to me and told me how much he liked my playing.

At some point, Fogelberg did You get the Best of My Love. I asked if he wrote it and he said, "no, that guy did." pointing ton Henley. probably 3 months later, i heard the song on the radio for the first time.

[Terry Winter]

A good musician friend of mine confided in me he had commented to another long time musician that "boy Terry can play well eh?" to which he answered "yea" "but you should have heard him when he was learnin" I respect them both!!