Joshua was exposed to music his whole life. His Dad was a natural and played by ear. He’d never had any real lessons and played many instruments.

Josh's Dad sang to him when he was just an infant. There were many sleepless nights with a fussy Josh, but music and singing always soothed him. I guess the connection was strong from the begining.

We joined a church when Josh was three. He often followed his Dad to the front of the congregation when Bobby and a good friend Harry played gospel.

He grew up listening to his Dad’s bluegrass and my 70's rock. We listened to VH1’s current songs countdown every day. What a mixture.

We wondered if he’d pick his Dad’s talent up but he just didn’t seem interested. He did begin to play CD’s and downloaded lots of songs on his computer. One year for Christmas, he bought himself a real nice stereo with his money. This is when the old rock and heavy metal came on the scene. His room walls were covered with pictures of rock groups and guitars. He had a beautifully colored Jimi Hendrix throw that he’d pinned on his ceiling. He was growing up.

I think he was about 14 when he showed signs of a real interest in the guitar. Bobby had an old flat top acoustic. This is what Josh learned to play on. By age 15 he wanted an electric guitar. He found a used one in the paper for sale. Joshua pleaded and pleaded until I said okay. I knew I’d be sorry with that “racket”. His Dad bought him his first guitar. It was a Fender Telecaster. Joshua said it played like a dream.

Josh practiced a lot and even taught himself how to read tabs. But listening to a learner playing the electric guitar could be torture. I had to listen to “All Along the Watch Tower” over and over again. Some of his idols were Jemi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Kurt Cobain, Bob Dylan and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. His taste of music spread from Led Zeppelin to Tom Petty to the Eagles. He always took his guitar to his friends' get togethers and campouts. He became their entertainment. During his high school years he hung out wherever there was a guitar. The band room became his favorite lunch hang out. His counselor, Jeff, said he couldn’t believe the change in Josh’s playing through the years.

Our last Mother’s Day together was in May 2008. My good friend Julie came for her yearly visit. Josh sat down with us in the livingroom one night and awed us by his acoustic guitar playing. I sat amazed at how far, really far, my son’s talent had progressed. He played songs I never heard him play before. It was the music I grew up with - Dust in the Wind, Last Kiss, Lily of the West, House of the Rising Sun, Almost Heaven, and so many others. It tugged at my heart that a boy who seemed so slow in a lot of ways, worked magic with a guitar in his hands. Nothing remotely slow about him. At age 18, he surprised me that night. In a few short years, he wasn’t far behind his Dad. People admire Bobby’s natural talent and our son could almost match him.

Instead of going on a senior trip to the beach, Josh wanted to go to a live Tom Petty concert at Star Lake, PA. We packed up enough cornstarch and snacks for an overnight stay and he and two friends were on their way. This was one of Joshua’s favorite events of his lifetime. I’m so glad he had the opportunity to go and enjoy himself so much.

Today, May 24, 2009, exactly one year and one day after his high school graduation, we miss him so terribly. Bobby can’t pick up a guitar without thinking of him and remembering all the music they played together. This was something that father and son shared all alone. For me, I play the songs that were his favorites. It makes me feel so close to him.

We picked out six of Josh’s favorite songs to play at his funeral. The first was “Other Side” by The Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Last Kiss" by Pearl Jam, "Knocking on Heaven’s Door" by Bob Dylan, “You're Not Alone” by the Eagles and my choice, “Tears in Heaven" by Eric Clapton. I didn’t think about what these songs really meant until I heard them at his funeral. Joshua often mentioned he’d doubt he’d live to be very old. Was this why he listened to songs about death? Later it occurred to me that most of his musician heros were deceased as well.

We hope you’re jammin’ with them all, my son.

Josh and Bobby - father and son jam.