In a previous blog post I mentioned taking Ross Childress, the former lead guitarist for Collective Soul, an apple pie for Christmas.  That year I had a very Collective Soul Christmas.  This is that story.

First let me mention that my favorite band is Collective Soul.  This is quite a coincidence since I live in Stockbridge, GA, the town they are from.  But it didn't start out that way.

I first discovered their music in 1995.  I had heard their song 'December', but didn't even know who it was.  Later, I heard 'The World I Know', and not even realizing it was the same band, I discovered the name of the band was Collective Soul.  I then bought their second album, the self-titled 'Collective Soul'.  I soon discovered that 'December' was their song as well, not to mention all of the other, really great songs.  I was hooked.

I mentioned to a co-worker that I liked them, and she told me that they were from Stockbridge, GA.  At the time, I was living in Marietta, GA, but had only been in the Atlanta metropolitan area for less than a year.  So telling me they were from Stockbridge was just as effective as telling me they were from Pluto.  I had no concept of where Stockbridge was.  Conincidentally, this co-worker claimed to be the cousin of the wife of then Collective Soul drummer, Shane Evans.  I never confirmed if this was true or not.  I'll assume it was.

I had previoulsy gone through a dry spell with music, much as I am now.  With the death of heavy metal of the late '80s, and the birth of alternative which I didn't like in those days, I had stopped listening to music.  So, 1995 was a break-through year for me, music-wise.  I also came to like the bands Live and Bush that year.  In fact, I would consider 'Throwing Copper' to be a slightly better record than 'Collective Soul', so I was expecting great things from Live.  Instead, I feel like Live lost it, and with 'Dosage' Collective Soul became the best band of the '90s.  That's my opinion, you are allowed to be wrong about it.  ;-)

The story doesn't change significnatly until 1997 when I met my future wife Vickey, who happened to live in Stockbridge.  I am not even sure when I realized, hey, that's the town Collective Soul is from.  Of course it wasn't long before I spotted the old Real 2 Reel recording studio, and often wondered driving by, if they might be there recording.

In 1999, I got married to Vickey and had a house built in Stockbridge where I have lived ever since.

Fast forward to when Ross Childress left the band.  I felt bad for Ross.  The reason for him leaving was kept quiet.  I remember Ed Roland on 99-X saying that he had jeopardized the band, or words to that effect.  I never knew the real reason until I met Will Turpin the night that I blogged about in my previous post.  I wondered how sad Ross must have been losing his band, and perhaps his firends.  I also thought, gee, maybe this might be a good time for a guitar lesson from him.  Not that I had any idea where he lived or how to get in touch with him, or that he would want to.  I just knew I wanted to, and he might be lonely.  So, it was time for some research.

Using the most amazing tool of the last century, the internet, I was able to find some information that I thought might lead me to Ross.  I found the name of his parents.  I believe he was being interviewed and mentioned their name, as I recall.  I thought, sure Ross is famous enough that I won't be able to find out where he lives, but would his parents have to be secluded like that?  Sure enough, I found their address with publicly available information.  Well, close to their address.  I knew the street, and I knew it had to be one of a handful of houses.  Fortunately it was a short street.  I had a list of most of the street addresses on that street, and the last names of the people that lived there.  By process of elimination, I had narrowed it to just a few houses.  Over the next several months, I investigated the houses on the street, and had narrowed it down to the one.

I think this was around 2001.  So, now I knew where his parents lived.  Now what?  I thought, I  have to find a way to bump into him.  Now, I seriously doubt that Ross still lived at home.  I decided that the best way to catch Ross was to check out his parents house at a time when Ross was most likely to be there, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  My thought was that if I drove by their house on one of those days, I would hopefully see some vehicle that would say, "I am loaded".  I wasn't sure what vehicle that might be.  Could be a Porsche.  Maybe something more exotic.  That was my thinking.  So, beginning in 2001, I believe it was, I drove by their house at least once each day on Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Now just let me say, driving by their house was not easy.  They lived at the end of the street.  It dead-ended into their driveway.  So there was nothing very subtle about me turning around in their driveway.  Their house was back from the street a decent distance, so they probably never saw me.

I went by year after year, never seeing any signs of Ross.  One day in December 2005, something happened.  I was cutting through Stockbridge a few days before Christmas trying to avoid Christmas traffic.  I was on unfamiliar roads, when suddenly I came out on the Childress' road.  Being near Christmas, I thought I might as well go check.  When I drove to the end of their street, I saw something that changed my course of action.  Their house was for sale.  They may be moving soon, and I would lose my opportunity.

I deliberated over the next couple days about whether I should approach them.  This would be a lost opportunity once they moved.  If were going to take advantage of it, I would have to do something soon.  To do so would require stones I just wasn't sure I had.  I was wrong.

The day before Christmas eve, I pulled into their driveway.  There was no Lamborghini in the driveway, no Hummer nor Escalade.  As I pulled in, I saw a gentleman in the yard, raking leaves.  I parked, got out of the car, and approached him.  As I walked up to him, I introduced myself.  He returned in like kind, and his name was the name of Ross' father.  It was his father.  I asked him about his house being for sale.  He told me it was already sold.  That he was raking the leaves to get it ready.  I told him I was a fan of Ross.  I told him how much it bummed me out that he had left the band.  I would have expected him to want me gone, but he didn't act that way at all.  Every time I let the conversation die down to a good exit point for me, he re-engaged the conversation.  Perhaps he was lonely.  Perhaps he was proud of his son, and enjoyed talking to someone that appreciated him.  Perhaps he was just kind.  He was recovering from a medical procedure, and it seemed he was underdressed to be out in the cold.  Because of his medical condition, I felt like he should have been wearing a turtle neck sweater to help keep him warm.  We talked for what must have been 30 mintues or so.  He told me way more than I would have expected, probably way more than he should have.  He told me, and I share this with you, assuming you found this post by googling for Ross and are his fan, that if I ever bump into Ross, don't talk to him about guitars.  He is tired of talking about that.  This was good information for me, because that would have been my natural inclination.  Instead he said, "talk to him about fishing.  You won't be able to shut him up."  I couldn't believe how kind and open he was.  He told me about Ross having a studio in Stockbridge.  He told me some of his future plans.  Then he made a mistake, and told me too much.

He told me Ross was coming by the next day, and what time he was supposed to be there.  Why would he tell me that?  In all honesty, I was pretty much checked out of the conversation from that point forward with a private conversation going on in my head.  I am not sure what we discussed after he told me that.  Most of the time, in my mind I was trying to determine if that was an invitation for me to come by for Christmas to meet Ross.  I mean, why would you tell someone when and where he would be if you didn't intend for them to show up?  I deliberated over asking him if it would be ok for me to drop by.  But, that would give him the opportunity to say no.  Then I would have to be an even bigger jerk to actually show up.  Yes, I know, by now you are thinking it would not be possible to be a bigger jerk.  If I didn't ask, and just showed up at the correct time, that would be perhaps tolerable.  That was my plan.

Oh the anguish I felt the rest of that day.  Another opportunity.  Another chance to play the fool!  Why did he tell me that?  Should I go by, or shouldn't I?  In all honesty, I was a little concerned about Rosses' dad.  He really shouldn't have been outside in the cold raking leaves.  I decided, I would buy him a turtle neck sweater and take that by on Christmas.  Yeah, that would be my excuse.  That was my plan.

The next day was Christmas Eve.  I decided while running around doing last minute shopping that I had better go ahead and buy that sweater.  I dropped by a department storem and looked at some sweaters.  At that point I realized, not only did I have no idea what size sweater to get, I just couldn't go through with it.  My plan was called off.

Later that day on Christmas Eve, while at a warehouse club picking up some food items for Christmas dinner, I again lamented the lost opportunity to meet Ross.  Well, it was too late to get a sweater.  But, there was a delectable apple pie staring me in the face!  No, it's wrong, I can't do it.  But I could go ahead and get the pie just in case!  I did buy the pie.  I wasn't going to take it to them though.

We went to church that night for the Christmas Eve service.  You'll notice that the title of this blog entry is "A Collective Soul Chrtistmas, December 2005".  It just wouldn't have been a CS Christmas if the story ended here would it?  At some point during the service, our pastor announced a special musical guest...no, cool your jets...Bill Turpin and his son Michie.  Ok, I recognized Michie as he was a regular at the church.  He was a good looking kid and with the longer hair, had always looked like a rock star.  His hair is shorter now, so not as much now.

Ok, there is a Bill Turpin and a Michie Turpin on stage performing in Stockbridge, what are the odds there is no relationship to Will Turpin?  At the end of the service, I approached Bill and asked him if he was any relation to Will.  Bill is Will's dad, and Michie is Will's brother.  Ok, I could buy that, as I said, Michie looked the part, and they were both talented musicians.  So there I am having a discussion with Will's dad and brother at my church on Christmas Eve.  How surreal!

At this point, I am on what would appear to be about a 1000 cups of coffee buzz despite the fact that I don't drink coffee.  Wow, what a weird CS Christmas.  What do you think the odds are that I wouldn't go now?  I mean, come on, it's destiny at this point, don't you think?

The time fast approaches Christmas day that Ross is supposed to be at his parents.  I am getting nervous, still not sure I will do it.  It just feels wrong.  But, not that wrong...I was nearly invited.  So there I am, sitting in his driveway.  My wife will not get out of the car and go in with me.  I grab the apple pie and approach the house.  As I near the door, Rosses' mother comes out.  I introduce myself, and she invites me in.  What amazingly nice people.  I walk in, and Rosses' dad is in a chair with his back to the door I walked in.  I speak to him to tell him that I brought them an apple pie.  Ok, at this point I feel like a complete loser.  In the same room, are two guys and one girl.  I would guess they were in their 30's.  One of them, I believe, was Rosses' brother.  Mr. Childress says to me in a mildly irritated tone that Ross was late.  Looking at the other folks in the room, I felt like an intruder.  Honestly, it felt like if they had knives, they would have just as soon slit my throat as said hello.  I felt very uncomfortable.  I have often wondered, were they angry at me for intruding, or Ross for being late?  I could see it being both.  I can see them being irritated that the big Rock Star can't be on time for Christmas dinner.  And, I can see them being more irritated that Ross can't be on time, yet here is this jerk bringing him rewards and interrupting their Christmas.

As uncomfortable as I was, I was very disappointed that Ross was not there.  I wanted some connection to Ross even though it was apparent that I would not meet him.  At that point I announced that I had forgotten something in my car, and went to get it.  I took the Gibson key ring (it held a guitar pick inside) I bought at the Nashville Gibson factory off my key ring and took it back in.  I gave it to his mother or father and asked them to give it to him.  I don't know if he ever got it, but I'll bet he did.  I liked that key ring because it made it convenient to always have a guitar pick with me.  Ross, I hope you liked it.  It wasn't much, but you did a very cool thing for me once in concert...you got me a pick when I couldn't see or catch it.  I think it was at the Roxy, or maybe the Tabernacle...I have seen them at both venues.  I was up above you and you threw me 2-3 picks, and I kept losing them in the lights.  You ran out of picks, went back to your mike stand for more, and returned.  You did get me a pick.  For that I say thank you.

At that point, I left the Childress residence with my tail between my legs.  I never did meet Ross.  His parents are incredibly nice though.

Now you know about my Collective Soul Christmas.