ANDY HUMMEL. I'm sure by now you've all heard the news of Andy's passing yesterday. There are some links to some good articles on the Ardent FB page. Check them out.

I never met Andy (I had hoped to meet him at the Big Star tribute in Memphis) but even in our relatively time of communication I got the overwhelming feeling that he was a man who really enjoyed life and had no regrets about the path he had chosen. He was incredibly helpful when I started the book and just totally delightful to speak with. Generous, positive, and intelligent with a sense of humor. As we Big Star fans know, he was also a terrific musician. His contributions to Big Star can sometimes be lost in the shadows of Chris and Alex, but in writing about Radio City and listening closely to the tracks over and over I grew to have a deeper appreciation for his contributions. In a way he was George to Chris and Alex's Paul and John: a team player with his own arsenal of special things to add to the musical equation. Just listen to his bass line on Way Out West. Brilliant. And contrary to what Andy (along with many others) thought, India Song is a great track. It just belongs maybe on a different record.

Tonight I'm going to dig through my interview with Andy and pull out some material that didn't make it into the book. In the meantime, remember that words may sometimes fail but prayer never does. Keep Andy's family and the Ardent family (who have had an extremely trying year) in your prayers. Back shortly.