My Dad circa 1937

[Mad Aussie]

I'd like you to meet my father.

This morning I went to a local Bowls Club where the Brisbane Steel Guitar Club was holding it's annual function and Dad was a guest appearance. The club managed to pull dad out of retirement about two years ago to guest star at the function and he was voted crowd favourite and asked to return the following day to back the singers that were appearing that day. Not bad at age 68. He's pushing 71 now.

Last year dad was unable to attend due to being diagnosed with Non Hodgekin's Lymphoma. The ensuring battle was long hard for all of us, not least of all him of course. He has enjoyed reasonable health since then (all of 6 months) and now it has been discovered that he has advanced Prostate Cancer. 11 biopsies last week revealed his prostate is totally full of cancer.
Now we await further tests to see if it has progressed any further and, if so, if he will live much longer or not.
It's a bitter pill to swallow so soon and has really shocked most of us close to him. He's a man that does not deserve this. I think he's about the most unselfish person I've ever known. Life without him around, when it begins, will certainly be a challenge for me.

So down I went this morning to help him get his music gear into the venue and set up, and took a few photos in case it's the last time he will play on stage again.






For those interested, here's a short history on my Dad written by my Uncle Graeme on his website

Born in 1937, he came from a musical family background and learnt to play the Pedal Steel Guitar at a young age.

Murray started his own band when he was just 14 years of age.

His band was known for playing Hawaiian music and popular music of the time.

In the 1960s, he formed another band called 'The Supertones'. This band played everything from Island Music to Popular music from the 50s & 60s and were great with Rock 'n' Roll. People used to travel for miles around to attend dances venues & performances that his band played at.

He later formed a new group called 'Desiree' in 1977. As with the 'Supertones', he continued to not only play for their own gigs or bookings, but was in great demand to back many up & coming artists at the time, as well as some old favourites like Tex Morton, when he visited New Zealand and requested Murray to back him...

'Desiree' was a Show-band capable of holding it's own with the best in New Zealand. He also started the Tauranga Country & Western group and was instrumental in helping start other Country & Western groups New Zealand wide.

In the early 1980s, he decided to shift to Australia to live in Queensland, and he thought there might be better music opportunities over there as well, and in 1982, he formed the 'Country Knights' Show-band, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, and this band played at venues like the Cherribah Resort at Warwick, and the Terranora Lakes Country Club, etc, and were in great demand all over the state of Queensland.

He has also taught music to both private individuals and at schools, both in New Zealand and in Australia, and although he has slowed down, because of health issues now, and no longer has a band, he still plays periodically at selected venues using electronic backing music to supplement the sound of his Pedal Steel Guitar. - Graeme Ardern

[tirediron]

Wonderful captures, made all the more poignant because of the story. Thanks for sharing!

[kat]

Lovely MA. He has what I call, character. You can tell he has stories.

Sorry to hear about your dad. My dad went through radiation treatment last year for the same thing..so far test have come out alright but he's still not out of the dark.

It's not an easy thing, my prayers will be with you and your family.

[Mad Aussie]

Thanks TI and also Kat for those thoughts. I hope your dad will be ok also.

[Barefoot]

Needless to say, you and your dad will be in our thoughts and prayers.

[JAS_Photo]

Sorry to hear of the sad news of your dad. You captured his beautiful blue eyes nicely in the first photo and you can see the sparkle still in them.

[Mad Aussie]

Thanks BF all nice thoughts are always appreciated. It's a tough time. My younger brother also has Non Hodgekins Lymphoma but since being diagnosed about 3 or so years ago it has remained indolent (non active). When he was only 11 he was diagnosed grade 5 and terminal with Hodgekins Lymphoma and we were told to prepare for the worse and say our goodbyes. But he lived. And now at age mid 30's he's simply waiting for this cancer to get active and see if he can survive another round. Tick. Tick. Tick.

Raiven, you are right. He does still have life in those old eyes and definitely does not want to die. My parents seem to have composed themselves after the shock of learning this last week and now wait to see what the results bring. I'm hoping that sparkle in those eyes remains and sees him through. I watched it wither and almost die last year and shed enough tears going through that.

Still, we all have to die of something sometime. I want to die of a massive heart attack while riding my bike thanks.

[AntZ]

Nice shots MA.

Its always hard to know what to say with news like this. My thoughs are with you and your family.

[Mad Aussie]

Thanks AntZ

[Marko]

These are honest photos of a man full of life's experience, still enjoying life.Thanks so much for sharing that MA, it's so difficult. Bad misfortunes and the cycle of life is so hard to take sometimes, it's incomprehensible. I'm so sorry to hear of your news.
Sincerely,
Marko