Rainbow Rising... For Jimmy

Today a little departure, I went out without a memory card so no photos and am now at the rink until silly o’clock so no chance of a shot, instead a shot of an album cover, not anything exciting...
 
It is Christmas 1979 and I am 10, my aunt and uncle are living in Paris and are home for the festive holiday.  On Christmas day they gave me my first Record, I remember it like it was yesterday, a chance moment that changed my life.  That record was Rainbow Rising, a vehicle for Ritchie Blackmore after he departed Deep Purple.  I Played it and Played it and Played it I was hooked, it was a beautiful gatefold album, the artwork amazing and almost mystical photos of these musicians I used to read the lyrics as I listened then started singing along ans so began my love of music and some 7000+ albums later I am still hooked
 
One of the musicians was bass player Jimmy Bain who was born about 5 miles or so from our little village, this made it so much more real to me, someone from my world someone who followed his dream and someone who made it.  Sadly Jimmy passed away aged just 68 on 23rd of January; he was being treated for pneumonia but was still playing having sound checked the day he passed.  I read an article today about Jimmy and his career; I was deeply saddened to read that despite being so successful he died almost in poverty.  He was living in a halfway house in London where he was in rehabilitation for drug and alcohol addiction being tested daily to ensure his continued sobriety.  He appears to have been the most generous, kind man revered by his peers and acclaimed by music fans worldwide yet. 
 

I listen to this album a lot, I still sing along at the top of my lungs the frustrated rock star, still young in my minds eye.  Musicians are not Gods or Heroes they are people like you and I with a talent to make people and the world a better place through their music. I saw him play live many times and he always gave it his all,  Jimmy is gone but in his playing he will live on and for my generation will be one of the true greats.