Like anyone embracing a new art, at the start I was struggling quite a bit with flatpicking. I started with a handful of fiddle tunes but later focused on bluegrass songs I loved, to which I could sing along and get my family to sing along with me. One of the songs we would listen to and sing, struck me in a rather peculiar way. The song was entitled "Play Us a Waltz" from the album "Thirty Years of Farming" by James King, who's known as 'The Bluegrass Storyteller'. The beginning of it goes like this...

I couldn't sing along to this song without shedding a tear. At first I had no idea why but later a sort of certainty developed about it, as if the Holy Spirit said, "This is the work you shall do on behalf of Jesus Christ." So amidst what seemed like endless struggles with the flattop I had been given a task - a use was found for the little talent I had developed.

Albeit a little scared to do so, I decided to perform Bluegrass Gospel for Clover Rest Home, a local nursing home which took care of my county's lost and forgotten. I had no idea if they'd like it and I had no idea if I'd do it more than once, but I knew I had to at least try my best, if only once, to put on a good show. When I completed this very first Bluegrass Gospel set at Clover Rest Home, ending with "I'm Coming Back, But I Don't Know When", Walter Keys sprang up, grabbed his walker, and raced me for the door. He held the door open for me while leaning on his walker and in his raspy aged voice he said "Come back." This was a great encouragement to me. In answer to that call, I have come back, every month, since that first performance in 2004.

During that time I learned that: Walter had been at Clover Rest Home for over 40 years, he had gotten married there, and both he
and I shared the same birthday. I think he ate ice cream everyday because he'd always have a little chocolate something on his shirt.

One Saturday he requested that I learn "Little Brown Church in the Vale" as he put it, which I later learned, while searching for the
song, is actually entitled "Church in the Wildwood" and that sort of became our song - he'd come up along side me, walker and all,
and sing it with me before his Clover Rest Home fellows, always really happy and excited to do so. I really looked forward to giving
him that moment to shine.

I lost Walter on February 16th, 2010. He was 90 years old. He was a sort of institution at Clover Rest Home and he'll be missed.
Whenever I perform "Church in the Wildwood" I perform it in his memory, and always mention how I miss him.

To Walter Keys...

Few knew you, but those who did loved you dearly. May God bless you and rest you, and thank you for encouraging me.

You walk in the door, you see them sitting there
The old people in shawls, in silver wheel chairs
The blind and the lame, herded into a room
Where there is no one to love, and nothing to do

Play us a waltz, play us a tune
And I'll pray for you, each night in my room
My children are grown, but my living ain't done
Oh say you'll remember, my darling young one