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Today marks the 1st anniversary of the passing of my friend Wilbur Brooks at age 96, and I wanted to share this short interview I did with him when he visited me in California to watch our Georgia Bulldogs play in the Rose Bowl. Wilbur, a retired Lawyer who has known me since I was a small boy, was a lover of music and knew more songs and hymns by heart than I do. A couple years after this interview, Wilbur and I even wrote a song together, which my daughter sings and which you can hear at the end of the interview, or here: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzvTP2iVAx4⁠

Wilbur C. Brooks, Esq. was born in Elberton, GA on April 9, 1927, he thinks (he somehow had two birth certificates, which is a tale we’ll have to recount later). He joined the U.S. Navy during World War II (Port Hueneme), but the war ended before he was to be deployed to the Pacific theater.  In 1951 he graduated from Law School at the University of Georgia. Sitting with Wilbur and listening to his gentle Southern cadence was always like watching a history documentary full of stories, old American songs (Wilbur could recite almost every Broadway showtune plus the entire Baptist hymnal), and timeless life lessons.  We shared a lot in common, including our Alma Mater, UGA. Thanks for indulging us as we take a brief detour from the technical world of professional music and into the world of a true lover of music and all things America — including college football.  In memory of my friend Wilbur Brooks, 4/9/1927 – 1/29/2024.

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