Many songs are written from life inspiration about a family member … “If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again”, “Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine”, “Grandpa Tell Me About The Good Ole Days” and many others.
In his personal life, John’s father was known for his compassion for people. People that society seemed to leave out. He used to take his pre-teen sons to play music at nursing homes, homeless shelters and even in prisons. He would pull over on the side of the road to hand a few dollars to a homeless man making his beleaguered steps down the side of a highway. He even recounted to his sons one story in particular of picking up a hitch-hiker on a Texas highway in the 60’s who was just released from jail. As they road along the young man told Johnny how he wasn’t sure what he was going to do. After some encouragement, the young man decided he would go “home”, as John’s father shared he probably has loved ones who have been worried about him and would like to see him.
As we all tend to become some aspect of our own parents as we mature in life, in the early 2,000’s John Jr found himself picking up a hitch-hiker and driving him out to the interstate while having their own conversation about life. As John dropped the man off and he looked back with a smile and a “God bless you”, the thought occurred to John “this is just what my dad would’ve done”. The seed for a song was planted.
Years later John would finish the song with GRAMMY Winner Brad Davis and he would record a version that would be released to radio stations as a tribute to all the great dad’s who are passing along the life lesson of helping others. The second verse is actually based on a true life event about one of John’s sons.
Now each year as Father’s Day approaches, those daily acts of kindness are still being relayed to others in a song as a tribute and inspiration to pass down the “Golden Rule”.
