My brother, my tribute.

My brother Michael came to me when I was 12... from that moment on I was baby sis! (I don’t think I ever actually ever heard him call me by my proper name!)

My brother was cool, he drove a VW bug, he played the drums.  He was also the one who “borrowed” a construction crane to put a stripped down VW bug on the top of Forest Park High School, not only was he cool, he was a legend.

My brother was 6’6 and at one time weighed about 350 lbs. He was a legendary force to be reckoned with. If any of my beaus had messed with me, he would have been on them as we say in the south. “like white on rice”. My brother was my protector.

My 5 ft. tall co-worker announced in a whisper one day. “The Jolly Green Giant just walked in the door” I got up to peek then said, “Naw, that’s not the Jolly Green Giant, that’s my brother.”

It was fashionable in the seventies to have a canvas portrait made from a photograph. Mother wanted the portraits so we complied. My brother Gerald and sister Peggy had already had their portraits made earlier, their portraits made them look like Vogue models (of course!) When Michael and I saw our finished portraits, we just shook our heads, our portraits made us look like....Fred and Wilma Flintstone. At least my portrait did not hang on my mother’s living room wall of shame alone, my brother, was there with me.

My brother loved to hunt and fish. He made it to Colorado, Alaska and Australia. He said if things in America went all to heck we would find him in Australia! He loved the Australian free spirit and their live and let live way of life.

My brother played the drums and could strum the guitar with picks on all of his fingers. My brother could sing like nobody else.  I got to see him play and sing in a club in Underground Atlanta, that was some night. If shows like “The Voice” had been around then, when my brothers voice was at its peak, we would be having his funeral in Nashville or L.A. today, no doubt.

My brother worked for Georgia Power for 35 years he had a good time there and made lifelong friends. He told funny stories of squirrels getting blown to bits. Michael was the last one out of and turned the power off to, the Historic Lowe’s Grand theater (the site of the "Gone WIth the Wind" premiere) the night it burned down.

My brother knew Lewis Grizzard, they were kindred spirits, nuff said.

(If you want to understand my brother’s humor read Lewis Grizzard’s book; “They tore out my heart out and stomped that sucker flat” My brother had the same sort of humor and could have written that book just the same)

If I could re-live one moment with my brother, it would be this; on a Golden UGA  Bulldog football fall Saturday, (You know, a halcyon day with that football Saturday feeling that just makes you glad to be alive!) I was walking on campus with 80,000 folks and I hear calling over the crowd, “Hey, Baby Sis!” I turn to see my brother and his friends laughing and romping down a campus hill. One shining golden moment of our youth that I wish we could re-live. My brother loved the Bulldogs and the Redcoat Marching Band. Man o man, we both love those kind of days.

My brother was bigger than life, he made you laugh those big sorts of stomach hurting guffaw kinds of laughs. Yet, he was a deep and gentle man with an old soul. He never met a stranger and was a great friend to all. In a last act of love, he grew out a long white ponytail which he wanted to donate to locks of love, that wish will be granted.

I will miss phone calls from my brother, a man of few words, always saying just....hey baby sis. I will miss hearing his voice on the other end of the line.

My brother lived the life he wanted and on his own terms. Its just a shame he had such poor health or we could have had many more memories to share in years to come.

My brother will go out with a flourish, bagpipes playing “Amazing Grace”

This just suits him so.

I love you brother.

Me and Al will miss you

Love you forever,

Baby Sis.