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Author: J H McIntosh

Among my father’s many talents were three I remember most. A terrific sense of humor, musicality, and a keen intellect. Many that knew my father as a red-headed kid continued to call him “Red” even when his adult hair was black.

People greeted Red’s visits in their day-to-day life enthusiastically because he was sure to have a humorous take on whatever was reported in today’s news.

Red began his journey to mastery of the harmonica when at the age of twelve he was confined to bed rest when diagnosed with kidney failure. Of course, singing the verses of his favorite songs added to the entertainment value.

Red’s intellect was not the result of formal education at Harvard, Yale or Stanford, or any school of higher education. In his senior year of High School my father skipped school and while looking for his truant son his father was in a fatal automobile accident. I never knew my paternal grandfather. My father was blamed for the death of his own father.

There was little in the way of a “safety net” in those days so Red, as the oldest of four children became the family breadwinner. I wrote about the impact this event had in Red’s life in my book titled, “Can’t Stop It!” My brother Jimmy and I wrote twelve original songs that punctuate events that take place in the life of fictional teenager Jimmy Rogers’ battle to break from his father’s belief that “life is a cruel joke barely worth living”. You can listen to those songs here.