Mike was always a small kid in grade school, and high school, but he competed well in all the sports and had high goals. I can't take the full blame for corrupting Mike, as I had lots of help, but I certainly contributed my share. Our strongest tie was the music, and it all started when Mike on the drums, and Jeff on the guitar, and myself on the sax, got together and started trying to play the songs of the Beatles. For our first performance we entered the annual "talent show" and played the song "Nowhere Man". We thought we had the song down pretty good, but later we learned that guitars are made to play in the key of C, and Eb alto saxophones are made to play in a key 1 and a half steps higher! And that's not even harmonic! Later we added my brother Mike on the bass guitar, and then Rick Ramsey on the lead guitar (until he cut off some of his fingers out mowing grass at the Carnation Golf Course), at which time he switched to the organ. There are lots of stories, but I'll just relate one here: the time when we had to change the name of our group from the "Psychedelic Reaction" to "The Small Society" before they would let us play in the basement of the Congregational Church in Carnation for a teen dance. Psychedelic was just to "controversial" at the time, to be allowed to be spoken, or read, or even thought about, at the church.......Mike had a unique singing voice and sounded a lot like his cousin Marilee Rush, who had a hit with "Angel of the Morning" and was a huge local "star". When Mike sang that song, he really was on top of it! Mike grew a lot physically after high school, and ended up being a pretty big guy! He didn't take care of himself like he should have, which is why he's not here to celebrate with the rest of us, but he always had that heart of gold, and was as good of a friend as anyone could want!
Pat Grady
Mike was always a small kid in grade school, and high school, but he competed well in all the sports and had high goals. I can't take the full blame for corrupting Mike, as I had lots of help, but I certainly contributed my share. Our strongest tie was the music, and it all started when Mike on the drums, and Jeff on the guitar, and myself on the sax, got together and started trying to play the songs of the Beatles. For our first performance we entered the annual "talent show" and played the song "Nowhere Man". We thought we had the song down pretty good, but later we learned that guitars are made to play in the key of C, and Eb alto saxophones are made to play in a key 1 and a half steps higher! And that's not even harmonic! Later we added my brother Mike on the bass guitar, and then Rick Ramsey on the lead guitar (until he cut off some of his fingers out mowing grass at the Carnation Golf Course), at which time he switched to the organ. There are lots of stories, but I'll just relate one here: the time when we had to change the name of our group from the "Psychedelic Reaction" to "The Small Society" before they would let us play in the basement of the Congregational Church in Carnation for a teen dance. Psychedelic was just to "controversial" at the time, to be allowed to be spoken, or read, or even thought about, at the church.......Mike had a unique singing voice and sounded a lot like his cousin Marilee Rush, who had a hit with "Angel of the Morning" and was a huge local "star". When Mike sang that song, he really was on top of it! Mike grew a lot physically after high school, and ended up being a pretty big guy! He didn't take care of himself like he should have, which is why he's not here to celebrate with the rest of us, but he always had that heart of gold, and was as good of a friend as anyone could want!
Ted Morris
Named my son after Mike....Michael Matthew M.