R.I.P. Ben Keith (from Neil Young's band)

I first heard of Ben's passing on the morning of 7/27/10 and the news was shocking. Not only that but when I realized I had just finished writing a song about a journey to the afterlife it sent a shiver down my spine. I had the idea for the song on 7/25/10 and wrote a rough draft. I worked on it some more on 7/26/10 (the day Ben died) and then put the final touches on the next morning.


Then I got the e-mail from a friend on 7/27/10. I was honestly debating whether I should release the song at all because of the subject matter but when I heard about Ben all doubt was erased from my mind and I felt compelled to record it right away.

So I recorded it right away in one sitting while the emotions were still fresh. I can't express in words what Ben's music meant to me and my friends growing up. My best friend cried when I told him. Here's the song and while it's not about Ben I'd like to dedicate it to him. A very special thanks to Charlie Betts for adding slide guitar and AC Mastering for the mixing and mastering of audio: