Remembering Andy: Roommates
Andy moved in and we settled into our routine with one another. When he told me he was into music, I laughed. Andy didn't understand my laughter or the reason I avoided the subject of his professional interest in making a career in music. I eventually told him my sad tale. My girlfriend had been the lead guitarist for my own band prior to her death in 1980. When he spoke of his own dreams - he was reminding me of dreams I felt had died with her when she passed away from the world.
Roomies
Andy was constantly writing in his journal. Most of the lyrics on "Shine" and "Apple" were inspired by conversations we shared that summer in 1986. As an example:
We lived a block from the beach. One day I said to Andy,
"I want to see what you look like in shorts. Put some on and let's take a stroll down the boardwalk along the beach and dip our toes into the sand."
Andy replied, "I look bad in shorts."
I told him,
"Most of us do, but don't let that bother you. It is not about showing off your legs. It is about having a good time with yourself. Why bother with what other's think. If half the people on the beach worried about what their legs looked like in the sight of others - they would miss out on the feeling that comes with the sun shinning on them - reminding you that your alive in "God's Green Earth" and feeling good about it."
Andy raced for his journal and asked if he could use that line in a song he had in mind. When he told me the line - I laughed again. When I asked him why that line appealed to him so much - he said that it was a feeling he wanted to try and return to him through his voice when the time came to sing it out loud.
I was aware of Andy's craving for the drug that did him in. I was constantly asking him to give up that craving. He promised he would stay clean until the album was finished.
Andy had a prophetic dream one night and told me about it the next day. He said, "The Lord spoke to me in a dream. I was told I only have four years time before the Lord calls me home. I don't have a minute to waste if I want to get these songs to the studio and released before God calls me home."
I didn't want to believe Andy but I knew him well enough to take him seriously. I felt maybe he was looking for motivation to hurry up and complete the project he started during his spiritual sabbatical and journey to the French Quarter. He wanted me to come back to Seattle with him. I couldn't for two reasons. One was - I had lost someone I loved who was a musician. I had been down that road before and it was a hard road to travel. I couldn't go through that sort of loss again. I felt Andy and her could have been and where 'twins' to one another. His presence in my life made up for her loss and the loss of the dreams her and I shared with music. I felt a part of her was alive in Andy. I couldn't loss the part of her I found in him - all over again. Two - was - I had a five year obligation which was going to take me overseas on an assignment. I wanted to dis-believe the prophetic dream and hoped for the best and prepared for the worst.
So Andy and I prepared to part company for a five-year period. I wouldn't allow him to say good-bye to me and made him make me a promise. No matter what happened - he would have to find his way back to me when the time came - either in this world, the world to come - or a life that was to come after this one. I felt his soul had found me at a crossroad in Galveston. I didn't feel it was too much to ask of him.
In 1992 - I heard a song from Temple of the Dog. I called a friend Andy had introduced me to on the telephone who lived in the Seattle area. I told him,
"If there is bad news about Andy to hear - I don't want to hear it. Just tell me he is out of touch for awhile."
