Bob Armstrong

Meet Bob Armstrong from Battle Creek, Michigan.

Greetings to all from Michigan. For quite a few years now Battle Creek has been the host city for some major hot air balloon competitions. This is a big deal here in BC and needless to say the event draws thousands of people from all over the state. Typically the USAF Thunderbirds are in town for a few days doing air shows. Over the years the festival has also brought in some great entertainment. In 1992 the headliner for the festival was America. But for me the festival of 92 was a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life. Like millions and millions of boys who saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan in the 60's, I took up the guitar (to meet girls mostly). Somehow I just stayed with it and by the late 70's I was doing lots of Bob Dylan and The Eagles and even some Jethro Tull. But the music that I really enjoyed playing the most was the by America. By the early eighties I was working in a band called The Edge. At that time we were doing stuff by the Who and Led Zeppelin but we also would do an occasional acoustic number by Emerson Lake and Palmer. Somehow someone saw our act at some club and asked us if we would like to open for America at the balloon festival. We of course said yes. I was thrilled to be on this venue with this band that I admired so much. For me, playing music has been a lifelong passion but I never went on the road and pursued stardom. Actually, it would be great to play music for a living but I never fancied all the hardship musicians seem to face in the pursuit of recognition. So for me this was a wonderful "taste" of what it's like to play on a huge stage with a massive sound system in front of thousands of people. We played for about an hour and our set went great. The crowd was fired up and for that hour we were really rock stars. But the best part of the evening was when we walked off stage Dewey and Gerry were at the bottom of the steps applauding for us. They told us how much they enjoyed our show and they treated us like fellow musicians. Dewey even took our keyboard player's sons on a tour of their tour bus. I will always remember how great these guys made us feel. My wife and I have sat around many campfires while friends and I played America songs into the wee hours on our acoustics. And now here we were talking to and being complimented by these two guys. I can assure anyone who may read this little story that this was a precious experience for me personally. For the fans of America, I can tell you that these guys are every bit as classy as the music they play. I still play all the time. The band is still called the Edge. These days we are an eight piece blues band. We do stuff by James Brown and the Blues Bros. and even some Stevie Ray Vaughn. And the truth is we are having a blast with this band. But just before I wrote this note tonight I sat down with my acoustic and played Ventura Highway and Sandman and Tin Man. I will always have a place in my heart for this gentle and melodic music. In this time of so much violence and anger, it is my hope that someday the music and poetry of America will reclaim its proper place on the charts. Until that time... Be good to each other.

Feel free to send your comments or questions to Bob.