Rock N Roll, A Shirt And A Friendship – A Tribute

Part one can be found here

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We saw each other at more shows, but ultimately, I would move away 6 months after that Leppard show. I would come back and visit and would always see him. At one show, i suggested we take a pic together. And I'm happy we did. It's the Stan that I remember.

I have other pictures with him from a party (a heavy metal party as he liked to say) five years later that he not only invited me to, but practically made me feel like the star of. It was strange feeling, but he wanted all his friends to hear my stories and for me to help him pick out songs that we were listening to. It's funny.

I would see Stan a few more times and we would be in touch via social media and the like but due to my own lack of visiting, I hadn't seen Stan in over a decade before learning of his passing a year ago. He was one of the first to make the new kid feel welcome into a world I have felt equal parts at home with an alienated from at various times. But back then, his endorsement meant a lot for a kid who didn't fit in anywhere else.

It took me a while to find this picture, but this is the guy i remember, taken 20 years ago. I had told him i was coming up from Nashville for the show, and he made it a point to come out to see me. As it was a Beautiful Creatures show, I was repping my favorite underdog band. And as always, Stan was repping his.