In the course of creating videos for the enhanced e-book versions of Feel Like Going Home and Lost Highway, and Peter’s other books—we left some unexplored threads. This story about Charlie Rich was too good to leave out, so Robert Gordon and Laura Jean Hocking and I put together this short video that tells the story of the song that came out of the book.

—JG

It’s pretty hard to say one thing or another is the biggest thrill of your life — but for Charlie Rich to surprise me with a song that had been inspired by the feeling he got from reading my book — well, that was a pretty big thrill!

The whole story’s pretty much here— I’m not sure if I say it outright, but I loved Charlie and Margaret Ann from the moment I first met them, at the Vapors, out by the Memphis airport, in the spring of 1970. It was a relationship, I soon came to learn, that was based on total honesty, and it was one that continued up till Charlie’s death in 1995, and then for the fifteen years until Margaret Ann died. I wish they could have been here to be part of the conversation — but at least their good friend, Roland Janes was (Roland was everybody’s good friend) — not only to put me in my place but then to show me the kindness that was such an ineradicable part of his nature. That kindness played a huge role in helping us make Charlie’s last album, Pictures and Paintings, in 1992. Check out Roland at the beginning of the video — and then just sit back and dig the music.

—PG