A Stolen Song!!!!!

[Newman]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

To shine a little more light on the time line of Don Johnson's writing of the song:

In 1973 (3 years before I was born) my oldest sister and her husband were holding a revival at the Blue Mountain's Children's home (Bro. Pipkin's church), and my brother, Robbie, went with them. He went swimming with a boy from the orphanage at a lake there (I don't know which one), and my brother drowned.

When Bro. Johnson found out, he called my Dad and said he had recently (or "just") written a song he wanted to sing to him, and then he sang "I Can't Complain" over the phone.

So he had written it at least by August of 1973.

My mother said that he told my Dad he wrote it on the back of a paper bag.

Abigail- Your sister and her husband ministered at my church and attended some of the same campmeetings. I knew your brother (as dozens of young ladies did too). If memory serves me right, he used to play the guitar with your sister and her husband. He was someone that all the girls were swooning over. When we found out about his death it was a very sad, sad day. We cried buckets of tears and our hearts ached.

How beautiful to know the rest of the story. That you came along as a gift from God. Wow....

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by Newman

Abigail- Your sister and her husband ministered at my church and attended some of the same campmeetings. I knew your brother (as dozens of young ladies did too). If memory serves me right, he used to play the guitar with your sister and her husband. He was someone that all the girls were swooning over. When we found out about his death it was a very sad, sad day. We cried buckets of tears and our hearts ached.

How beautiful to know the rest of the story. That you came along as a gift from God. Wow....

Yes, he did play guitar.

It was a terrible loss for my family. Even though I didn't know him, I've felt their pain for years, every time the stories were shared.

It's so cool that you knew him! I'll have to read this post to my Mom!

[Barb]

Thank you, Abi and Newman...such touching posts today...