I would like to thank you all for this page. Ricky Cowboy was my brother and because of you I'll be able to hear him sing no mater where I am. I know how much his music meant to him and I know he's still singing. What most people don't know about my brother is that he had a cousin named Doug who played drums, he also passed some years back, but, the two of them were quite the rock & rollers. The played a little locally here in Harrisburg, PA. Rick wrote quite a few front porch songs. We ('we' being the neighborhood) used to sit and sing with him. He made up some crazy songs on the spot. It was great. But we would all sing the Charlie Daniels song Long Haired Country Boy. I hear stories about him now and they really keep him alive for me. So again thank you and anyone who has another story for me pleas keep them coming to the living room as I'll be there often.
Rick's Sister
Where do I start telling everyone about the Rickycowboy I knew?
We met on Paltalk 7 years ago. I fell in love with his songs. He loved to sing and would sing nothing but his own songs. We talked online for a while and on the phone for hours at a time. I finally agreed to meet him. Man was that an experience in itself. He lived in Pennsylvania and I lived in Kentucky, 700 miles apart. I had never flown in my life. He bought me a plane ticket. So besides being nervous about flying for the first time, I was meeting a man that I didn't know. But he was the kindest and gentlest man that I had ever met. I knew then that I didn't want to live without him in my life.
Rick was a hard worker, honest, loving, generous and dedicated man. He loved his family. Rick would go out of his way to help someone. He loved his music and would spend hours playing his guitar, until his fingers almost bled. His dream was to have just one of his songs played on the radio.
In June, 2001, Rick was coming to Nashville to play in a theater with a bunch of people from Paltalk. We decided that he would get a 1-way ticket. He would sing his songs on stage and then we would pack up my things and move me and my son (Rob) to Pennsylvania. I give up my job and left the only place that I had lived. It was scary and looking back now, I would do it again just to have the love that we had for each other.
This past Christmas is one that I know that I will never forget. Me and Rob was going to the mall so Rick said he would go and get my present while I did some shopping. I knew that if the got me something that he would never be able to wait until Christmas to give it to me. I was right. About 2 weeks before Christmas, he told me to sit at the kitchen table. He couldn't wait any longer to give me my present. He ran to the bedroom (where he had hid it) and then back to the kitchen. He had forgot where he put it. Then he ran back to the bedroom and finally found it. He had gone to Zale's and bought me a ring, but not just a ring, he had gotten me a bridal set. He got down on his knees and asked me to marry him. He was so happy. Not often had I seen that cowboy cry. But he did that night.
He said that he knew that something bad would happen because everytime something good happened, something bad would happen also. I tried to convince him that maybe his luck was changing.
On December 26, 2007, I came home from work and found him collapsed in the garage. Me and the neighbor tried to revive him but he was already gone.
If I could choose a verse from one of his songs it would be.....I'm sending you these words I wrote today that speak of love and distance in our way, how I want to hold you in my arms to kiss your lips but you're so far away so I'll ask the Lord, I pray....To keep you warm and safe until you're here with me and this love distance love is just a memory.
Rick, you will always be with me. I love you with all my heart....Janet
