Our friend Bobby

The above photo is Barb giving mandolin/guitarist (and dear friend) Bobby Geiger a smooch with Don looking on.
It was taken by our friend Angie at the fund-raiser held for Bobby at Stone City General in August 2013. Bobby had battled throat cancer and had lost his voice; but now a new cancer had appeared.

There was a huge outpouring of love that day from so many fellow musicians, friends, family, and people that just wanted to help out.  Bobby was ever so grateful and very humbled by the hundreds of people that came out to support him and his family with funds to help through the coming treatments.  He just hadn't known, until then, how we all loved him.

Well ... he went through the treatments, lost his hair, grew it back, and was good for a number of months - living every day to the fullest. We played a gig with him on March 29, 2014, and had so much fun!

We went to see him in his last days.  He asked if we had brought our instruments along.  I told him no, because I knew he would be upset that he couldn't play along with us.  We said our tearful goodbyes.

Bobby lost his long battle and passed away on April 28, 2014 at home with his family.  So many of us were plunged into mourning for that bright, loving spirit, now lost to us.

Bobby had sent me a message less than three weeks before he died ... "Barb, just know, only God knows the minute we're born and the minute we die, so whatever he has in store, it's what's best for me."  He was trying to comfort ME ... and my heart broke ...and I knew he believed every word.


Bobby just loved bluegrass music, and especially bluegrass gospel.  When he performed gigs or jammed with us and we sang "O Come, Angel Band", he would look directly at me with his heart in his eyes, and say, "I just love that song."  He also loved "Wayfaring Stranger" and would really get down with his mandolin break between verses. I know Bobby had thought a lot about dying, and these songs really said what he felt and believed. 

After Bobby passed, his wife messaged me, "He has one request -  he wants you to sing and play at his funeral."  She told me, "I think you know Bob and the songs he would like. Could you choose them for the family?"

Such an honor!  And so we will try to hold back our tears as we sing "Wayfaring Stranger", and "Angel Band", and one more song that a our friend Angie said was a favorite of Bobby's.  It tells a lot about who he was, and I'm posting the words below.  

WHO WILL SING A SONG FOR ME
 - written by Thomas J. Farris, who lived near Mountain View in Stone County, Arkansas

1) Oft I sing for my friends
When death's cold hand I see
When I reach my journey's end
Who will sing one song for me

     CHORUS
      I wonder (I wonder) who
      Will sing (will sing) for me
      When I'm called to cross that silent sea
      Who will sing (who will sing) for me

2) When friends shall gather round
And look down on me
Will they turn and walk away
Or will they sing one song for me

CHORUS

3) So I'll sing til the end
Contented I will be
Assured that some friends
Will sing one song for me

CHORUS

We'll all be singing for you, Bobby. It will never the same without you .. we will never forget you.

We'll hear your mandolin, playing along with us. And when we do a gospel song, especially, we will know that you are smiling in heaven, and playing and... SINGING .. along!  As Wayfaring Stranger says, "There's no sickness, toil or danger, in that bright world to which I go."   Someday, we will meet up with you again, and hear your singing voice - and we'll laugh and be happy ... and I'll give you another big smooch.

Please pray for Bobby's family - and the huge musical family - that will be missing him so much.

 Love you, Bobby

Bobby (center) playing with us at Eden Valley a couple years ago. Click to enlarge it.