"DOUG RIGHTNOUR"
MY SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO A DEARLY LOVED AND MISSED FRIEND ...
"DOUG RIGHTNOUR"
OUR DEAREST DOUG……
I CAN REMEMBER THE VERY FIRST TIME WE MET DOUG & CAROLYN.
STELLA AND I HURRIED ANXIOUSLY THROUGH A VERY CROWDED GRACELAND
CROSSING ON OUR WAY TO VIEW ELVIS PRESLEY’S MANSION FOR THE VERY
FIRST TIME.
PASSING BY THE POPULATED SOUVENIR SHOPS…WE STOPPED IN AWE OF THE
SOUND THAT WAS COMING OUT OF THIS 5 FOOT 1 INCH MAN PERFORMING ON STAGE….
YEP… IT WAS DANNY McCORKLE SOUNDING LIKE THE NEAREST THING TO ELVIS WE HAD
EVER, EVER HEARD.
BEING A PROFESSIONAL ENTERTAINER MYSELF ONLY MADE ME REALIZE… I HAD A
LONG WAY TO GO.
AND THERE SITTING AT THE “SIGN – UP TABLE” WERE TWO OF THE MOST MAGICAL PEOPLE WE HAD THE
PLEASURE OF MEETING. THEY WERE IN FACT…OUR VERY FIRST CONTACT WITH REAL LIFE “ELVIS” FANS.
DOUG AND CAROLYN RIGHTNOUR …. LITTLE WERE WE TO KNOW THAT NOT ONLY DID THEY BECOME PART
OF OUR VACATION…THEY ALSO WOULD BECOME AN IMPORTANT ADDITION TO OUR LIVES.
STELLA AND I DID’ NT MAKE IT TO GRACELAND’S GATES UNTIL 3am THE NEXT MORNING….WE WERE
HAVING TOO MUCH FUN WITH OUR NEW FOUND “BUDDIES”. BEFORE TOO LONG WE HAD BECOME ATTACHED
TO DANNY AND LAYNA McCORKLE , DOUG AND CAROLYN, AND OTHERS IN THEIR SMALL ENTOURAGE.
ALTHOUGH WE FELT LIKE COMPLETE INTRUDERS AT THE TIME, THIS INCREDIBLY NICE GROUP OF PEOPLE
MADE STELLA AND ME AS WELCOME AS WELCOME COULD BE. NEVER BEFORE HAD WE EXPERIENCED
SUCH WARMTH, LAUGHTER, AND SPIRITUALITY AT THIS LEVEL. BY THE END OF ELVIS WEEK WE WERE ALL
ON FIRST NAME BASIS….. HUGS OF FRIENDSHIP….AND GENUINE SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY CREPT INTO OUR LIVES.
WE WERE TOTALLY EXHAUSTED AFTER OUR FIRST EVER “CANDLELIGHT VIGIL” AND VIVIDLY RECALL HOW THE
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS OF MY SONG, “A SINGLE SHINING STAR” CAME ABOUT. SUCH PRECIOUS MEMORIES.
AND THERE WAS DOUG SITTING ON THE STAGE WITH CAROLYN, JANE AND HEATHER SWAYING AND LAUGHING
WHILE BELTING OUT TUNES LIKE “PLEDGING MY LOVE”, “STEAMROLLER BLUES” AND “LAWDY MISS CLAWDY” ….
PRICELESS FOOTAGE WE HAVE ON VIDEOTAPE. HE LIVED FOR HIS FAMILY AND HIS MUSIC. YOU COULD SEE IT
WRITTEN ALL OVER HIS FACE.
I CAN STILL RECALL ON OUR LAST DAY AT THE CROSSING, AS PART OF THE GROUP WE ALL WENT TO SEE
“WALK A MILE” AND I SAT DOWN NEXT TO DOUG AS WE STRUGGLED OVER ICE CREAM AND BANANA SPLIT
SUNDAES AT GRACELAND PLAZA … MAN, WE WERE STUFFED …. I CAN’T REMEMBER EVER HAVING LAUGHED
SO MUCH UNTIL WE CRIED… AND VERY NEARLY CAME CLOSE TO WETTING OURSELVES DOING IT.
SAYING GOODBYE FOR THAT FIRST TIME WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT THING WE HAD EVER ENCOUNTERED UP TO
THIS STAGE. THEY SAY PARTING IS SUCH SWEET SORROW…. THEY GOT THAT RIGHT.
NEVER BEFORE HAD STELLA AND I CLICKED WITH ANYONE AS WE DID WITH DANNY & LAYNA AND DOUG
& CAROLYN. WE GOT PRECIOUS VIDEO FOOTAGE PLUS PHOTO’S OF OUR NEW FOUND FRIENDS…. PHONE
NUMBERS AND ADDRESSES…. YOU NAME IT…. WE TOOK IT ! WE JUST WANTED TO BE SO MUCH A PART OF
THIS THAT WE APPROACHED DANNY TO ASK IF WE COULD COME BACK THE YEAR AFTER….AS A PERFORMER.
TALK ABOUT DREAMS COME TRUE. WE EVENTUALLY SAID OUR TEARFUL GOODBYES AND SET ABOUT THE
COUNTDOWN TOWARD AUGUST THE FOLLOWING YEAR. ALL THROUGH THE YEAR WE STAYED IN CONTACT WITH
EACH OF THEM … CHRISTMAS … NEW YEAR … EASTER … BIRTHDAYS ….WE RANG AND TALKED FOR HOURS…
WE WROTE TEN PAGE LETTERS TO EACH OTHER LIKE LOVESICK TEENAGERS. THAT WAS THE KIND OF LOVE THAT
WE SHARED WITH DOUG AND HIS FAMILY. ELVIS WEEK CAME AROUND ALL TOO QUICKLY…IT USUALLY DOES
WHEN YOU WANT IT THAT BAD….
OVER THE NEXT FEW VISITS TO MEMPHIS…WE GOT TO STAY WITH DANNY & LAYNA AND THEIR FAMILY, ALONG
WITH DOUG AND CAROLYN & HEATHER, AND OUR NEW FOUND FRIENDS, JIM & JANE DOWDY FROM ILLINOIS.
SUCH A TIGHT KNIT GROUP ALL SHARING ONE THING IN COMMON…PURE LOVE AND AFFECTION…FOR LIFE AND
EACH OTHER.
FRIENDS BECAME MORE LIKE FAMILY AS THE FRIENDSHIPS GREW CLOSER AND STRONGER OVER THE YEARS.
ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE TIMES WE SHARED WAS WHEN DOUG & CAROLYN TOOK STELLA & MYSELF, AS
WELL AS JIM & JANE TO SHOP FOR A FLORAL GIFT TO GIVE THE McCORKLES FOR THEIR HOSPITALITY. WELL, CHRIS
DECIDED HE WAS GOING TO PLAY WITH HIS NEWLY ACQUIRED “FART MACHINE” FROM LAS VEGAS, AND TAKE IT
TO WALMART FOR A SPIN. THERE WAS’ NT A DRY EYE IN THE GROUP AS DOUG AND I STALKED UNSUSPECTING
CUSTOMERS IN AND OUT AISLES AND DROPPING CASUAL BUT VERY PROLIFIC “FART” NOISES AS CUSTOMERS
TRIED TO FIGURE OUT WHO WAS ACTUALLY THE CULPRIT. TROUBLE WAS….. I COULD KEEP A STRAIGHT FACE…..
DOUG COULD’ NT. SO, YOU CAN KINDA GUESS WHO GOT BLAMED FOR THE WHOLE SCENARIO.
ABSOLUTELY PRICELESS MEMORY… WE LAUGHED AND JOKED ABOUT IT FOR YEARS.
THOSE WARM SUMMER NIGHTS OUT ON THE McCORKLES BACK VERANDAH WERE THE EPITOME OF WHAT TRUE
FRIENDSHIP WAS ALL ABOUT. ALMOST A TAG TEAM OF COFFEE AND CIGARETTES AS WE LAUGHED AND CRIED
AWAY THE WEE HOURS OF THE MORNING. LITTLE WERE WE TO KNOW THAT IT WAS TO BE ONE OF THE LAST TIMES
WE COULD ALL SHARE THIS.
AFTER HAVING SPENT OUR ELVIS WEEK WITH DANNY & LAYNA, DOUG & CAROLYN INVITED STELLA AND I TO COME
TO THEIR HOME IN SEAFORTH, DELAWARE. WE WERE TOTALLY THRILLED. NOT ONLY DID WE HAVE A CHANCE TO SEE
OTHER PARTS OF THE USA, WE WOULD ALSO GET TO SHARE LIFE WITH OUR CHERISHED “RIGHTNOUR” FAMILY.
INSTANT EXCITEMENT. UNCONDITIONAL LOVE FOR PEOPLE WHO FELT CLOSER TO US THAN OUR OWN FAMILIES.
IT WAS THE COUNTDOWN TO ELVIS WEEK AGAIN IN APRIL OF THE FOLLOWING YEAR…. AND DOUG HAD RUNG ME TO
SAY THAT HE HAD DEVELOPED A SORE THROAT. EVEN WORSE WAS THE NEWS THAT FOLLOWED. THE TEST’S REVEALED
HE HAD TRACES OF WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS CANCER. HE’D GIVEN UP SMOKING BY THIS STAGE HE TOLD ME…..
BUT DUE TO EXTENSIVE HEALTHCARE REQUIRED, OUR TRIP TO DELAWARE WAS NO LONGER TO BE.
DOUG & CAROLYN MISSED ELVIS WEEK THAT YEAR. IT WAS NEVER GOING TO BE THE SAME. I HAD SUNG AND
DEDICATED MY ALBUM “LIFE” TO MY BUDDY DOUG AND EVEN GOT TO SING IT FOR HIM OVER DANNY’S CELL PHONE.
WE STAYED IN CONTACT ALL YEAR UNTIL THE NEWS CAME THROUGH THAT DOUGGIE WAS TO HAVE HIS VOICEBOX
REMOVED AS THE CANCER HAD DONE IT’S WORSE AND SPREAD. HE WAS TO RECEIVE AN ELECTRONIC VOICE
MODULATOR. WE STILL GOT TO TALK FROM AUSTRALIA TO DELAWARE…THAT’S THE WAY WE WERE.
AS HARD AS IT WAS BEING ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE PLANET, OUR LOVE AND SUPPORT FOR DOUG AND
CAROLYN WAS A PRIORITY. FEELING TOTALLY HELPLESS MOST OF THE TIME FROM DOWN UNDER, THE LEAST WE
COULD DO WAS TO OFFER OUR LOVE, PRAYERS AND FRIENDSHIP WHENEVER WE COULD, AND AS OFTEN AS WE
COULD. WE HAD STAYED WITH JIM & JANE IN COLLINSVILLE, ILLINOIS BEFORE TREKKING DOWN TO MEMPHIS THIS TRIP,
AND WE THANK GOD THAT DOUG AND CAROLYN PULLED UP AT GRACELAND CROSSING THAT ELVIS WEEK 2002…
I WILL NEVER FORGET HOW MY HEART RACED WHEN I LOOKED INTO THE EYES OF A MAN WHOSE SHARE
DETERMINATION SENT COLD SHIVERS UP MY SPINE.
BEAUTIFUL MEMORIES SUCH AS DOUG & CAROLYN EMBRACED AT THE SIDE OF THE STAGE AND SEE DELICATE
TEARS TRICKLING DOWN EACH OF THEIR FACES AS DANNY SANG, “I’VE GOT CONFIDENCE” STILL AROUSES VERY
DEEP FEELINGS IN THE DEPTHS OF MY SOUL. I STILL WEEP.
IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE WE SHARED TOGETHER WITH “THE GANG” THAT SHORT TIME … AND EVERY
MOMENT OF IT REMAINS VIVIDLY EMBEDDED IN MY HEART.
ON OUR TRIP BACK TO DANNY & LAYNA’S, DOUG & CAROLYN STAYED THE EXTRA NIGHT IN GALLATIN WITH US ALL.
THANKYOU GOD. THANKYOU FOR LETTING IT BE THAT WAY.
I STILL MANAGE TO SHED A TEAR WHEN I RECALL US ALL SAYING GOODBYE. THE LAST TIME WAS IN FACT
THE LAST TIME. DOUG’S CHEEKY AND DETERMINED ANTICS GOT HIM RECORDING ALONGSIDE ME IN DANNY’S
STUDIO TO THE TUNE OF “WAY DOWN” AND “CHRIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING…..” A RECORDING I WILL TREASURE
FOREVER. I PLAY IT OFTEN JUST TO REMIND ME OF THE RAW COURAGE ONE MAN HAD TO TRY AND OVERCOME
A LIFE THREATENING ILLNESS, AND HIS LOVE FOR MUSIC.
WELL ….. WE KNOW THAT WE ALL HAD TO PART AND IT WAS’ NT GETTING ANY EASIER.
DOUG & CAROLYN WERE NOT ABLE TO ATTEND ELVIS WEEK LAST YEAR BECAUSE OF THE COMPLICATIONS
HE WAS HAVING. STELLA & I STILL TRIED TO MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH DELAWARE, OFFERING OUR PRAYERS
AND LOVE … BUT THE HOSPITAL TREATMENTS WERE OF TO NO AVAIL.
ONE OF THE SADDEST DAYS I WILL NEVER FORGET WAS THE E-MAIL FROM LAYNA SAYING DOUG WAS NOT DOING
WELL. I HAD SPOKEN WITH JIM & JANE ….. AND ALSO TALKED WITH HEATHER. WE WERE FRANTIC... AND UPSET.
IT REALLY DOES’ NT MATTER HOW PHYSICALLY FAR AWAY YOU ARE FROM SOMEONE IN THIS WORLD….
ON THAT DAY WHEN THAT PHONE RANG ON THE WALL …. AND LAYNA SPOKE, I KNEW STRAIGHT AWAY.
A PIECE OF STELLA AND ME DIED. NEVER BEFORE IN MY LIFE HAVE I MET A MAN WHOSE DETERMINATION TO
LIVE EVERY MINUTE OF HIS GOD GIVEN LIFE BEEN MORE PROLIFIC THAN NOW. DOUG HAD GONE.
THE WARMTH OF HIS SMILE, THE CHEEKY LAUGH, THE CARING HEART, THE MAGNIFICENT AURA OF LOVE THAT
GLOWED AROUND HIM ARE THE THINGS I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER DOUG FOR.
WE MAY HAVE ONLY BEEN A PART OF DOUG & CAROLYN’S LIFE FOR A SHORT TIME, BUT IT FELT AS IF WE’D
KNOWN EACH OTHER FROM THE BEGINNING OF TIME. I WISH THERE WAS MORE I COULD HAVE DONE ….
NOW IT IS MY TURN TO WAIT…. TO CARRY ON DOING WHAT I CAN DO TO MY UTMOST BEST. LIVE EVERY DAY
AS IT COMES. THAT'S THE WAY DOUG GOT THROUGH HIS DAY. I WILL LOVE A LITTLE MORE …. I WILL TRY TO
BE THE BEST PERSON I POSSIBLY CAN BE …. IN THAT DAY. I WILL APPRECIATE MORE OF THE THING’S IN LIFE
I HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN FOR GRANTED . I WILL THANK OUR LORD EVERYDAY FOR LETTING ME BE THE PERSON I AM.
LIFE IS SO PRECIOUS. I STILL THINK TO MYSELF WHY DID DOUG HAVE TO GO ? NEVER HAD A MAN PUT UP SUCH A FIGHT.
I WISH I COULD HAVE TAKEN AWAY JUST SOME OF THE PAIN, THE BAD SLEEPLESS NIGHTS, THE FRUSTRATION AND THE
ANGUISHING MOMENTS HE WOULD HAVE SUFFERED. BUT IT WAS ALMIGHTY GOD HIMSELF WHO CALLED DOUG HOME
AND SAID YOU NO LONGER NEED TO FIGHT. YOUR BATTLE ON EARTH IS NOW ENDED, NOW YOU MAY ROAM FREE IN
THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. I KNOW DOUG IS THERE. WHERE ELSE COULD A MAN LIKE HIM GO ?
I KNOW HE WILL BE AT OUR LORD’S SIDE WAITING FOR ALL HIS LOVED ONE’S TO SHARE IN HIS ETERNAL
GLORY.
HEAVEN WAS MISSING A VERY SPECIAL ANGEL.
GOD BLESS YOU DOUG, I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU. WE WILL MEET AGAIN ONE DAY ….. THERE WILL BE SO MUCH
TO CATCH UP ON. SEE YOU WHEN I GET THERE.
OUR THOUGHTS, PRAYERS AND LOVE TO CAROLYN, DOUG JNR, HEATHER & FAMILIES. GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
YOUR FRIEND FOREVER
CHRIS
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