Centerfield: One Man's Rock Star Story
Part of the Music & Memories Collection by DeElla Hoberg
Some people have the best stories.
My friend Gerry is one of them.
Gerry and his family have been our neighbors and friends for nearly twenty years. He's one of those people who can walk into a room full of strangers and leave knowing everybody.
He's got sparkling blue eyes, Irish charm, and a joke or a story for just about any occasion. He talks a mile a minute, laughs easily, and has a way of making people feel comfortable.
He's also an incredibly talented musician.
Gerry can play just about any instrument you put in front of him, and music has always been a big part of his family's life.
His daughter Meagan has the voice of an angel and is a talented musician herself. His daughter Madison sometimes joins them to sing at neighborhood gatherings, lighting up the room with her smile.
And then there's his wife, Lisa.
I affectionately think of Lisa as our neighborhood paparazzo. She's a brilliant photographer, and you're likely to spot her with her big camera, documenting the musical adventures of her husband and daughters.
Gerry plays at practically every neighborhood event, and my husband often sings with the band.
I affectionately refer to them as Gerry and the Geriatrics.
I'm not sure that's the name they would have chosen, but I think it's perfect.
It's a Small World After All
Here's another funny thing about Gerry.
After we'd gotten to know him as our neighbor, we discovered that he had grown up in the same neighborhood as my husband.
Gerry is a little older, and it turns out he actually dated some of my husband's babysitters!
You really can't make this stuff up.
Over the years, we've gotten to know Gerry as a husband, father, neighbor, friend, and musician.
But one day, I learned something about Gerry that made me see him in an entirely new light.
The 40 Watt Club
Back in the 1980s, Gerry was the drummer in a band called Centerfield.
And they played the 40 Watt Club in Athens, Georgia.
Now, if you know anything about the Athens music scene, you know that the 40 Watt Club is no ordinary music venue.
Athens was becoming a hotbed of alternative music, and the 40 Watt was right in the middle of it.
Bands like R.E.M. and the B-52's helped put Athens on the musical map, and the club became one of those places where music history was being made.
And there was Gerry, behind his drum kit, playing with his band.
He even remembers the band being written up in the University of Georgia's Red & Black newspaper.
And, apparently, he spray-painted his name on a wall.
Because if you're a young musician playing a legendary club, why wouldn't you want to leave your mark?
When Gerry told me this story over the phone, he was as animated and enthusiastic as ever.
He was talking quickly, laughing, and clearly enjoying the memory.
I could almost see the young drummer he had been.
And I found myself smiling right along with him.
One Man's Moment in the Spotlight
What struck me about Gerry's story wasn't simply that he'd played at a famous venue.
It was that this wonderful man I had known for nearly two decades had experienced something extraordinary.
For one night, he was a young musician playing on a stage that would become part of rock-and-roll history.
He had his moment.
His fifteen minutes of fame.
And forty-some years later, he could still tell the story with the same excitement.
I started thinking about how easy it is to know someone for years without knowing all the wonderful things they've experienced.
We meet people at a particular point in their lives. We get to know who they are today, but we don't always know the younger versions of them.
The adventures they had. The dreams they chased. The moments when they felt like they were exactly where they belonged.
Gerry gave me a glimpse into one of those moments.
And I loved it.
Turning Gerry's Story into Art
When I began painting Centerfield, I wanted to capture the excitement of that memory.
Not just a drummer playing his instrument, but the feeling of being young, talented, and standing on a stage where anything seemed possible.
The painting is part of my Music & Memories collection, which explores the way music connects us to the experiences and people who shape our lives.
Gerry's story reminded me that those connections don't disappear with age.
The young drummer who played the 40 Watt Club is still there in the man who plays music at our neighborhood gatherings.
He's still making people smile.
Still bringing people together.
Still doing something he loves.
And I suspect that somewhere inside him, every time he picks up an instrument, there's a little bit of that young rock star who remembers exactly what it felt like to play that stage.
The Stories We Carry
One of the things I love most about getting older is discovering the stories behind the people I know.
We tend to see each other as we are today, forgetting that everyone has lived an entire lifetime of adventures, heartbreaks, triumphs, and unforgettable moments.
Sometimes all it takes is asking a question and listening to the answer.
Gerry gave me a wonderful story.
And I got to turn it into a painting.
I hope that when he looks at Centerfield, he remembers the excitement of that night, the friends he played with, and the young musician he was.
Because that guy is still in there.
And I think that's pretty damn cool.
About the Artwork
Centerfield is an original 20 × 20-inch mixed-media painting on watercolor paper mounted to canvas. Part of my Music & Memories collection, it celebrates one musician's unforgettable moment in the spotlight and the memories that stay with us long after the music stops.
I'd love to know: Have you ever had a moment when you felt like a rock star? A performance, an achievement, or an unforgettable experience that still makes you smile? I'd love to hear about it in the comments.
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