Oh, my god - RIP Otha Young

[RTSDaddy2]

This HAS to be a joke, I kept telling myself in these early morning hours - and then knowing the fan club president personally, I knew it had to be true...that and the fact that he managed to write it at 12:44 AM this morning.

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NEWS FROM THE JUICE NEWTON FAN CLUB

Robert Otha Young, singer, songwriter and long-time musical partner of Grammy- winning country-pop artist Juice Newton, died August 6th in Los Angeles after battling cancer.
 
As a writer, Young was best known for Juice’s 1980’s top ten hit, “The Sweetest Thing (I’ve Ever Known). The song was #1 on both AC and country charts, and also appeared on the Top 40 pop charts reaching #7 for 18 weeks. He wrote primarily for Juice, winning various songwriting awards, though other artists cut his songs. A Christmas CD of standards and originals, “The Gift of Christmas” was recently completed on which Otha served as lead guitarist, writer, producer and vocalist.
 
Young was born in Northern California, moved to Lewisville, Texas for a short time, but later returned to his native state. Known as “Bob” in high school, he attended Los Gatos High and excelled in sports and class leadership. In 2008, he was honored when inducted into the Los Gatos High School Athletic Hall of Fame for his success in wrestling and football.
 
After graduating from San Jose State University he decided to learn to play the guitar and once proficient, teamed up with a singer by the name of Juice Newton. Otha and Juice first performed as a folk duo, Dixie Peach, in Northern California. Their brand of progressive country rock developed as they went on to form the band, Juice Newton and Silver Spur, and later recorded for RCA and Capitol under Juice’s name starting in the mid 70’s. Otha’s unique harmonies, guitar, mandolin and musical direction helped define the Juice country pop sound.
 
Young, 66, was touring through March of this year and has often been referred to as, “One of the nicest guys in the business,” by all who knew and worked with him. Said Travis James of the Bobby Roberts Agency,“ I’ve said it a million times and meant it every time, but Otha was undoubtedly my favorite
manager to work with during the past 14 years I’ve been here.”
 
He is survived by his wife, Brenda Haynes Young and daughter, Makena.
 
Memorial Services will be held Saturday, August 22 at First Presbyterian Church of Encino, CA, 4963 Balboa Blvd. at 2:00 pm.
 In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made for an education fund for his beloved daughter Makena at Otha Young Memorial Fund c/o P.O. Box 230850, Encinitas, CA 92023.

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My heart, already broken by events of this summer, is now broken again. I had the absolutely unforgettable priviledge of meeting Otha and Juice 20 years ago at a concert here at Lanierland Music Park in Georgia, and I have not to this day met two more down to earth souls in all my life.  Neither one of them had any idea how successful they'd been in this life.  They were just normal, everyday people. 

The thing of it was, however, was that he was my guitar idol. Loved to hear that man play. No, it wasn't a "Jimmi Hendrix" style that made you just sit up and stare, but the man could play things that sounded like satin, when the notes  in anybody else's hands would have sounded a lot harder than they should have.

I'm spent.  I want this year to end quickly - god, how I want it to be over, or at least this summer.  I've had enough.