Stories

This is a story about toys. My toys. Not the computers, cameras, and guitars I play with today. The toys of my youth were a very different thing. When I was very young, WWII was still in bloom and there … Read More

The 29th. A guy should never be intimidated by a number but that one always gets me. It all goes back to a time when I was first getting to know the girl that would become my wife. A girl … Read More

“You are going where?” Jan asked in disbelief.  She probably wasn’t as surprised as she let on. In all the years we have been together she has gotten used to me telling her about some far-away place I wanted to … Read More

When I look back at my career with Brewer and Shipley, I see more than my fair share of the good times. Great audiences, wonderful clubs and concerts, and lots of pretty girls. For this writing, I’ll stick with the … Read More

People often see a band’s success as “overnight.” For  Brewer and Shipley that “overnight” took 7 years. And, of course, there were all the years leading up to it. Michael Brewer and Tom Shipley had been single performers prior to … Read More

Where is everybody? I remember a day when we danced and sang for peace and love. We chanted and raised a ruckus telling Nixon’s government they had to stop pouring napalm on innocent villages in Viet Nam. Where are we … Read More

Help is a curious word for old One Toke Tom to be writing about. He doesn’t need much of it with the exception of not continuing to injure myself or figuring out how to use Instagram. As I get longer … Read More

The sun had just begun to light the tops of the trees that surrounded the gravel bar. It was one of those mornings that held the promise of a good day. The sound of the river mixed so perfectly with … Read More

I believe I’ve told you how the holiday season can get me down. There was, however, one Christmas event that is hard to forget even though it was several years ago. Brewer and Shipley were invited to perform at the … Read More

As I walked through Kroger looking for an autumn dinner, I noticed something that looked Santa-like peeking out from between the pumpkins.  I could feel it in my bones. Here comes the Grinch. That would be me. It’s not that … Read More