Richard D at the End of the
Pavement
By Janice Boling
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Richard D was a regular at the End of the Pavement.
He loved a crowd -- the more the merrier. He was good at organizing things from parties to road trips.
Richard had a great sense of balance. He rode a skateboard and a unicycle. He could even walk a straight line when most of us would be weaving back and forth.
Richard in denim ball cap
Richard always looked good in blue. It matched his eyes.
Richard in white cap
Richard always wore a ball cap. Sometimes he even slept in one.
Richard and Candice
Richard loved this girl more than anything. He was a good father.
Richard and I were together off and on for years.
We worked together in Florida, partied at the End of the Pavement, and went to a lot of concerts.
Richard liked to go out and hear live rock music. So did I. We went to night clubs in Atlanta, Charlotte, Greenville, Fort Myers, Miami, and other cities.
We heard some great unknown musicians and famous bands including KISS, Bush, Roger Waters of PInk Floyd, Nazareth, Marcy Playground, Collective Soul, and Cracker.
Small venues like nightclubs were a lot more personal than going to a stadium. We could get close and really see the performance. Those were our favorite concerts.
Richard and I lacked musical talent. Neither of us played an instrument or sang. We did have good noses for sniffing out the most talented acts in town.
I figured if Richard ever got rich, he would open a bar with live music.
Richard had a ball organizing The Kind at Cedar Mountain and would have been a good music promoter. Richard was good at everything he set his mind on doing.
Go Falcons!
Richard was a big Atlanta Falcons fan. He loved sports of every type from football and baseball to racing.
Grapell and Richard enjoyed the sunshine.
Looks like Grapell was keeping score -- or she may have been selling something. Richard must have spotted a hawk flying overhead.
Richard and Marie
Richard had lots of friends including Marie and her sister, Brenda.
Richard with a cigarette
Most of us smoked back in the old days. Cigarettes cost less than a dollar a pack. I started with menthols but switched to regulars after a few years. Most of us smoked Marlboros but Salems, Camels, and Winstons were also popular.
Richard warms up with a cold one
This was another snow day. Not too cold, just right for fun and games.
Richard drank beer even when temperatures went down to zero. I never saw Richard drink anything but beer -- and maybe coffee. I can't remember him taking shots or sipping whiskey. I don't recall ever seeing him drink wine or water. Beer was his beverage of choice.
Richard with a cast
I do not remember how Richard broke his wrist. He was at Gary's in this photo -- we were playing poker.
The first time I ever saw Richard he was playing poker at Charlie's Barn. He had married one of Charlie's daughters. We did not hit it off at first. It took years for us to have a conversation but once we did, we found lots of common interests. Richard was one of the most interesting men I ever knew.