August 18th at 7:17 am ... a day I will not forget. I awoke to the annoying "ding" of my cell phone next to my head. And while I was still half-asleep... I saw a text message from a dear friend in GA - in her message it read "Have you heard the news about Robbie?" - at first I was thinking... oh something great has happened - promotion, him and his girlfriend are engaged, something along those lines and then I received a following message that caused my heart to sink to the floor - the message read.. "He passed away... drowned". In shock, I ran downstairs.. my wife had just had major shoulder surgery and was having to sleep in the recliner. I woke her up and told her what happened.. she instantly got up from the recliner and hugged my tightly and we both cried.... a lot. This was truly a shock and I spent the next several hours reaching out to my friends and bandmates of Final Answer Band talking with them, trying to find out any more information.
Without getting into details, I will say Robbie and his brother-in-law were heros. But this just how Robbie was! He was a hero in my eyes, someone I really looked up to, he encouraged me to be the best I could be, he influenced my music and artistry - I am very very sad he's gone.
I will be flying to Memphis on 8/26 to attend his funeral on 8/27 - I hope I can hold it together when I see his girlfriend and give her a big hug letting her know that although I'm 1500 miles away, she can reach out to my wife or myself anytime and we will continue to love and support her.
Robbie, you left us with a legacy! A legacy of how a man should treat his fellow man, how to succeed in a career with a company you loved and I am a part of, his faith in God, love for family and friends and being an all-around great guy. I will miss you, my brother and my friend - God Speed and see you on the other side.
