We had such a fun show tonight in New York City. It was a really great crowd with lots of old friends and fans who had come in from all over to see the show. As we were leaving New York City, we stopped to get another slice of pizza. I looked at Facebook on my phone and saw that my friend Jeremy Tepper from SiriusXM radio (who I have known since the 1980s) died today, here in New York City. What a punch to the gut. A total shock.
Lots of people knew Jeremy and will have their own stories to share about the guy, but I can say that he was one of my greatest allies over the years. He would always invite me to perform on events like the Outlaw Country cruise, or invite me to be a part of some musical showcase at some conference or festival just because I showed up and was there in the room. He was friends with lots of huge stars, but it always seemed like he was looking for a way to help me out any way he could—putting one of my songs into rotation on SiriusXM just because he saw one of my Facebook posts, inviting me to come on the Outlaw Country channel to perform live, dozens of other instances I could think of where he just wanted to help. And I know he did the same thing for hundreds of other artists that he dug.
When my mom was dying of cancer in a Brooklyn hospital and I was in the city for a few weeks, Jeremy invited me out for a night on the town, going to see Albert Lee at the Iridium and hobnobbing with stars like Gary US Bonds. It was a really nice gesture at a very hard time for me and I will never forget it. The dude was a real blood brother and I am gutted to think that he’s gone.
Condolences go out to his wife Laura Cantrell and all his family and friends.
