From The Steel Wheels

The Steel Wheels were playing a festival in Chattanooga, TN a few years ago.  We weren't a big deal in Chattanooga.  I'm not sure we had ever played there before.  We had just pulled up to the rear of our stage and unloaded when I noticed a young woman waving at us from across the backstage fence.  I looked around to see if there was anyone standing behind us that she might be waving to, but realized that she was in fact waving at us.  I walked towards her, still thinking in the back of my mind that she had us mistaken with someone else.  When we finally talked to her, she assured us it was The Steel Wheels she was looking for and she had traveled quite far from home to see us.  I looked around to see if someone was playing a practical joke on us.  Then, during our set, while the rest of the crowd listened politely or shuffled through to the next stage or the concession stands, I looked down at the front row to see that same young woman singing along to every word to our songs.  Not some cover song that most people knew, but every word of every song I had written was coming out of this young stranger's mouth.  It made the night for me.  Sharon's smile and her attentive presence in a faraway land transformed her from a surprising stranger to friend of the band very quickly.

That wasn't the only time Sharon surprised us with her presence.  It seemed our shows were a regular occasion for her to travel long distances.  Over time we learned more about her condition through email and Facebook and we were even more grateful and proud to have Sharon as a friend.  When the band had to cancel a show that Sharon had planned to attend due to a band member's illness, we recorded a special video to tell her Merry Christmas.  We miss Sharon dearly and are glad for the time we had with her and the role she played in our band's life.   

Thanks, 
Trent