In Memory – James Ray Bell

“I sat on a stool at the end of a pool table in a bar called Pearls. Someone handed me a guitar and as I played, one of my best friends and I sang What Made Milwaukee Famous. He had a deep rich baritone voice and we sang in harmony. The owner turned the jute box off and the room went quite as we sang. When we finished the crowd went wild. We both drank free the rest of the night. That was forty-seven years ago. I recently found out that my friend from that night died recently. He was the nicest guy you would ever want to meet, Not all my memories from my drinking days were as pleasant as that one and we both went on to live sober lives. Rest in Peace James Ray Bell. You always had my back and will always be in my heart my friend.”

–Phil Gladden