Remembering Wade Hickam
From his family and the Moe Ribbs Blues Band (Rich Greenberg, co-founder)
Wade Hickam picked up a guitar
When he was seventeen
And never put it down again
A natural self taught musician
He rocked with his guitar
Until he discovered the blues
In a rundown downtown bar
He put his foot pedals away
As the blues held him in sway
The unadorned sound
Of classic Chicago blues
He worked at a lumber mill
To support his music gigs
Caring for mom at home
While on a motorbike he roamed
I met him at a blues jam night
At Elmer’s Bar & Grill
He was gruff and didn’t suffer fools
Except when teaching music tools
I was pretty awful
But he helped me learn my craft, he helped me learn my craft
And that’s how I’ll remember him
Playing like there’s no tomorrow
Wade Hickam died of Covid-19 on March 26, 2020. He was 67 years old.