I first met Tudy in San Antonio in the 60s and  he was already a working, and sought after blues and jazz musician. At that time I was 17 and he was 1 year younger. He impressed me then as a very real and caring person and I never changed that opinion in 35 years……He taught me how to listen to music and how better to play music. He instilled in me a  love for jazz and big band music that serves me well to this day. He helped me to see that life lived with music was a precious and wondrous thing.

He suffered through many ups and downs in his life and career and if he let it get him down he never complained  to me . He always  appeared up and positive and ready to tackle The next musical adventure. He would sit down to the beat up piano, in whatever place we would be, and coax beautiful music to immerge from the out of tune antique we were forced to play on that day. It always amazed me.

Tudy played many instruments well. He would entice a melody out of pretty much anything he picked up that made music . He was an awesome bass player, a masterful guitar player, and one of the best drummers I’ve ever heard. He also played fantastic harmonica. When people pass from this life , we tend to exaggerate their talents. With Tudy no exaggeration is needed. The hard part is to find The words to accurately describe how good he was. Tudy was as skillful and usually better than anybody going and he never showed it or even acted like he realized it, but all of us knew it.  He was literally a legend in his  own life time and was known all over the world by word of mouth. He was the most famous unknown I have ever heard of. Had he lived I am sure he would have gotten the recognition he deserved. He was the driving force of many well known local bands..... The Cellar Dwellers, Stray Dog, Little Whisper and the Rumours, He was an important   member in Nick"s jazz bands  (in all his clubs). Tudy was much loved by the whole music community. His memorial was attended by many of the Metroplex's finest musicians.

I was very privileged to spend time with him in his later life. Through a quirk of fate we wound up in The same homeless help facility (M.H.M.R. Homeless Haven Ft. Worth TX.), Tudy as a client and myself as a client, caseworker. This allowed me to have  contact with him  for almost three years. At The time I didn’t realize how precious this period would be. We did what we both did best, we formed a band. We, much to the horror of management, named the group "Mixed Nuts." The other members were John Foster a man who needs a web page put up  about his bravery and courage in adversity also. He played guitar, bass, and pedal steel. He overcame homelessness and is now married and working a great job in a bank. Cecil Watkins came in and  played drums as a kindness to his struggling friends.

I must also mention that Tudy  overcame homelessness and got a good job as a veterinarian assistant and he  played in Nicks's latest  jazz club the rest of his  tragically short life. The array of talanted and known musicians that came by to see him and sit in was truly atounding. Every time I went to see him play he amazed me with his virtuosity and musical taste. In fact The word taste best described his incredible playing. He never played two notes where one would do. Less was always more with Tudy. That is possibly the most valuable lesson he left with me.

When a friend passes  they stay with you in fond memory and the pain and memory dims  through time. But Tudy's memory  stays with me day by day. There is an empty spot in my life that only he could fill. There is certainly an empty spot in Texas and world  music. He was unique as a musician and as a human being, and heaven has a much better band now he is in it. Play on old friend, play on..

Paul Sevy 2003