"Remember to shake a stranger's hand. You might accidentally make a new friend." --Bill Weaver
It's been a heavy week amid the Independence Day goings-on, trucking news and all the rest, but start this Overdrive Radio episode with a song with a whole lot of joy, sure to get the spirits up, as it’s writer, singer and performer -- the great Bill Weaver -- told the tale of its origins in the always-headed-home aspects of work OTR, since the moment he conceived it: “I’m Rollin’.”: https://www.overdriveonline.com/14889662
Yet it also brings a bit of a tear to the eye this week. Bill Weaver passed away Monday, June 30. For "Long Haul Paul" Marhoefer, the news came by way of a mutual friend, Tony Justice, who shared his own recollections of Bill. Justice’s words I know ring out for so many who knew Weaver: “I can't even begin to find the words to express what he meant to me,” Justice said. “Best word would simply be friend, family kinda friend, my best friend. ... Hard telling the miles me and ol’ Bill covered while trucking and talking on the phone, a few hundred thousand easily, or how many times he made me laugh. He is irreplacable, and will leave an empty spot in my heart that will never be able to be filled again.”
And he finished this way: "Till we embrace again on the other side I’ll be jamming your music, brother. This aint good-bye, its a see you later.”
Weaver leaves behind his wife, CarolAnn, and so many friends and family members. Our hearts are with them all no doubt. In the podcast, celebrate with us some of what Bill Weaver leaves behind, with reairs of two podcasts featuring his "Every mile I drive" and "Burning the old school down" records, from 2016 and 2018 respectively.
CarolAnn Weaver said she’s planning a memorial service for Bill likely for early August, and had Weaver’s International in the shop for service looking at a likely sale fairly soon. It wasn’t due for service, she said, yet it’d been sitting for a year. Questions about the rig CarolAnn referred to Taylor Barker, fellow trucker-songwriter and also a great friend to Weaver. The truck, CarolAnn said, was Weaver’s pride and joy.
CarolAnn offered these words to mark his memory.
“Bill was very special character who impacted everyone he met,” she said. “He never met a stranger and greeted everyone with open arms of compassion. I am so thankful and blessed that I had him in my life for 16 years and he helped me become a better and stronger person. He helped me find my way back to God, and to me that is priceless. I want to say thank you to all his fans that supported his love of music and appreciated his honest, heart-written words he shared through songwriting. He had a brilliant mind, so smart yet humble. I kid with everyone that he was my encyclopedia.”
CarolAnn went on to reference something Tony Justice also noted in his recollection of Weaver. It’s true that he said it near every time we ever spoke to him in person, most often delivered right before you were ready to part ways: “Remember to shake a stranger’s hand. You might accidentally make a new friend.”
Bill, thank you for being one to us, that's certain.
Long Haul Paul's tribute to Weaver: https://overdriveonline.com/15750036