"Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo" was the song that turned the light on in my head.
There was probably a dozen or so of us friends hanging out smoking pot and drinking beer at a pavilion after school, circa 1978. A couple of guys were playing their guitars. Playing every song wrong. They had music books for Beatles, Stones, Hendrix, etc. with the chords and lyrics. Hideously horrendous, butchered timing, untuned guitars and everything was just wrong.
I had to say something, something like, "that doesn't sound like way the band does it" to which one of them said, "here, let's see you play" and for some reason I played the beginning of Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo, on an acoustic, just like it sounded on the radio. I had never played that song before but it came to me so naturally because I could hear it in my head and was finally at the point where I was learning songs playing along with the record.
Mic drop. It was done. I remember going home that day and really dedicating myself to playing like Hendrix, Skynyrd, The Outlaws, Clapton, Trower, Rory Gallagher, Uli Roth and all the guitarist that jammed real hard. I had established myself as the guitar guy in that crowd that day and to this day I still occasionally jam with them or they come see me play when I'm playing somewhere.
I did eventually get to hang out with Rick, in 2008 after a show, buy him a drink and tell him what an influence he was.
