oday of course marks the anniversary of the tragic death of Riggs Donner, the late great Riders bass player I replaced. 24 years ago today, Riggs put on his motorcycle helmet, hopped on his hog, changed his mind about the helmet and took it off again, then headed out to Sugar Bares, his favorite local strip club. He never made it. Why he took that helmet off is anyone’s guess—Ox says he was always complaining it chafed—but one thing none of us have to guess at what happened next. That eighteen-wheeler dragged poor Riggs the better part of a mile. Miraculously, his skull was the only part of his skeleton not damaged in the accident—you can read whatever you like into that.

Now sure, you could make the case that yer old pal Jake's been in the band five times as long as the great Riggs. You could also make the case that yer old pal Jake's appeared on all of the important albums the Riders've ever made, that he wrote the band’s only number one hit, and that the great Riggs was constantly drunk and barely ever played his own instrument in the studio, and live they turned his amp off and had a roadie play his stuff behind the scenes. but still: Riggs Donner was a Bass Legend. And let me tell you, the other Riders'll never let me forget how impossible it's gonna be to follow in his boots.

So raise your glasses, brothers and sisters, to the late, great, Riggs Donner. Maybe someday I'll be honored enough to be considered his official replacement, and get the full one-fourth of the royalties on all the songs I helped write instead of half my share going to his widow. But until that day, let's give it up for Riggs. He played on the first Riders album (officially) and that is the only album he’s appeared on, but as the guys are always so keen on telling me, he left some pretty big boots to fill.

All you ticketholders in Baton Rouge, Louisiana are in for a treat at the show tonight—the boys’ve put together a concert tribute for Riggs, with his son, Thad Donner, taking over the bass duties. So yer old buddy Jake’ll be manning the merchandise booth tonight, signing t-shirts, CDs, and anything else all the ladies out there might want signed. (Fellas: only signed t-shirts and CDs, please.)