Willie died in 2009 after a life spent helping others to survive extreme poverty and racial terrorism in his rural Alabama community. He was driven by earth-bound empathy and fueled by self-taught blues. Unlike his friends like B.B. King and Howlin’ Wolf, he gave up record contracts and probable fame and fortune to stay home to serve his friends and neighbors. He was a regular performer in local clubs and juke joints as well as events for the Southern Poverty Law Center. Willie continues to inspire and assist thousands through his music and his foundation to pass on cultural arts and survival skills, known as the Rural Members Association.

Dave Gorman is a civil engineer, humanist and Unitarian Universalist. He is always seeking the next adventure, be it a trip to a little-known blues festival in the woods or a paddle through the wilderness. He has lived three years in a small African village where he practiced sustainable development through the Unitarian Service Committee of Canada. He now works as a municipal director in suburban Chicagoland.