What's black and white and BEN all over?

What's black and white and BEN all over? Today's newspaper! Specifically, the Des Moines Register Datebook features a glimpse of our very own Ben Williams, available here , and shows the heart of the one we think of as a "gentleman of jam" and "lovable hippie guru". Seriously, we're super-proud of our friend's talents and accomplishments, and hereby proclaim this as the official kickoff weekend for "The Year of Ben", not only with Kaleidoscope & Lady Blue, but especially Truth Be Told, his jam band that is rapidly rising to the top of the hippie heap.

I can't begin to tell you how much the friendship of Ben, his wife Lori, and their sons JB and Jeremy, means to me personally. (Trivia--Ben actually officiated the wedding ceremony of Brandon and me 1-1-05, and our first concert event together was with Ben and Lori to see Gov't Mule in Omaha 9-16-04--we've come a long way since that infamous car ride, haven't we!) Suffice it to say, their support in ways big and small has continually revolutionized my music and my life. What a miracle to experience more of our dreams bobbing and weaving their way into "kaleidoscopic" reality every day. So as my tribute song, "The Gospel of Ben" says:

On this golden road of devotion
I want men of passion in my band
And in this world of lukewarm locomotion
I have faith in the faith of our faithful friend
I believe, I believe, I believe in The Gospel of Ben...