aaa+-+Civic+Hero+-+Bill+Boecklen

= **Give It to Get It** =

====Sometime around mid-1960's John Catt was introduced to the music of country blues legend Lightning Hopkins. This same year he got turned on to Junior Wells who released his seminal recording Hoodoo Man Blues, featuring the young and not quite yet legendary Buddy Guy on guitar. In the middle of the blues-born rock revolution of the 1960’s John had discovered the powerful roots of this rock and roll insurgency. Blues roots intertwined with a quest to feel freedom. The modern archetype of the social capabilities of music. Fast forward twenty years or so to 2001. High in the Colorado Rockies in Grand County a paltry music scene and a lean nightlife leave most adults in the area with few choices for evening entertainment and John is tired of driving hours to get his live blues fix. And the Grand County Blues Society (GCBS) is born. Over the next ten years John shaped his life around the building community impact of the **Grand County Blue Society (GCBS).** His guidance of this young non-profit from small-time concert promoter to influential music organization demonstrates the unselfish, community minded attitude required of a natural civic hero. His selfless pursuit of the "common good" was an example to others as this small organization launched important programs aimed at getting music to young people.====

====It was his close childhood friend and fellow Okie **Steve Gaines** who led John into the blues cosmos. Steve was a monster guitar player and singer who proved a lasting influence on John’s life and future musical explorations. Unfortunately, shortly after joining southern rock legends Lynyrd Skynyrd, a 1977 plane crash took Steve’s life along with the lives of his sister Cassie who was a backup singer in the band, Ronnie Van Zant, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s lead singer, the band’s manager, and the pilot and copilot. This is a loss John still feels today. A loss that further solidified the importance of music in his life. And his love of the blues grew over the years.====

====John’s initial vision was a club. Locals would pay a membership and collect enough money to put on a few live shows during the year. Another year and another round of membership dues would continue the cycle. John knew a few fellow Okie blues players like Jimmy Thackery who would head the parade of national blues stars who were soon to be visiting Grand County over the years. From the beginning, John was thinking of novel ways to further the GCBS agenda. Not long into the venture conversion to a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization was deemed necessary to allow larger tax-deductible donations to be accepted. The promotion of the arts requirement that would allow the GCBS to declare 501(c)(3) status moved the young board of directors to include community music education as part of the Grand County Blues Societies mission statement. ‘Blues from the Top’ (the GCBS motto coined by John), community music organization, was beginning to play. Hundreds of live shows and nine summer festivals featuring some of the country’s finest musicians were to follow, yet it has been putting music to work in the community that is the Grand County Blues Society’s lasting legacy and places John Catt’s work in the civic hero category.====

[[image:steve_gaines.jpg height="376" align="left" caption="Steve Gaines"]]
====Although he is very far from being technically savvy, John knew that getting the word out about our live shows and important community programs would be instrumental to our success. We began producing a monthly newsletter our members. A professional website soon followed that allowed fans to quickly access our music schedule, information about the musicians coming their way and updates about Blues in the School and our other community programs. As Facebook moved forward as the platform of choice for social interaction and engagement John grew the Grand County Blues Society’s cyber-presence. You can hop on Facebook right now and friend the Grand County Blues Society or the Blue Star Connection, thanks to World Wide Web foot dragger, John Catt.====

====A **Blues in the School** program was established. Years later, I am sure that nearly every child who has attended school in Grand County since this program was established knows something about the history of the blues. The GCBS brought inspired musicians up into the mountains to teach Grand County youngsters about the blues. An innovative library program was soon to follow. Also named by Mr. Catt, **Check Out the Music** placed a variety of musical instruments in all Grand County libraries that are available for check out. In addition to the instruments, instructional manuals and DVD’s were also made available. Now anyone with a library card can head down to the Fraser Library, check out a guitar and a DVD, take them both home and learn to jam. This cool program won an award from the Colorado Library Association. John and the GCBS further expanded the libraries music learning capabilities by promoting a program that provided free guitar lessons to the youngest music fans, taught by local, community-minded musicians. The power of music is undoubtedly felt in Grand County, Colorado.====

====The GCBS eventually began working with a local organization called the Shining Stars whose mission is “To provide sport, recreational, cultural, and outreach programs for children and young adults with cancer and life threatening diseases at no cost to the child or their family.” The music we provided at their yearly reunion was not only much appreciated but instrumental to many in their courageous fight against deadly disease. Original Blue Star Colin Connor states, "He (Catt) asked me if I would play guitar if he got me one, and I said: 'Of course!' And he surprised me a couple weeks later with a guitar." Colin was the first of what is now over a hundred youngsters fighting hard battles who have been given musical instruments via the **Blue Star Connection**. In addition to individuals, several children’s centers at hospitals around the country have received large donations to establish music in the healing process of these important medical institutions. As this work continu ed, by many but especially by John and Colin, the Channel 7 News Everyday Hero Award was awarded to the pair recognizing their dedication to this beautiful program.====

=Check out this short video of John with some Blue Stars and some Blue Star friends. I think these photos, many of children facing battles of serious illness, say a lot about what has been created for the public good by the Blue Star Connection and the work of John Catt and others. //__Eyes and smiles tell the story here__.//=

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====I have been continually impressed by the dedication of my good friend John in his pursuit of music and community. In his own neighborhood and then naturally expanding across the country and the world (especially with the rapid growth of the Blue Star Connection) his entire life has become enmeshed with these ambitions. He has orchestrated his life so that he can continue to be instrumental in the success of these programs and the musicians that support them. Maybe the less the person is working for their own benefit the more they are working for the public good. In addition, the work of a civic hero opens opportunities for others to become involved. A larger community effort is established that encourages others to unselfishly contribute to the public good. As the Blue Star Connection grew more and more people have taken it as their own. Musicians, club owners, music fans, **//myself//** and music industry personnel at every level have rallied to make this organization a great success. I would imagine the most precious awards John has received are personal moments with Blue Stars, musicians and friends, subtle honors in private. But publicly recognized awards from the Colorado Library Association and Channel 7 in Denver, along with community recognition at home tell John his efforts are effective and appreciated. John’s work is a living example of the sentiment of his good friend Steve Gaines 70’s hit “Give It to Get It.” If you would like to “get” the most precious rewards life has to offer then you have to “give” something of yourself. If you would like to taste the sweetest fruit, head out into the garden and get to work.====