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PAGE 7 - PI .AT NDEALER - WEDI^SWAV. 1* \Y St. 1W4 Goodman remembers his roots Elgin man found guilty of reckless homicide V < while performing at Opera House By Angela Burden Plaindealer news service speeds By Kurt Begalka You'd expect Steve Goodman to play in a place like the Woodstock Opera House; quiet, unassuming, classy. Goodman, a 35-year-old folk- rock singer from Chicago, was in town recently for a sell-out performance. The son of a used car salesman, he picked up his first guitar at age IS. He has been entertaining audiences for about 16 years with his unique brand of songwriting wit and easygoing style. "If you make enough mistakes for a long period of time, people start to call it your style," Goodman says with a smile. "I'm playing out of corners. It absolutely explodes taste." He modestly calls himself a "shameless ham." "Let's keep this to five minutes," he says. "I'll try to keep my answers short and to the point." On one side of the table sits long-time friend and premier mandolin player Jethro Burns of Evanston. At his left is brother Dave, 31, a photographer. He and Steve both live in California. Goodman moved to Seal Beach, just south of Los Angeles, four years ago. "I miss Chicago. I miss California, too," Goodman says. "We all have to live our lives. That's where mine took me." But he has fond memories of Chicago. "Chicago was a melting pot," he says - blues, jazz, folk, country, black and white. They all came to Chicago, and Goodman drank in their sound. "I remember falling asleep as a kid with a transistor radio under the pillow," he says. "I stole from everybody I possibly could." Goodman cites Bob Gibson, Josh White and Pete Seeger as prominent influences. By the time he graduated from Maine Township High School, Goodman was including some original compositions in his repertoire. But his career stagnated in the late '60s, and Goodman survived by writing radio commercials. The music business has its "ups and downs. It's sort of like a baseball dump," says the avid Chicago Cubs fan. "You have to hit your way out of it." In 1970 Goodman's career began to take off. He married his wife, Nancy, &d cut his first album,"Steve Goodman," with the help of Kris Kristofferson. It contained the single cut, "City of New Orleans," which Arlo Guthrie turned into a chart- topper a year later. Goodman came out with a second album, "Somebody Else's Troubles," in 1972. Other albums include "Jessie's Jig and Other Favorites," "Words We Can Dance To," "Say It in Private," "High and Outside," "Hot Spot," "Artistic Hair" and his 1983 release, "Affordable Art". On the cover of "Artistic Hair," Goodman poses in front of an old barbershop in San Franciso, but he is almost bald from chemotherapy treatments. Goodman has been battling leukemia about 15 years, but his 5506 George St.'Ridnnond (815)679-3511 KoHtity & Crodittisg Sapplits ClasstKustom Knitwear TIJB.U1.MMMW ®l)t frtafntl) $ant The Art of Stoined Glass Window Building ot its Finest! CUSTOM WMMWKUSSES (815) 344-4724 SUPER SUMMER SALE BIGGEST SAVINGS OF THE YEAR ON PttfF SEWING MACHINES! Choou from selected rrxxfels 0) Ptett precision-engineered tull-lMtur* sawing machines Piatt is the largest European maker of sewing machines - the tiret choice ot sewing professionals lor over a century through It SAVE UP TO 20% OFF MFR'S SUGG PRICES FINANCING AVAILABLE MANNY'S QUILTS 4509 W. ELM ST. McHENRY 315-5107 energy appears limitless. Although his leukemia is in r e m i s s i o n , G o o d m a n acknowledges it is only a "temporary vacation" from chemotherapy. He has to go back in another three or four months. Goodman doesn't dwell on his illness. He has been working throughout, sometimes booking engagements around treat­ ments. Everybody has their problems, he says. "It's a situation, it's not a stigma." Goodman says he tries to separate his personal life from perfomer as much as possible. "But I still have to pack my suitcase in my house," he adds. "The guitar is easy to play and very difficult to play well," Goodman says. "Every time I thought I could play the guitar well, I'd hear somebody who could [day it better." Goodman acknowledges he is constantly growing. He looks to Burns as an example of a premier musician. "He's been doing it for 52 years," Goodman says. "I don't know what I'll be doing in another 32 years, but I sure hope it's that. I don't think for a hot second I'd like to change my mind from that." A McHenry County jury Wednesday, May 23 returned ^ guilty verdict after about one hour of deliberation in a reckless homicide case. Kenneth L. Whitmire, 37, of Elgin, was found guilty at the end of a second day of hearings before Judge Michael Sullivan in 19th Judicial Circuit Court. The charge of reckless homicide stemmed from a motorcycle accident July 27, 1983, on Haeger's Bend Road in Algonquin Township in which Whitmire's passenger was killed. * According to testimony, 32- year-old George H. Zepeda of Carpentersville was killed following a high-speed chase in which police said readied 115 mph. Testimony during the trial revealed that Whitmire met Zepeda, a stranger to him, in a tavern and in the early hours of the morning took the victim for a ride. According to testimony, the' police chase, which went through parts of three counties, began on Illinois 72 when Whitmire refused to stop for a South Barrington police officer. Judge Sullivan set June 26 for sentencing. McHENRY JEWELERS (815)344-1344 DIRECTORY JACK WALSH, AGENT EARL R. WALSH. BROKER INSURANCE fit BONDS ' Fire. Ants, Farm, IN* Representing RHIAMi COMP ANKS Mil W. But St.. McHenry HSDN DENNIS CONWAY AUTO. Iff I. FHN State Farm Ins. Co. 331f W. Elm Street, McHenry. M. 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