The first thing he noticed was that he couldn't do cross-picking any more.

I think early on he knew the prognosis wasn't good. He was basically incapacitated. He couldn't play music, he couldn't paint and after awhile, he couldn't read.

He had a great enthusiasm for music - really, for everything he did. He was a ball of fire.

Onstage, he would lean way over into the microphone. He seemed to defy gravity and you'd swear he was going to fall over, but he never did.