Eldridge Fox was another Gospel legend that I worked with quite a bit during my first decade at Singing News (and long before that). In previous posts, I've written about how I got to work with Foxy shortly before I joined Singing News. Just like so many of the other people I've written about in this "Decade" series, Foxy was a true character.

Unfortunately, Foxy was felled by a serious of strokes not long after I arrived at Singing News. As his health gradually went from bad to worse, he was placed in a nursing home because he required around-the-clock care.

Maurice Templeton and I visited him one day near the end of his life and on the way down to Asheville, we wondered if Foxy would even know who we were.

When we walked into his room, it was very quiet and Foxy was in a deep sleep. Deciding not to wake him, we started to step out of the room and as we were doing so, Foxy stirred and opened his eyes a little. So, Maurice walked back over to him and said, "Hey buddy. How are you?"

Foxy said, "I'm here, Maurice?"

Then he looked at me and asked, "What are you doing here? You get lost or something? Let me put my hair on!" (Foxy wore a toupee for many years and I think he thought I'd never seen him without it.) He then called me by name and asked about my family.

Maurice and I were a little stunned. But even though he was groggy the entire time we were there, Foxy carried on a conversation with what seemed to be a fairly clear mind.

When it was time to leave, Foxy told us to watch out for his boys (the Kingsmen) and do everything we could to help them. He always had the quartet in the forefront of his mind and wanted to see them succeed at everything they did. Up until his last minute, Foxy was the Kingsmen's biggest fan.

Next month (November 21) will mark the third anniversary of Foxy's passing. I was on a bus in the Wal-Mart parking lot of Clanton, AL, when I learned that Foxy, at the age of 66, had made his final journey.

His funeral was held the following Monday on a beautiful fall day. The sky was that perfect blue that you only see in the Fall and I couldn't help but think that Foxy would have been very pleased at the way the funeral concluded.

Squire Parsons sang "Sweet Beulah Land" and Tim Surrett sang "How Beautiful Heaven Must Be." Surrounded by his family and his beloved Kingsmen (including two of his all-time favorite singers - Squire and Tim) and the singing of two of his favorite songs, he would have looked at us and said, "What a way to go!"