The Story

My mom had me young, and it was just the two of us.

We went up and down I-15 in this terrible old car trying to decide if we wanted to live near one sister in SLC or the other in LA. No air conditioning and no music. When it got too hot, she'd pour water over my head to cool me down, and she'd sing.

One of the songs was Side by Side.

Years later, on the morning she died, I lay down beside her and her breathing sounded different. I thought I should go get my cousin who was in the next room. But instead, I walked around, knelt down beside her, held her hand, and sang that song.

When I finished, she squeezed my hand just a little.

I kissed her forehead and said, “I love you, Mom. I'll be right back.”

And when I came back minutes later, she was gone.

Two weeks later, I had Ragged & Funny tattooed on my arm.

Those words come from that song and from all of that.

It’s the name I carry and the name I make under.