When he opened that back-camper door and saw Tommy Mancosa, like he’d sussed out me and Tim, Nicky and Ricky, he sussed out Tom.

And Tommy was an answer to Preacher’s prayers.

It wasn’t about making the band the greatest band in the world.

It was about keeping us together and guiding us to a career, not a one-hit wonder, not a footnote, not a cautionary tale.

A career.

I thought it was Tommy, but they had it all strategized.

The both of them.

Tom took care of the journey.

Preacher took care of the band.

[Shifts forward in his chair]

You see, and now this is the important shit, so listen up.

From nine years old, Preacher McCade lived for one thing.

To acquire the clout where someone would listen to him.

He told that detective his brother had been murdered. He took a major risk doing that. Literally a mortal risk. His parents beat the absolute snot out of him when that cop asked some throwaway questions to his folks and they figured out Preach did that.

But the man didn’t listen to Preacher.

And at the time, this risk he takes is about ending his own misery.

But it’s also about finding his brother.

Like men who beat women, parents who beat their children are master manipulators.

They told that detective that Preacher was prone to telling tales before their son went missing, and since the brothers were close, Preacher was not himself, worried about his little brother and that was how he was coping.

These people are white trash, poor as dirt, but they’re goddamn masterminds.

Dia-goddamned-bolical.

He was Larry Bird.

[Nods]

Now, makin’ it clear, Larry doesn’t have murderous parents.

But yeah.

Preacher had a dream and he had talent.

He took that talent and he worked his ass off.

To realize his dream.

I have no excuses.

Looking back, there are none.

I shoulda seen it.

I had nine years to see it.

Nine years to see how Preacher took care of the band.

I noticed all Tommy did to keep our shit tight.

I didn’t notice all Preacher did.

Dave’s a fuckin’ lunatic.

Tim’s an airhead.

Shawn’s got more talent than all of us, a solo career he could just reach out and grab, so he could walk at any time.

And I’m clueless.

Preach wrote most of the music. He helped produce the music. He played the music. He promoted the music.

And all that is more than a full-time job.

But he did all of that and also held the band together.

When we wrote songs, he listened to them and included them.