Larry's Story

Here's a story handed down to me from legendary guitar hero Larry Coryell that I heard on the radio a few years back......

"A while back I was dying, literally. My health was really really bad, mostly from drug abuse, bad diet, and just not taking care of myself. I was extremely depressed, in and out of the hospital from cocaine abuse, and frankly I didn't want to live much. I was playing a jazz festival in Spain, but mostly ready to kill myself, still not happy or in very good shape. Right after the concert three guys came up to me and confronted me. It was John McLaughlin, Herbie Hancock, and Wayne Shorter. [In case you don't know, these are 3, at one time, among the greatest legendary GIANTS of modern music in this point in history. Of course, Larry has played and knew, and was friend of them all, he is no slouch either and has his place in jazz history as well].

John says, "We're here for you Larry, we've lost too many great musicians already, and you've got to hang in there- we can't lose you too, though we know it's tough for you right now."

Then Herbie has got this little book of Buddhist chants he's reading from, he and Wayne are Buddhists, and John says, "Look, do this mantra, it doesn't matter what it means, but I do it, and it's THOUSANDS of years old, and it works whether you believe it or not. [I learned it from a friend- it's supposed to bring you whatever you want, prosperity, money, happiness, you name it, all purpose link to the Universal Energy System Delivery Warehouse].

Then all of a sudden they all started chanting right there backstage "...Nam myoho renge kyo, nam myoho renge kyo, nam myoho renge kyo......" This went on for some time these three guys standing there, Herbie with this little book and a funny looking cap on, and mumbling this weird ass mantra. Hey, they're my friends....

Well, I figured, what have I got to lose, and so with John's advice (and maybe these guys were really putting this positive energy in me with this mantra, hey....), I kept up the mantra over a period of time whenever I thought about it.

I'm here today to tell you, it worked. It saved my life. I stopped taking drugs, I'm as clean as a whistle, I'm recording, playing concerts, I got my act together, and I feel better than I ever have in my entire life. It might sound unbelievable or corny as hell, but that old mantra is magic."

So, that's what Larry Coryell said. I figure, any mantra good enough for John McLaughlin is good enough for me. So I occasionally indulge myself. I like that I have absolutely NO IDEA what it means, and that it doesn't in fact mean anything as far as I am concerned except that these guys I admire do it, and so I have something in common with them. A secret club kind of. Maybe you might find it helpful as well from time to time, or would like to join our secret magic mantra club yourself. But don't tell anybody!

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