The song Dear Dad was written by Joe Rathburn for his father as his 80th birthday present. Their relationship had been a rocky one from the time Joe, as a young teen, decided he wanted to play music for a living. Exacerbated by the fact that his parents divorced when Joe was 12 and their marriage had been on the rocks since before he'd been born, the road to reconciliation for Joe and his dad was a long one. They eventually came to terms. This endearing song is a testament to those terms and shows that, though they had a rough go of it, they were able to have some good times together. Joe's father's passing went easier on Joe, due to the fact he'd had the opportunity to perform this song for his father, and their entire extended family, at the annual Rathburn reunion, one month before his dad, suddenly and unexpectedly, died.
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