Miles Tucker and Wayne Tucker

Wayne Tucker (W) explains that they're here to tell a story of their dad and his impact on others, even after he passed away in 2021. He talks about performing music with Miles Tucker (M) at the New York State Fair in their hometown of Syracuse, New York a week before their father passed. This was the last time their dad saw them perform. W says their dad was a full-time teacher and part-time musician, but M believes music was his biggest passion.

W explains that their dad saw W and M grow up to play music, and feels that they achieved their dad's dream for him.

W says that in addition to being a teacher and musician their dad was a Vice Principle and, at the end of his life, an in-home nurse practitioner. In all of those things he loved helping people. In the 2022 New York State Fair in Syracuse W and M were performing in W's band. W explains how one man in the audience loved their music, and got his whole family into it. Later, this man told them their dad had been his teacher, and their aunt was his middle school music teacher, and they gave him a love of music.

W says that after his dad passed, he wrote a dirge for hm to the song he and M had played for this man at the State Fair.

M talks about how people have reached out to say they were inspired by their dad. Also shares that their dad brought a Black History Month program to one school, and created a leadership team of students for that program. A former student reached out to M about the impact of that program.

They talk about their first memories of music, e.g. singing together in harmony, and early memories of music with their dad.

W says their aunt was the most prolific musician in the family, and describes listening to her play piano in their house.

M says he grew up feeling he was like their dad, but recently realized he's a lot more like his mom than he knew. He felt like he got to learn from their dad's mistakes, and things their dad wished he could've done differently. The technical aspects of music, for example. He feels that their dad gave him and W a lot of confidence.

W talks about his happiest moments with their dad. He says these were the moments when their dad was proud of him, e.g. during sporting events.

M talks about their dad's wild moments, like driving 100 miles per hour with friends on back roads, or leaving Syracuse and moving to San Francisco on a whim, or how proud he was that he could make a great Caesar salad. M says he always laughed with their dad when M heard his stories, and learned from him.

M tells a story from when he was a kid. He had a toy lawnmower that he would ride on. One day he was riding around and yelling curse words, and when asked why he said, "I'm driving like daddy."

W doesn't have any questions for their dad. Their dad knew he was dying in the last few weeks of his life, and they talked about everything.

W says as kids he always felt like he was like their mom and M was more like their dad, and then it switched as they got older. The biggest thing he learned from his dad was to have a childlike curiosity and appreciate everything about the world. He explains how he's doing that even today, with his music.