Bikers, friends, family, city officials, and longtime good-time seekers gathered Wednesday evening to remember the life of Michael Elwood Gochenour, who tragically passed over Memorial Day Weekend. On the temperate occasion, the open-air bar and eatery Johnnie Brown's (the original location for Elwood's Dixie Bar-B-Q) was packed and spilling out into the street.
Brother David Gochenour flew in from the West Coast to take in the festivities. By his side for much of the evening was Elwood's longtime companion, Casey Jeffries, who reminded the crowd his nickname was "Okie."
"Elwood never met a stranger," David said of his brother, who would have
celebrated his 60th birthday. "He was a unique guy. He was a man of
many names and many talents. He touched a lot of souls." Just then, a
train thundered by and the crowd assembled roared. David added that
another gathering was planned at the Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett,
New York. Up there, he was known as Michael "Frampton" Gochenour.
Over the course of the evening, many folks spoke of the community that sprung up in Delray Beach due to Elwood's -- others sang. In all, it was a couple hours dedicated to the man featured in a large portrait posted onstage.
Here are a selection of photographs from Stephanie Colaianni's slideshow:
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