A Road Trip Turned Rock Pilgrimage Evokes Cherished Dad Memories
- Allan Shedlin
- 22 hours ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 3 hours ago
Guest Post by Justin Roberts
5x GRAMMY-nominated Musician, Songwriter, and Atticus Award-winning Traveling Dad
EDITOR'S NOTE: We've been saving this little gem for just the right time, the start of summer travel season. We hope you'll agree this piece written by our friend Justin Roberts, originally posted to his Facebook page on May 10, 2025, is a perfect example of how road trips and the stories they inspire can be so wonderfully educational and full of discovery (both geographical and internal). We're reprinting Justin's post with some of his photos here on the blog with his permission. Daddy and rave on...
On my way from Columbia, Missouri to Rochester, Minnesota, back in May, I realized with a slight detour, I could stop halfway and have lunch with my Mom in Des Moines. Because of the detour, I realized I would be driving right by Clear Lake, Iowa: the home of the Surf Ballroom and the very tragic final show of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper.
Through the magic of Google, I discovered you could actually visit the crash site of the plane a few miles outside of Clear Lake. So, I headed out down some very small gravel roads. I walked across the street to these giant glasses and then found out you could walk a quarter of a mile into the field to visit the actual site of the crash.
Making this unexpected rock 'n' roll pilgrimage was really powerful. I thought about how Buddy Holly was the music my Dad and I first bonded over. (It took me a while to get into the country music he enjoyed, and he didn't care for the Beatles. But we could both agree on Buddy Holly.) I also thought of how my son Eli instantly responded to Buddy's music and now can sing "Maybe Baby" all the way through. I also realized the strange way I met another one of my musical heroes was through Buddy Holly.
Ever since the days of [my first band] Pimentos for Gus, I would sing "Rave On" to do the soundcheck of my vocal mic. Due to some very strange circumstances, I found myself once doing a soundcheck in front of Brian Wilson and singing "Rave On," which led to an afternoon of wandering around a school campus with Brian, him singing counterpoint melodies while I sang that same song to and with him multiple times.
Anyway, all those things – Dads, sons, and the power and beauty of rock and roll – hit me hard in the cornfield [that day back in May]. I sent my friend Jackie a picture of the site with the caption, "Found myself driving through Clear Lake, Iowa," and realized after I sent it that it had multiple meanings.
I highly recommend you crank some Buddy Holly today.
* * *
From a follow-up social media post Justin made on the occasion of Brian Wilson's death, June 11, 2025:
Rest in Peace. I still can't believe this actually happened. I just mentioned this story in a recent Buddy Holly post because this was the moment where I sang "Rave On" for Brian after a soundcheck for a school event where we were both performing. I sang the song to him several times in a row and then he broke into a counterpoint harmony with me.
I ended up spending about an hour with Brian wandering around the campus looking for a tape recorder (pre-smartphone). We never found one but while we were walking, I got to tell Brian he made my favorite album of all time (The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds, 1966), and he told me, "Justin, when you sang that song, it made my whole day," which is certainly a moment I'll never forget. Brian later left me some voice messages, and I eventually sent him a version of me singing "Rave On" (on cassette). It was an honor to be a part of his world for a day or so. So much beauty on so many of his records! Give some a spin. I recommend "You Still Believe in Me." (I want to cry...) Thanks, Brian!
Daddying Film Fest 2026
The 5th annual Daddying Film Festival & Forum (D3F) welcomes film and video submissions, including TikToks and Instagram reels, from students (3rd-graders through undergraduates), Dads/Granddads, Dad figures, and indie filmmakers worldwide! Dads/Granddads, Dad figures, and students can submit videos/films for FREE on D3F's FilmFreeway page through Friday, Oct 3, 2025. Regular entry deadline is Monday, December 8.
And DC-region residents, don't forget this year's NEW Daddying Film Forum Opening Acts Contest! D3F is hosting a music, poetry, and dance video contest to choose a few opening acts that will perform live at the 4th annual Daddying Film Forum in Washington, DC, January 30-31, 2026. The competition is open to local DC, Maryland, and Virginia students, Dads/Dad figures, and Granddads across a range of musical, spoken-word, and dance performance categories. Contest entries are FREE* but must be submitted no later than October 3, 2025.
Not from the DMV? No problem! Even if you're not located in DC, MD, or VA, we'd love for you to create/submit a daddying-related music/dance video for D3F 2026 consideration. a Student and Dad/Granddad/Dad figure entries are still FREE if submitted by October 3, 2025. Students/Dads/Dad figures will still be eligible to earn Atticus Awards and prize money in their respective award categories! Check D3F's website for more details.
*NOTE to choir/dance directors, teachers, and other adults submitting videos for students: please submit your FREE contest video entry on FilmFreeway as a "student" submission to ensure properly categorized.
Daddy to Eli and five-time GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter Justin Roberts (Jungle Gym 2010, Recess 2013, Lemonade 2017, Wild Life 2020, and Space Cadet 2023) is one of the founders of the modern family music scene. For more than 25 years, the Chicago-based musician has been creating the soundtrack to families' lives, helping kids navigate the joys and sorrows of growing up, while inspiring parents to remember their own childhoods. His songs are get-stuck-in-your-head pop nuggets that draw comparisons to Elvis Costello, Fountains of Wayne, and Paul Simon rather than simple "nursery rhymes," prompting USA Today to call him "hands-down, the best songwriter in the genre."
Along with his band, The Not Ready for Naptime Players, Justin has travelled the globe, from Hong Kong to New York, and Miami to Seattle. His latest album, Brain Freeze, released in April and is packed with a dozen new songs, including "Party in My Head," "Fire-Breathing Dragon," "All I Wanna do is Rock (Paper, Scissors)," and "Long Walk Home" (the last of which D3F staff have suggested would make an excellent music video candidate for D3F 2026 submission).
The birth of Justin's son in 2018 inspired Wild Life, an album of lullabies. While still using his imagination and childhood memories, he now weaves first-hand parenting experience into his joyous and passionate music. His 2023 album, Space Cadet, was a return to his power pop/rock, all-ages sound. Heavily inspired by his life as a new dad, the feel-good album offers themes of inclusion and acceptance that wind through emotionally intelligent songs. The music video for one of the album's songs, "Everybody Get On Board," earned him the inaugural D3F Roy R. Neuberger Prize for Best Dad-created Film/Video.
Justin began his musical career in the 1990s, performing in the Minneapolis-based indie-rock band Pimentos for Gus. He decided to "moonlight" as a Montessori preschool teacher, and it wasn't long before Justin started writing and singing songs for a new generation of fans: his students. The kids immediately responded and inspired Justin to record some of his new songs with college pal Liam Davis. In 1997, Justin released his first album for families, Great Big Sun, and the critics took note. Justin hit the road, full-time, to do what he loves most: playing music for appreciative crowds. Kiddie mosh pits broke out, word spread, and shows started selling out.
Justin almost became a professor after studying philosophy at Kenyon College and religious studies at the University of Chicago. But instead, he jumped in his old Volkswagen and started singing songs about the alphabet and whales wandering in the desert. He's now performed in front of millions of people on The Today Show, been featured on Nick Jr. TV, and had his song, "Get Me Some Glasses," played during a World Series broadcast. Other notable appearances include performances at New York City's New Victory Theater, DC's National Geographic Live and Wolf Trap, LA's Getty Museum, Seattle's Moore Theater, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, and Chicago's Ravinia. In addition to his musical success, Justin is a notable writer of children's books. Support him on Patreon and follow his travels on Instagram and Facebook.
