I met Ric in 2002. He heard some early ROONEY demos, there was a chance he was going to produce the first album when we got signed to Geffen. Ric and I spoke on the phone many times before meeting him in person in NYC. You have to understand, Ric was my hero and talking to him on the phone felt like a dream, like “is this happening?!” ROONEY had a show in NYC at CBGB’s and Ric came to the show. I asked Ric if I could borrow his Pink Fender Jazzmaster. I picked it up from his home and played it at the show. Then he said I could take it back to LA with me 🤩. I tried to have Fender copy it for me so I could have my own version of it, the best they could do was match the color, which they did. I held onto Ric’s guitar for a few years, he was cool with it. Ric didn’t ultimately produce the first Rooney album, we stayed in touch for many years and he was always very kind to me. His band, THE CARS, remain a major influence for me, the music is timeless and just comes down to great songwriting. Sending love to Ric, his family, friends, band mates, and all the people his music touched. Rest In Peace #ricocasek