The Hummingbird Returns
From a song on a porch when I was ten, to a three-generation jam
By Kate Flanagan
I fell in love with the guitar when I was ten years old.
A young couple from Tennessee, Jean and Walt, had moved into our neighborhood—a long, narrow street of brick row houses in North Philadelphia, with rockers on the porches and plenty of kids running around. They had a friend who lived around the corner named Bobby Janoski, but everyone called him Jay.
The thing that was different about our new neighbors was that they let the kids come up on their porch and hang out with the adults.
The thing that was different about Jay was that he had a big ol’ guitar hanging around his neck by a simple cord.
I’d heard live music before—my father’s friends often brought their fiddle, accordion, and tin whistle to our house for Irish tunes I adored. But Jay’s guitar was different.
He was a young man—handsome in blue jeans and a white T-shirt—sitting on the porch railing, one foot on the ground, the other tapping to the beat. The song he played was “Hummingbird”—though I didn’t know that’s what it was called back then.
I was mesmerized. Too shy to ask questions, too young to think a guitar could ever be mine. I just stood there and listened, transfixed, as Jay strummed and sang. To this day, I can sing every word of that song:
Hummingbird, hummingbird should be your name,
Too restless to settle, too wild to tame…
I didn’t grow up to become a guitar player.
I became a single mother with two small sons to raise.
But I always sang—at home, in the car, on long trips with my boys bundled in their Star Wars sleeping bags in the back seat. Both of them picked up guitar in their teens—one inspired by Axl Rose, the other by Bob Marley.
As a teenager, I’d tried guitar myself. I bought a chord book—Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Bob Dylan—and struggled along. But life got busy, and I let it go. I always regretted that.
My sons, though—they stuck with it. They became professional musicians and built their lives around music.
Three years ago, I decided it was time to finally give my own dream another chance.
I borrowed a guitar and promised myself that if I played every day for six months, I’d buy myself a new one. After five months, I kept that promise. I bought an Epiphone IBG Hummingbird—chosen partly for its beauty and sound, but mostly for what it symbolized.
That long-ago day on the porch had stayed with me.
With lessons and TAC, I began learning again. And with every strum, I felt closer to the child who once stood in awe of a simple porch performance.
This past August, my sons and granddaughters came to the Jersey Shore to celebrate my birthday.
We gathered on the porch—just a block from the ocean—with friends and family. My sons, Teague and Ian, brought their guitars. Our hometown friend Mike joined in, and Jeff played harmonica. I sat right there with them, guitar in hand, singing songs I’d heard them play so many times: “The Weight,” “Evangeline,” “Angel from Montgomery.”
I wasn’t shy. I was alive.
When my granddaughter Annika joined in—a budding guitarist herself—it became a three-generation jam.
That night, I felt like the real me.
The musical me.
The singing, guitar-playing me.
The ten-year-old girl who once stood on a North Philadelphia porch, captivated by Jay and his guitar, had finally come into her own.
And the dream of playing and singing alongside my sons had come true.
I’d rather be lonely, I’d rather be blue…
Than feather a nest to be shattered apart
By the hum, hum of your hummingbird heart.
I have always loved music, still do and I always will. I am a songwriter and keyboard player. I took interest in the guitar about 7 years ago and began teaching myself how to play a few years ago. I play 5 instruments. I appreciate your story.
What a happy feeling to enjoy, thanks for sharing and caring.
Such a wonderful story. Thank you for sharing it. Heart felt and heart warming. Practice makes progress !!!
inspiring
A powerful story of coming full circle. Well said and you should be proud of yourself and your accomplishments.
Uplifting and inspiring joyful tale.
Love your story! Mine was kind of similar. It was my cousins and my uncles who played all the instruments in the basement of his house in Hopewell, Pennsylvania I hold those memories, dear. I started playing guitar at 13 years old. I loved it. I would come home after school and go up in my room and play play play! Practice practice practice! I got kind of good. I wrote some songs but then got Lymes disease years later and I’m still trying to get my picking back. I’ve written a few Christian songs! Back then I wrote country songs about heartache. Today I write with a blessed heart,a blessed family with tons of grandchildren. And Jesus as my Lord and Savior.!✨✨✨
Thank you for sharing your story
Kate!
What a beautiful story. Congratulations. 10 months in on my journey with guitar and at 66, loving it. Thanks TAC!
Thanks for sharing your lovely story. How wonderful to feel the special parts of yourself come alive.
“That night, I felt like the real me.
The musical me.
The singing, guitar-playing me.”
Very nice! Thank You!
Beautiful story
Great story Kate! I can really relate. Keep on playing and making music with your kids. It’s a real gift! B
Oh, thank you for sharing and your guitar is beautiful!
Beautiful.
In the late 50s early 60s my old Scoutmaster used to play folksongs on a guitar on our Boy Scout camping trips. Wonderful memory.
Thank you all for the wonderful responses. If you are interested in the song, it is on YouTube. Not to be confused with the Seals and Crofts “Hummingbird.” Look up “Hummingbird” written by Don Robertson and recorded by Les Paul and Mary Ford. I had to look it up myself because I never heard it after that, and never heard a cover of it by any country artist, although there could have been one. Kate
Thank-You… It brought tears to my eyes, for the memories it brought you and the new memories formed with your family!
Kate,
That’s a beautiful story. I also fell in love with the guitar at age 10 during summer camp. Thank you for the inspiration.
“ You are never too old to set a new goal or dream a new dream”.
Great story.
Wonderful story. Thanks for sharing.
What a guitar story…
Makes me wanna think of when I started and how long it took to get where I am, and to look forward to where it all could go.
Thank you and God bless.
Pastor Tim
One of my favorite and most played is a Epiphone blue bodied hummingbird pro
Lovely story.
Thank you for sharing.
Beautiful story. Thank you for sharing.
Inspirational story, thanks for sharing. It reminds me a bit of my own story except instead of a neighbor kid, it was my older sister, and she didn’t play “Hummingbird”, it was “Yellow Bird”. Now I have by sons in law around me inspiring me to play.
A great story.
Loved your story! I also have two sons who are very good guitar players. I think back on all the days when they were young, and I would wait outside in my truck while they took guitar lessons. If only I’d taken lessons WITH them back then!
I’m doing TAC now. My goal…. To be able to jam with them. (And a couple grandsons as well 🙂
This made me cry Kate. I’m so happy for you and your family. Don’t ever stop.
A wonderful story how music has had a positive impact on your life. Thank you for sharing it!
Absolutely luv your story, reminds me of our neighborhood, different but the same.
Every few blocks there would be 3 maybe 4 guys playing in their garages. Summer evenings late 60’s.
Really got me hooked, but like you life and other ambitions got in the way.
Thank-you so much for sharing.
What a beautiful story & so beautifully written. Thank you for sharing.
Great story! I would love to hear the whole song.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful and inspirational story…I can see the joy it has brought to you and your children to be able to share music together and it shows its never too late to follow your dream…
Love your story. I lived in Philadelphia for 50 years. I remember when neighbors would be on the porches and steps hanging out enjoying the night or holidays. When live music was being played it brought people together. Still does. That’s why I’m hoping to learn to play. I started Tony’s course 7 months ago and couldn’t play a note. Although I’m not playing songs yet I’m playing pieces of music. I’m enjoying the journey and hope to put it all together one day. Hello from South Carolina
Just sit that practice guitar on a stand and pick it up. It is irresistible when you can just reach over, pick it house and play an Em, an Am and an A. Go back and forth they go so good together.
Hi Jack. Thank you for the help. I can play crisp clean chords. Just haven’t gotten my transitions and timing figured out yet. I practice 4 – 5 days a week but I’ve never had any musical training so there is a lot I don’t yet understand. Loving the journey so far.
Nice story! Thanks for sharing
Reading your story touched my heart and thrilled my bones. I’m happy for you that, even though it took many years s of taking care of the ever present responsibilities of being a single mom, you finally followed your dream. Strum on you beautiful hummingbird.
Thank you, Jean. It’s like a trip down memory lane to the old neighborhood. Thank you for your support. And I do remember, as a single mother, having you and my sisters to help watch my sons while I was working. Thank you!. Love, Kate
This is a great story, thanks for sharing. My mother grew up in a Port Richmond row house, so I enjoyed your journey all the more.
Great story! I love things that you can do no matter how old you are and that pull at your heart strings! Guitar is definitely that! Thank you for sharing.
Great story, thanks for sharing it!
I enjoyed your story. So many aspects of it are similar to mine. Mostly the story of returning to things that awed us earlier in our lives. Awesome guitar story. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Kate. A heart warming story that takes me back to 3rd or 4th grade in Birmingham Alabama. Mom took a lady friend and me to a performance of the opera: La Boheme. It rocked my soul. And today that boy is going to work on writing and producing an original musical: The River. More later.
Great story! Love that you followed your dream!
Beautiful story!
Good health and happiness to you!
I absolutely loved your story, and I could visualize the scene on the porch perfectly.
I loved reading the story Tony provided for all of us to enjoy written by Kate Flanagan. I too was born in Tenneessee surrounded by the love of a guitar. Like Kate, I became serious ahoy playing my guitar but waited until I retired. I bought the beautiful sounding guitar, a Martin, I had always wanted. It made me better. The earlier you get serious about being able to learn a few chords like G, Am, C, D, F, Em and learn how to sharp or flat a note you’re ready to play a simple but beautiful song like Amazing Grace. You’ll never put the guitar down again. Remember “Perfect is the Enemy of Good”. It is meant to be fun not work.
Great story and very inspirational! Kate, it appears all your musical dreams have come to fruition. Good for you and Bravo!
Thank you for commenting. It’s wonderful to hear from fellow Tac members. Kate
Gettin’ a little misty eyed over here. Beautiful story. Thanks for sharing.
Inspiration Kate! Thank you for sharing your story and your love for music! It really does change lives.
Nice story, nice guitar and nice name……but then Kate Flanagan, I’m Irish and biased! I play some of that Irish Traditional Music myself. Thanks for telling your story. Ger in Galway, Ireland.
Thank you, Ger. I have cousins in Salthill and Galway City and other towns and counties in Ireland. My mother and father came from Mayo and Roscommon. Irish music was the first I music I ever heard in my life. My parents had piles of 78 rpm Irish records so the music was in my soul from the beginning. My sons love the traditional music too, and the ballads, and the rebel songs. Thank you for commenting. Kate