Published April 23
, 2010 
Janie Brinkman, 73, of Kennewick, watches Rudy Guidry of Pasco play her late husband’s tenor saxophone Thursday at Columbia Basin College. Brinkman wondered what to do with two saxophones that belonged to her late husband when she read about the CBC student. Guidry is an accomplished sax and tuba musician who could never afford to buy his own instruments but didn’t let that stand in the way of learning to play. Brinkman met up with the 21-year-old at CBC and gave him her husband’s Yamaha alto and tenor saxophones. Photo by Richard Dickin of the Tri-City Herald
By Dori O’Neal, Tri-City Herald staff writer
KENNEWICK — Janie Brinkman, 73, thought she might sell her late husband’s two beloved saxophones.
Then she read a recent Herald story about 21-year-old Rudy Guidry, an accomplished sax and tuba player who never could afford his own instruments.
And that inspired the Kennewick woman to change her mind.
“I know I could have sold the saxophones because they are in excellent condition. My husband loved them and took very good care of them,” she said. “But after reading about this boy, he sounded like the kind of young man who would take as good of care of them as my husband did, and that appealed greatly to me.”
Guidry fell in love with music in grade school, started playing the marimba, then the recorder, clarinet, sax and finally the tuba.
But he could never afford his own. So he borrowed instruments all through school, because even a new student model sax costs $1,500 or more. And a professional model can cost more than $4,000.
Now he’s headed off to Central Washington University this fall to continue his music studies — with a sax of his own.
On Thursday, Brinkman met Guidry at Columbia Basin College, where he’s a student, and gave him her husband’s Yamaha alto and tenor saxophones.
“It must have been the Lord speaking to me about what to do,” Brinkman said. “I think my husband would be pleased too.”
When she handed Guidry the two brown leather cases, both were thrilled.
“This is so awesome,” he said, flashing a huge smile. “It’s not enough to say thank you and doesn’t come close to telling you how incredibly excited I am by your generosity,” he told her.
And although the two were strangers, Guidry pulled her into a bear hug that put an even bigger smile on her face as she fought back tears.
“She worried she was going to cry today,” said Mary Schmeckel of Pasco, her friend of 28 years. “So far, she’s doing great, but I’ll bet she lets those tears go once we get back to the car.”
As Guidry opened each case, he ran his hands tenderly across the shiny brass instruments, then put the tenor sax together and played a few bars before carefully putting it back into its case.
“These truly were well taken care of,” he said. “I’ll do my best to care for them the same way.”
Brinkman said her husband, Nelson, who died three years ago, loved playing the saxophones, though he never played professionally.
“Nelson was always playing those saxophones,” Brinkman said. “I finally made him take them out to his garage and play them because it got so loud in the house.”
When asked if he planned to name the saxophones, like BB King named his guitar Lucille, Guidry said, “I think I’ll have to get a little more familiar with these ladies before I name them.”
At that, Brinkman laughed and said, “I know they’re in good hands now.”
Additional news stories can be accessed online at the Tri-City Herald.