Thank you so much.
Miss by as I was really moved by
your peace with Officer for known.
I guess I might wonder to
start where did you find the
image that inspired that piece?
Well, it's the only image of him
that was out really at that
time of of him in the crowd.
I mean, you've seen it a million
times and luckily there was just
enough in that photo in that.
Photographs work from you can do
so much and then invent the rest.
So that's what I did.
And I was happy with the result. It
is power flow, so you were seeking
out an image of officer for known.
This isn't something where you saw an
image of a police officer and then
learned about what happened to him.
You were seeking out an image of officer for
known. Well, after I had heard thank you.
Let's **** you for being here.
I knew that was my guy, you know.
And so when I saw that,
I saw that picture.
It was kind of a no brainer.
I already already was painted him
because he had done what he had done.
And because, you know,
because he is who he is and he's
becoming more who is every day. I'm
not sure an excuse me if you're
supposed to ask an artist this
question, but what emotions?
Do you feel that we are supposed to
take away from that piece when we?
Take it in. Oh probably.
You know, I recently I've heard the.
The. The **** yous.
And so I'm really start to
evaporate some Michael's vocabulary.
And he talks about empathy
and compassion. Which is.
Exactly what's needed in this country now.
So. Originally.
I don't usually respond with anger.
So it wasn't that it was probably
just a continuation of the complete
shock of what had happened,
and you know, and as a relief
that I could do my little piece,
I'm relation to it.
What did you hope
that you would convey the officer
for known or just to the world
by asking him to be your guest
at the Kennedy Center Honors?
Oh, I was very.
That was very calculated.
I you know I wanted him to be seen.
And I he was, you know,
I I wanted him to be, you know,
like partnered with a with
a nonviolent activist.
And just mainly due to races.
Presence in the country and actually now
probably in the world 'cause he's got very.
He's gotten a lot of
attention now in the press,
which he should.
Wait, there may be some.
Outsiders maybe some even
like me who see this.
Your friendship.
He calls it as an unlikely pairing.
How do you
see it? Oh, it is unlikely,
but when I heard him in one
of the interviews earlier on.
Talking about the stuff
people do to each other,
you know and these any and what
we think of each other and he was
talking about how we can have our
different opinions and how that.
That can be very strong reaction and
then he said, but it doesn't mean.
And then you know how he pauses.
And I said out loud we have to
kill each other and then he
said we have to kill each other.
So I thought.
You know there's something
about this guy that is,
you know,
breaking his own ceiling.
In
my interview with him,
he remarkably said that the hell he went
through is not only a part of who he is,
it made him better. Yeah.
Do you see that and and how?
How is that possible from
where you are standing?
Well, it is possible. It's pretty rare.
Uhm? I don't know quite how
we got to where he is now,
but I think he's on a path that's
going to continue in a very genuine,
compassionate, empathetic way.
That's surprising that surprising
when anybody doesn't go with
somebody who's gone through that.
And as you know,
as a narcotics policeman, you kind of.
Don't expect that to be coming out of him.
Which is, you know which is more
of this delight of knowing him
and being able to do my bit,
whatever it is about January 6th
and then onward into the future.
In my final question for you and again,
I do thank you from the bottom
of my heart for participating
in this because it really is.
You know so much about trying
to get his message out there.
What would you hope?
That somebody who sees this piece.
Takes away and I'm actually talking
about the piece about about your the
two of y'all's relationship and how
it came about and why it's important.
What would be your.
What would be your takeaway?
What would you hope people
would take away from hearing and
experiencing how you guys have
crossed paths in forged a bond?
I think they probably scratch their heads,
and that's probably a good response.
You know, yeah, and try and figure it out.
You know he and I both are
crazy about Sturgill Simpson.
And you know, I thought was interesting
combinations of a pacifist and a policeman.
And you know, a country and Western
singer because they're notoriously
at least half of their audiences
is no really right wing or not
even conservative with some number.
Just nuts, you know.
You know, running around the
Mega hat on you just a lunatic.
So you know we could if we could
ensure our way in there.
I mean, we met with Sturgeon.
Sturgell when he sang at the Kennedy
Center's thing and it was really
interesting 'cause I had lunch with
this unknown family the day before and
in the middle of a conversation from
across the table was talking to my son.
I've heard him say Sturgill
Simpson saved my ******* life.
And I thought, well asked, interesting.
As we started talking about
Sturgell and what it meant to him,
apparently sturgell touches that
PTSD vein in vets can cost, you know,
have undergone this kind of trauma.
And so social showed up as a
surprise guest and I was.
Dumbfounded and so was Michael it to one
more little bonding moment, you know.
And then so I want to go and
see Sturgell show.
Sort of the last of what he does.
This Willie Nelson and maybe
I'll meet Michael there.
Just interesting,
know this sturgell is not your average.
Kind of a political country.
Western singer.
And yeah,
and and my parting words to you as
I Michael told me about that moment
and sitting there knowing the history
into Steve Sturgill Simpson walk out,
I'm not sure where you stand
on Karma or signing up.
Suppose that I
said we couldn't figure it
out, but she was great.
Miss Byers, thank you for being
so generous with your time.
Is there anything you wanted
to say that I did not give you
the opportunity to say no?
I think you covered it at
a very healthy way, thanks.
Thank you very much ma'am.
My best UN please.
Congratulations on your Kennedy Center honor.
As a native born and raised DC resident,
we we we feel very.
We feel a lot of kinship to those
were honored by the Kennedy Center.
So congratulations,
I know it's a storied career, but
still convergence.
Thank you so much. Bye bye.