Luke Rogge

Love Letter To The Skandalous INC And Known Associates Family

And now the rest of you bitches know what you did. Don’t worry, part of her promise was to keep our secrets… well, most of them anyway. McHenry, Alffy, Hilliker, Skae, Joey, Tech, Kristen and the rest of the Strange crew, Bob, Tiberius, Davies, and Shane—hey, buddy, thanks for bringing the spiritual. You know it means a lot.

To the rest of you who are here today, and those who couldn’t be, man, we had some times, didn’t we?! From the beginning with Skandalous INC to where we are now with the Known Associates, it’s been one hell of a ride. We laughed, we fought, we made memories no one could take from us. Hell, some of those memories probably shouldn’t be shared, but we’ll keep those secrets among us—part of the fun, right?

I was always backstage in the VIP at every concert I could get to. I lived for that energy, the music, and the crowd. Car shows all over the country—some I won, some I didn’t, but I loved it every minute of it. And don’t even get me started on the tattoos. I covered myself in them because they told the story of my life—each one marking a moment, a lesson, a piece of who I was.

I loved to raise hell. I lived for love, even though it always seemed to be an on-again, off-again thing for me—except for that one notable exception. But hey, we crossed paths again, somewhere over the rainbow.

I loved to party, meet new people, and just experience life wherever I went. And man, don’t forget my love for good food. If I could’ve published a book, it’d be full of 5-star dinners and seafood towers that were even taller than me. And I didn’t just keep that to myself—I shared those meals with my son, mom and the closest friends I had.

To all of you who were there with me, thank you. You guys were more than just friends; you were my family. You made my journey worth it, and I’ll always be proud of the bond we shared. We’ve got a whole lot of history, and no matter where I am now, I’m still with you. You’ll find me in the laughs, the memories, and the stories you carry forward.

Love Letter To Dallas

Dallas, my greatest gift and biggest challenge. You came into my life when I needed you most. I know you’ve heard this before, but you were the best thing I ever did, and I hope you always know how much I love you. The very best parts of me are the ones I see in you—those parts that I’ve always treasured most. And those parts? They come from your Nanna and Pa. I see their love, their strength, their heart in you, and it’s made me want to be a better man, even though I often fell short of that.

You, my son, are the greatest gift I never deserved. But still, I tried my hardest to be the man you needed, the dad you deserved. I didn’t always get it right, but you loved me anyway, and I’ll forever be thankful for that. You have the purest heart of anyone I’ve ever met.

When I took the time to slow down and think about all the memories we made together, I couldn’t help but smile. Bowfishing, mini truckin, building the Caddy, and even when we had to say goodbye to it—those moments were priceless. You were always in my corner, and I hope I was in yours when you needed me most.

We shared a love of music that was all our own—from Hank 3 to Tech N9ne and the Strange Crew, to Johnny Cash and the rest of the Highwaymen. Those songs, the oh, we should never tell Nanna they’re on your phone because she would just yell, “LUKE! Don’t let him listen to that!” Haha, but we blared it loud and proud—at car shows, when we went mudding, and even at 2 am when you should’ve been asleep. I loved watching you play the guitar and bass. Ask anyone—I told everyone who would listen that my son was a rock star. You still are, even without the mohawk, because rock is in your blood, and that doesn’t go away. So rock on, kid, and always live Skandalously.

I’d give anything to take this pain from you, to hold your hand, and walk beside you as we both took our steps down the road of this life. But you and I, no matter what, always had the same walk. We were always in step, in sync—and it’s in every photo taken of us. You were always my partner, always my best friend.

Your Aunt Jess and the rest of the Known Associates, they’ll pick up where I left off. You can always count on them to be there for you, and I’m sorry it has to be in place of me. But know this— they love you, kiddo. How could they not? You were always the sweetest, toughest, most unique little guy, with the best mohawk any 10-year-old could rock. You were always willing to meet anyone I brought around, even when I’m sure some of them didn’t deserve it (I’m sorry about that). You were my best bud, and there could never be anyone who could take away the memories we made together—even the hard ones.

Remember to cherish those too. The bad ones can haunt you if you let them. Turn them into lessons learned, not monsters in your head. I wish I had been better at that. But you know me—I did everything my way, no matter what. It’s just who I was.

So, every time you think of me, I hope you think of me with my arm across the seat of the Caddy, rolling down the highway, blasting Hank 3, just waiting on my favorite passenger, my partner in crime. Until that day comes, Dallas, love with all your heart, even when it hurts. Keep your Nanna close—she’s one hell of a fighter in your corner. Lean on the family we made, and listen to your Aunt Jess. But give her hell when she needs it. And never forget who’s son you are.

Love Letter To Mom

Mom, I could never thank you enough for everything you did to save me from experiencing pain. You were always the first person to do whatever it took, to make sure I was okay, no matter the cost. I know I wasn’t always the easiest son to have, but I think that’s because I always knew, no matter what, I could be every version of myself around you—whether in parts or all at once. You let me be real. You gave me the space to show up in my truest form, even when it wasn’t always pretty.

Sometimes you were the calm in my storm, the one who knew how to quiet the chaos inside me. Other times, you were the one who held me close when I was lost and scared—your little boy, even though I was ten times your size and my hands were bigger than your face. I never stopped being that little boy in need of comfort, and you never stopped giving it. Those hands that gently cradled my son when he was tiny—those were the same hands that reached for you when I was frightened.

You were my person, Mom. I could always count on you to be there, to be the one who understood. This letter is for you through my sister, who promised me she’d tell you the things I couldn't say when the time came. And I’m so sorry that the day came too soon. I’m sorry I’m not there to hold you, to calm your storm now, or to say those words I know you need to hear. But just know, even now, I love you. I always have, and I always will.

You took me everywhere with you, and you were my first best friend. You were also the last goodbye I had to say—at least for now. Even when our adventures were simple—like a drive down the driveway or a visit to Pa’s house—I was with you, and I knew I was safe. Those moments meant everything. Later, when life wasn’t as hard, we got to explore the world together—trips to the ocean, countless sunsets watched side by side. Those sunsets were like rays of sunshine that warmed my heart. Some people love the moon, but you and I, we were sunset people. And even now, when the sun sets, I’ll always be there in those rays of hope that promise another day.

I know this part of your adventure will be hard, and I wish I could be there to ease the weight of it all. But I want you to know, I’m still there. If you look around, you’ll see pieces of me in the faces of those around you today. Why do you think they all call you “Mom”? It’s because I shared with them the best person I’ve ever known. You gave so much love to everyone around you, and that love lives on in every one of them.

Just because I can’t say it to you right now, doesn’t mean you’ll never hear it again. You are my mom, and every time the people closest to me call you “Mom,” a little piece of me will be in those three letters. They say so much more than I could ever express in words.