General Music Chat

Within less than two weeks 4 musicians that I worked with and some that I used to jam with have died and another was diagnosed with lung cancer. His daughter, not counted with the previous 4, died last week of Lime disease complications. (In her early 40's) I knew all these guys and worked gigs with several of them for quite some time.

Sometimes I wonder if I'll be the last man standing or if I'll be the next on the list. I know we'll all miss them around these parts considering that they were all local musicians still residing in the area.

Some of them were very talented, others just loved to perform and always seemed to be working small clubs or hosting jam sessions.

When so many drop in such a short time it leaves you without a grip on your feelings. It's rather numbing. I sympathize with their familys and friends. It doesn't really take a toll on me other than knowing I'll never see them again. Most were close friends and band mates through the years. We always enjoyed seeing each other when we went to hear other friends play in clubs.

Years ago a friend and fellow musician that I had worked with for years started naming musicians that played in this town through the years that had died. Guys that played clubs in town. We would go to see them on breaks and they would come to see us on their breaks. When we had the night off we would club hop and catch a bunch of them in a night.

I believe we came up with about 35-40 of them on that list. Many were rather young. That list has increased significantly through the years. Then a few years later he and his wife, who also sang in the band, joined them.

I know that everyone who gets to be 65 or over will start to see the rapidly increasing numbers of friends taking up residence on the other side of the grass, but 4 in two weeks? Numbing numbers.

Knowing them, perhaps they just wanted to escape this regime.

Cheers to you, musicians past.

Within less than two weeks 4 musicians that I worked with and some that I used to jam with have died and another was diagnosed with lung cancer. His daughter, not counted with the previous 4, died last week of Lime disease complications. (In her early 40's) I knew all these guys and worked gigs with several of them for quite some time.

Sometimes I wonder if I'll be the last man standing or if I'll be the next on the list. I know we'll all miss them around these parts considering that they were all local musicians still residing in the area.

Some of them were very talented, others just loved to perform and always seemed to be working small clubs or hosting jam sessions.

When so many drop in such a short time it leaves you without a grip on your feelings. It's rather numbing. I sympathize with their familys and friends. It doesn't really take a toll on me other than knowing I'll never see them again. Most were close friends and band mates through the years. We always enjoyed seeing each other when we went to hear other friends play in clubs.

Years ago a friend and fellow musician that I had worked with for years started naming musicians that played in this town through the years that had died. Guys that played clubs in town. We would go to see them on breaks and they would come to see us on their breaks. When we had the night off we would club hop and catch a bunch of them in a night.

I believe we came up with about 35-40 of them on that list. Many were rather young. That list has increased significantly through the years. Then a few years later he and his wife, who also sang in the band, joined them.

I know that everyone who gets to be 65 or over will start to see the rapidly increasing numbers of friends taking up residence on the other side of the grass, but 4 in two weeks? Numbing numbers.

Knowing them, perhaps they just wanted to escape this regime.

Cheers to you, musicians past.

Slacker, my condolences for the loss of your friends. I can only imagine how you must feel , being surrounded by all of that. Still, You are fortunate. Were all living on borrowed time after 40. (That's really where the real gift of life takes meaning) If its any consolation, Your friends have merely changed coffee shops, taverns and and open mics. I truly believe they are waiting for the folks they treasured and are treasured by... When you think about it, That's what heaven does...is lets you finally keep that which was in your heart. Its all movement, Slacker...Changes and shifts. Its still the same club...and the members didn't quit..they just moved.

Slacker

My sympathies. I truly hate to read of situations like yours - it is in our natures to hate death and paritcularly of those close to us. In consolation we can refer to the shortist verse in scripture: "Jesus wept." (at the tomb of Lazurus)

Talbot

Just proves what a killer guitar player you are.


Yeah,,, I know what you are feeling.

Sorry Slack.

Sorry to hear of your loss! Its tough losing close friends and band mates!

sucks gett'n old

sucks gett'n old

X2

sucks gett'n old

X2

X3. Thanks guys. I guess I'm still in the numb stage as I really just feel somewhat "empty" in this situation. Not even sad, just in disbelief to some degree.

As said many times before. When you think about your friends call or go visit them. You never know when the opportunity will be gone. I had thought about calling one of them the week before but didn't. He was the best picker.

Mike, a mutual friend, came over and saw my stereo guitar setup and I said that I wanted to get Roger over here to hear it, he would love it. My friend looked at me and said "You're a little late. We buried him last Thursday".

He said Roger was feeling just fine and then he felt a bit weird and called Mikes wife (a nurse) to tell her he thought he might be having a stroke. She said get to the hospital right away. When he got there they found that he had a brain aneurysm. They put him into an induced coma and hoped it would heal to some degree, but it never did.

Another picker, Richard, had gone into the hospital for a minor surgery. A mutual friend went to see him in the hospital and told me that he said he felt great and was getting out in a couple of days. He died the next day of complications.

Bill, a musician that I had gigged with for several years had been ill for a while, but he didn't let anyone know. Now we all know.

Sony had cancer and had been under treatment for a while.

Another close friend, who was a drummer, went to the hospital this last spring because he thought he had walking pneumonia. When they went to treat him they found that he was riddled with cancer, and told him he had a week to live. He began to get a bit stronger so they said they would try to give him more time. He had planned to come and see me for several weekends before, but always had to return to the hospital. They gave up on him and sent him home. A week later he returned to the hospital where he died.

I just found out that Bobs daughter was buried the week before he was diagnosed with cancer. Bob is another musician who taught guitar and played around here for years. I expect that he won't be around ling since he has advanced lung cancer.

When I began to contact several other musicians about it I found out about the other musicians who died. It was bad news piled upon bad news. I'm at the point where I am a bit leery of bringing these things up with anyone else.

All these guys were musicians that played the clubs around here for many years. I was very close friends with four of them at one time or another.

I regret not keeping in closer touch with them, but we all make that mistake.

...Slacker...I believe that it takes a degree of time to process and come to terms with the Death of those you know ... especially when they fall in great profusion. This is common of course with those soldiers who are in battle. But even taking age etc into consideration what you relate seems excessive...therefore difficult to cope with.

Much has been written in song and word about Death and Love ... one would assume Death is second in this case. Death is ultimately rebirth which is cause for celebration.

I know that I do not have to relate how death and cancer rates are climbing alarmingly everywhere. Many I know have departed beginning at 40 years old and up. I t is both a tragic loss and a lesson born of tragedy.

My condolences.

There is a saying in Bushido ...."Live as if Dead"

This can be interpreted in many ways but all of them are good.


Live Well Die Well

sucks gett'n old

X2

X3. Thanks guys. I guess I'm still in the numb stage as I really just feel somewhat "empty" in this situation. Not even sad, just in disbelief to some degree.

As said many times before. When you think about your friends call or go visit them. You never know when the opportunity will be gone. I had thought about calling one of them the week before but didn't. He was the best picker.

Mike, a mutual friend, came over and saw my stereo guitar setup and I said that I wanted to get Roger over here to hear it, he would love it. My friend looked at me and said "You're a little late. We buried him last Thursday".

He said Roger was feeling just fine and then he felt a bit weird and called Mikes wife (a nurse) to tell her he thought he might be having a stroke. She said get to the hospital right away. When he got there they found that he had a brain aneurysm. They put him into an induced coma and hoped it would heal to some degree, but it never did.

Another picker, Richard, had gone into the hospital for a minor surgery. A mutual friend went to see him in the hospital and told me that he said he felt great and was getting out in a couple of days. He died the next day of complications.

Bill, a musician that I had gigged with for several years had been ill for a while, but he didn't let anyone know. Now we all know.

Sony had cancer and had been under treatment for a while.

Another close friend, who was a drummer, went to the hospital this last spring because he thought he had walking pneumonia. When they went to treat him they found that he was riddled with cancer, and told him he had a week to live. He began to get a bit stronger so they said they would try to give him more time. He had planned to come and see me for several weekends before, but always had to return to the hospital. They gave up on him and sent him home. A week later he returned to the hospital where he died.

I just found out that Bobs daughter was buried the week before he was diagnosed with cancer. Bob is another musician who taught guitar and played around here for years. I expect that he won't be around ling since he has advanced lung cancer.

When I began to contact several other musicians about it I found out about the other musicians who died. It was bad news piled upon bad news. I'm at the point where I am a bit leery of bringing these things up with anyone else.

All these guys were musicians that played the clubs around here for many years. I was very close friends with four of them at one time or another.

I regret not keeping in closer touch with them, but we all make that mistake.

Slacker G

"do not be afraid"

I could quote chapter and verse
but there are too many

The law of entropy is in effect.

We all are born, we all live and we all die.

Slacker G

"do not be afraid"

I could quote chapter and verse
but there are too many

Ah Yes. Death is circling my camp but I am not afraid of him. After so many years on this planet you do get a bit discouraged and want to leave anyway. A day will come to America when the dead will be envied.

The law of entropy is in effect.

We all are born, we all live and we all die.

actually life is the only thing in direct contradiction to entropy

even though the scientists do not take that into account.

Entropy theory states that everything in the universe goes from an ordered state to a less ordered state (chaos). Life is not immune to this, obviously. The minute you are born you start to die.

"All good things turn to sh*t." ~ Jim Martin