One of the good guys is gone. We were slightly acquainted with Fred, he was highly involved in troop 1701, which GS1 and GS2 were affiliated with. Fred was on the high adventure trips GS1 took, one biking, one canoeing. Quite a number of young men were influenced by Fred’s generosity with his time and … Read more
I sometimes note the passing of those I know, and let the newspapers take care of the celebrities. However, the recent passing of Butch Baldassari is notable to anyone with interest in music. Mr. Baldassari was know to bluegrass fans for his work in the Weary Hearts. His founding of the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble show … Read more
While Papa and I were exploring yesterday, we came upon a bench on the walkway which was decorated for Christmas. A closer inspection revealed that the bench was placed in memory of a young man who passed away far too young. We enjoyed the beautiful decorations, and paused to consider the loss on a family … Read more
A friend’s youngest child was hit by a car while riding a bicycle on Saturday, and has died. Mitchell was 14. I’ve been riding my bike more and more, and so are a lot of other people for whom the price of gas may be the main incentive. There are more people walking, too. Please … Read more
We were sorry to learn yesterday that our friend Cecil passed away on Monday. He had been Ill a few months this time, but had previously fought off various illnesses. We could always count on Cecil and Vickie being at all the bluegrass festivals, he was a great fan and supporter of local live music. … Read more
When Freddie Harris passed away, I couldn’t find a single picture of him anywhere around here. We finally did find a few, but it seems hard to believe that we had so few after seeing him on stage so many times. Anyway, I located them on one of the computers around here. These are from … Read more
RIP Jerry Reed. Tremendous talent. Huge influence. Good and funny, too. Here’s a small sample:
Freddie Harris of Belleville, Michigan, passed away on Friday August 28. Freddie had suffered a brain aneurysm on July 15, and had been at home with hospice assisting his family for some time. He was only 54 years old. Papa and I received the news by e-mail, as did many friends and acquaintances who had … Read more
Freddie Newby passed away on Sunday, February 24th. Freddie could be found at the Huron Valley Eagles, Flat Rock Michigan on most Saturday nights; he introduced the bands and he handled the sound. He had done sound for festivals around Michigan in previous years. We last saw Freddie February 16, when he introduced Mike’s band … Read more
Frank Burns was a good old boy, one of the best of that kind. He had his opinions, but he wouldn’t hurt a flea and he spread a lot of love. GS3 was camping with us at Whispering Winds, known to some Michigan bluegrass fans as Wendy Smith’s place. It was the July 4th festival, 2003. … Read more