Lost a Friend, and Musician.
Yesterday morning checking my email, I received the sad news that a friend from highschool passed away suddenly this past Saturday. His name was Dave and was one of the best drummers I have ever known. We played together in jazz band and marching band and concert band in Highschool. Dave wasn't just a drummer, he was a musician and IMO, there is a big difference between the two. He was married for 5 1/2 years no children. Dave continued playing well beyond highschool teaching at other schools, drum cores
Dave was only 30 years old when he collapsed as his band was setting up to play at the half time of a Kent States basketball game. From my understanding it was due to a heart attack. He told his band that he was feeling really dizzy and collapsed and was gone.
Guys, take your health serious. 30 is way to young.
His band was called \"Waterband\" www.waterband.com.
Dave was only 30 years old when he collapsed as his band was setting up to play at the half time of a Kent States basketball game. From my understanding it was due to a heart attack. He told his band that he was feeling really dizzy and collapsed and was gone.
Guys, take your health serious. 30 is way to young.
His band was called \"Waterband\" www.waterband.com.
Comments
Your right everyone needs to think about starting electrocardigram tests in their mid thirties or early 40's to look for early signs of heart disease. Especially us older geezers like me in their 50's.
Everyone take GuitarKidd's advice, maybe the ambulance station won't be across the street if it happens to you. That was my wake up call
It really is scary.
This past weekend I learned that a great southern gospel pianist died, Anthony Burger 44. He played and toured with Bill Gaither and can be seen on pretty much anything Gaither has done in recent years. Burger was playing on a gospel cruise with Gaither and was playing \"We shall Behold Him\" (no kidding). Stopped, grabbed his chest and collapsed. That was it. Massive heart attack has been assumed.
If you have ever seen him play piano he is probably one of the worlds greatest. I know that some of you may not be into southern gospel, but if your flippin' through the channels and see one of those homecoming shows that Gaither puts on you have stop and watch for Anthony on the piano. Amazing.. Here is small clip of him playing that I found on google.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8978065102163553719&q=Anthony+Burger
www.anthonyburger.com
Stress is another thing, and is as dangerous since it's not as symptomatic. Stress plays a big role in premature death, stroke and other things. It also makes us lose the perspective we claim to have, yet fail to recognize. Two days after I turned 30, I dropped with hard seizures 3x in 2 weeks. Weeks of tests and nothing..final analysis..STRESS. I was flying all over the country, 12-15 hr days. Simply caught up in a chaotic mess. I changed my job, took much less pay. People said are you nuts? I said, I will start from scratch if I have too. Some things were more important. My family. I had 6 weeks to think about things while I was hospitalized at VMI recovering. Being hundreds of miles away from the world I knew. Once I was out, I sold my home, moved, changed jobs and started over.
This was a caution flag to me, as well as a reminder of who I was. To myself, my family, and my friends. Ambitions seemed weighted more than consideration, respect, and appreciation. A lesson learned. Sometimes a lesson in immortaility, is a defining moment of morality. This is what we are reminded of and the reason it happens to us, and as many others. My father passed at 57 yrs of age. We've all seen it happen..it's what we do afterwards that counts most!
My deepest condolences in your loss!
In your fair city way back I saw Keith Green who died at 28 in a plane crash. http://www.tabernaclemusic.net/html/wahlok_tributes1.shtml in the home of southern gospel - The Cathedrals home church. Another great contemporary writer who seemed to go early was Rich Mullins at 43 in a car crash. http://www.tabernaclemusic.net/html/wahlok_tributes2.shtml
Hearing southern gospel helps one know that a full range style exists and yes, there is also a northern gospel.
The Gaithers had just played here in Dallas, and one of our group went to see them.
All of us, were saddened at Anthony Burger's passing, but we rejoiced at his future.
Zap, thanks for your liks too. Both were great songwriters.