Possibly my last post here before the forum becomes 'read only'.
In quite a reflective mood at the moment.
No names, of course, but I was informed on Thursday that an old friend of mine had died very suddenly and unexpectedly. He was only 58. We met at school in 1978 and I introduced him to the music of the Shadows. Although we didn't actually get to see the Shads together until 2004, I long since lost count of the number of hours we sat together and either listened or talked about them! Like me he was a drummer and his absolute hero - and in his opinion the best drummer to come out of the UK - was Brian Bennett. After the show in Nottingham in 2004 we both had the pleasure and privilege of meeting Brian and extending to him our appreciation. Prior to that we had seen Hank on his solo shows many times. But that night in 2004 was unforgettable. When I met Brian again in 2013, I asked him to sign a couple of photos for my mate, which he did, and he duly had them framed and hung in his house near the hi-fi. I know that Brian was his inspiration.
Like me he had been waiting for Brian's autobiography to come out and was looking forward to reading it. Sadly, this, for him, will now never be possible.
I hadn't seen him for a few years - not since about 2016 as a matter of fact - but news of his passing has left me feeling quite shaken and sad.
By the sound of it, he was planning on retiring this year and emigrating to warmer climes. Again, sadly, this will now never happen.
It's at times like this I ponder on things and I realise that life is short and very unpredictable. I happen to know that Hank's version of Moon River will be played at his funeral. Hard to be sure what his favourite Shads albums were now, but I recall Jigsaw being a particular favourite, as was Rockin' with Curly Leads, Change of Address and the MWF albums.
So, another one gone. And those magical years of the late 1970s seem even further away. Don't know what else to say.
R.I.P.