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Thread: my first rock band /missing an old friend

  1. #1

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    Tomorrow, Sept.26, it will be one year that my oldest and best friend, Doug B., passed away at the young age of 53. We first met in Kindergarten in 1966. I was best man at his wedding, he was best man at both of mine. 48 years later, I helped carry his casket to the altar. But what great memories, he was the singer in my first rock and roll band !! This was in high school, 1978 - 1979. I am the one in the goggles !!!

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    Doug and I met John (drummer) and Ronnie (guitar) around 2nd or 3rd grade. The four of us were best buds through grade school, junior high and high school. We rode bikes together, played ball, later on we drank beer and got high together, and listened to records ... and always, always, always talked about starting a rock band some day. And dammit we actually did it !!!

    This was the only band Doug was ever in. The drummer and I wound up going to the same college, where we had a couple of bands. Then after college, we were in a bar band that played clubs in Albany and around the area, from 1984 until 1988. We were a tight rhythm section. People used to comment on that.

    John's playing drums drums in a N.O. style funk band, these days. Ronnie plays guitar in his church group. We keep in touch via email and facebook. But hey .. we were once part of that great American paradigm, the garage band. Four buddies making music 'cause we needed to .. young loud and snotty. RIP, Dougie boy.
    Last edited by JoePasko; 09-25-2015 at 07:28 PM.

  2. #2

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    Here's to Doug !!


  3. #3

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    tremendous friendship, great looking rock and roll band!

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    WOW.............good memories.............thanks for posting.

    This reminds me of a bass player friend that was in the best band I had in Dallas.............he is now gone from us at an age that was way too young.
    Destroyed his liver (and his life) with dirty needles............a sad truth.

    Two of the "healthy" guys in the band now both have cancer and I'm praying for them as often as I remember.
    The one guy in the band that should be dead was always way overweight and smoking like a chimney...........but he is still alive and well.

    Go figure............
    Gretsch USA & Zildjian
    (What Else Would I Ever Need ?)


  5. #5

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    truly thank you for telling us this story!
    Just yesterday I was driving home and took a different route home past a fellow best friend and drummer who passed way to young in life. Luckily our greatest memories will never die in my mind and heart.

    RIP DOUG

  6. #6

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    1992. We were home for about 3 days and I was heading down to have dinner with my family.

    I walked in the door just as my mother, with tears in her eyes, was hanging up the phone. She looked at me and said "Johnny is dead". Massive heart attack at 41 years old.

    He was the bass player in the husband & wife demolition derby and band I joined around '72. When that imploded, we decided to put our own band together. We had a symbiotic relationship as far as drums and bass went. He would whisper (yell) in my ear in the middle of a song that he had $20 that said that a given guy was going to try to hit on a certain girl by the end of the set. I don't know how he did it, but I lost more than I won.

    Here was someone who took care of himself. He didn't smoke, a couple of beers here and there, and was more careful with what he ate. He was hanging around with me. 2 packs a day, living on Burger King and pizza, and, on a off day, a scotch at 3 in the afternoon wasn't unheard of.

    The Grim Reaper smiles at all of us. All you can do is smile back and hope it's not your turn.

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    To Doug! Good story and memories. Sorry for your loss.

    Tex

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