Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

The Day The Beat Stopped


DanvillRob

Recommended Posts

Headin' out to Tracy, CA for the memorial of my good friend of 48 years, Terry Rissman.

 

He was our drummer back in the 60's, and no one did it better.

 

He died several months ago, but was snowed in and his body couldn't get out 'til spring..... so today is his memorial.

 

God Speed, ol' friend... we'll do music together soon enough!CDBackCover.jpg?t=1305401193

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rob, It's never easy when we lose old friends especially when one's connected through music. Every song you guys did takes you back in an instant to a particular event or moment you shared.

 

I'm sure some wonderful memories will be discussed and friendships renewed. May he rest in peace. Cookie

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rob, It's never easy when we lose old friends especially when one's connected through music. Every song you guys did takes you back in an instant to a particular event or moment you shared.

 

I'm sure some wonderful memories will be discussed and friendships renewed. May he rest in peace. Cookie

 

Thanks, Cookie.

I posted it here when he died several months ago. Most of his family that was there I knew from "the old days", no ex-wives, but his two sons were there, (on of them was like seeing him again 30 years ago).

Terry was 62.... had abused his body to the point where he just couldn't have lived much longer....but it was not as shocking as another friend who put a bullet through his head last week.... only 49.... loving wife and two beautiful kids...... bi polar..... sad.....

Bob

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

.

Rob -

 

I remember your original post on the sad news of Terry's death. Sometimes the only thing we can do for a friend in that kind of trouble is love them. You've honored him with your memorial attendance.

 

I'm also sorry to hear of the tragic news about the death of another of your friends.

 

My condolences to you and your friend's family.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

.

Rob -

 

I remember your original post on the sad news of Terry's death. Sometimes the only thing we can do for a friend in that kind of trouble is love them. You've honored him with your memorial attendance.

 

I'm also sorry to hear of the tragic news of another of your friends.

 

My condolences to you and your friend's family.

 

Thanks... I appreciate your thoughts.

 

With 2 good friends, (Terry of course was a childhood friend, so we were REALLY close), I'm having trouble getting anyone else to admit to bein' my friend!

Dan was a guy I hired 30 years ago. I mentored him while he rose in the company to a point where he was one of our (few) Sales Managers.... then he quit..... just shy of his

25 year anniversary, (which would have allowed him to "retire" with full benefits). He became more and more tortured 'til he took his life.

 

Bob

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I really hate to say this, but as we age, we lose friends. At first it's a few close ones of our own age who leave us in military action, accidents, unexpected illness or some form of fast or slow suicide.

 

Then it's those who were our elders and mentors; then increasingly those of our own age groups and finally also those a generation or two younger, including those we ourselves have mentored.

 

Finding kindred souls is, I think, increasingly difficult today as we splinter into different avocations ranging from guitar playing to the occasional "club." And as a culture, "we" are far less likely to maintain regular function in such as churches and fraternities. We're so terribly mobile and lose contact so easily.

 

Rob, losing someone close is rough, but frankly if I mourn, it's almost more for those few folks a journalist might be able to consider a "friend" rather than a "contact" over the years, and whom I haven't seen or heard from for decades.

 

I think it's not just me, but a rather large segment of the population.

 

So yes, I feel for you and your feeling of loss, but at the same time I guess I'm saying that it's part of the human condition too. And as you know, I'm not writing this so much for you, a contemporary, but more for those younger folks whom we hope someday will have more gray hair and creases on their faces.

 

m

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sad to hear it.

I do believe in the afterlife and that you'll be reunited again someday to play.

:)

Hard to take the losses from a suicide. A good friend of ours on his fifties took his life a few years ago... no outward depression, no warning, just gone. Devastating.

Bipolar is a truly difficult disorder. Both to understand, live with, and has that nasty 70% suicide rate with it. :(

 

Hope the memorial was comforting in its own way. Sounds like it was a good experience.

 

Condolences.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...