RIP Jimmy

RIP Jimmy

I didn't get to see the Ozrics.

I was at the merch table, talking to a rather cute girl about their CDs, which ones we each had. A while later, during the opening act, she came over and started talking to me.

Damn, she's really cute. And talking to ME.

Within a few minutes, she told me where she worked. a lightbulb went off in my head.

"Do you know Jeremy?"

"Oh! he's one of my best friends! Did you hear about his Dad?"

Oh no.

Fucking hell.

He died two weeks ago.

A year ago, I moved to Indy after recieving a call from my old band. Two days later, the other band called me. I spent the summer doing gigs with both. I haven't seen the Cincy band since August, haven't talked to any of them since December.

Jeremy was the drummer. His dad, Jimmy, was the singer and guitarist.

I've talked about them before. Jimmy had a severe cocaine habit for most of his life.

He's gone now. Died in New Orleans, helping with reconstruction down there. Massive heart attack.

He'd cleaned up again. He'd gone back and forth several times, but had been clean for months. But it caught up with him.

I could have sworn he was well into his fifties. He was only 49.

Jesus Christ.

I loved playing with these guys. They had all sorts of personal problems, all sorts of reasons for me not to want to get too close to them. but that shit all came out in the music. Some of the rawest, most aggressive music I've ever played was with these guys last summer. It was REAL. Those fuckers LIVED this shit.

I'm going to miss the band I'm leaving in a few months. I love those guys, I really enjoy playing with them. They were SANE, and i could trust them to show up on time to gigs and not have to call off dead. I often wondered if Jimmy would be found in his car, wrapped around a fucking tree on his way to a gig. The guys in Indiana were dependable, solid.

But in terms of real goddamn ROCK AND FUCKING ROLL, it never approached what we did here in the Cincinnati area last summer.

Back in northern Indiana, I'm a twisted freak mutation, some left-field wackjob who pulls everything up to the next level of bad craziness.

Down here with those guys? I was a fucking pussy.

I needed that.

Go read this. it's about this band. From almost a year ago. It's also some of the best writing I think I've ever done.

http://eraserhead667.tblog.co...

I left the show early. I came back to the north end of town, where Jeremy works. I spent over an hour drinking and talking with the STELLAR FUCKING BABE of a bartender, who looks amazing but come off like a very mean (but in a hilarious way) bitch from hell, and I think she could have been a character in the movie Heathers, especially since that's her name too.

He finally got off work, and we went off for beer to a place just down the road. (Which used to be a restaraunt I ate at a couple times with Sheryl.)

he told me that he played his djembe at his dad's funeral, and his uncle wrote a song that he sang for Jimmy. A week later, Jeremy went to see the Allman Brothers, and the second song they played was Ain;t Wastin' Time No More, which he and his dad counted as their favorite Allmans song.

Jeremy looks like hell, but looks good at the same time. On top of losing his dad, he lost his grandma two days later.

He's a damn good drummer and a good guy, and I like him a lot. We sat and drank, talked about Jimmy, and about the unbelievable women dancing around to the shitty music. three or four of them came up to him when we came in the door. Jeremy knows a LOT of women around here, and he's a goddamn magnet for them. Great looking guy. I think I need to hang out with him more often.

I told him we need to play again sometime. Fuck knows when. But we will.

I'm gonna miss you Jimmy. you pissed me off a time or two, but you were a great frontman and singer, a damn fine guitarist, and I've got some great fucking memories you're a part of.

Be well, wherever the fuck you are.

Love,
Dougie

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