I was saddened like many by the passing of Robin Williams. The news that he may have been ill didn't come as a surprise; after all, the longer you live the more likely it is you'll confront such things.
This one shocked me, however. Derek was a cool guy. I met him just as he was starting his kitchen/musical career twenty-five years ago when he worked at a joint in Northwest Portland called Casa U-betcha, a hot spot in the old neighborhood.
Derek worked everywhere in the joint, and always found time to come out of the kitchen to meet people and chat. His curiosity about everything was beyond charming. He was just a smart, smart kid.
But that was just Derek gearing up until he found his voice as a world-class musician and joined Pink Martini, becoming the band's superb, reliable percussionist. A huge success.
But trouble lurked, as it tends to.
This one threw me for a loop.
Too young. Too young.
TS
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment