I saw this at another forum and it became very interesting .

My Dad was an FBI agent . He was head of the bank robbery squad in Baltimore for 25 years. Sometimes we would go to the office with him and count all the stolen bank money .
I always remember my dad making it to almost every soccer , lacrosse and track meet I had . He passed away over 20 years ago .
I have always learned something from a brother or my sister that I did not know . Ofcourse my mom ( never remarried) had many story's to share over the years .
I am trying to be a good dad myself !


So ....how about it ? dano

I almost lost my dad last September. In fact he was recovering from his cancer surgury on Sept 11th. I was giving band instrument demo's in the schools, and I called my Mom and told her not to drive to the hospital that day for fear of what might happen. We were so scared on many levels.
Before he went to surgury, I gave a few pints of blood so there would be a clean match if they needed it (they didn't), and I wrote a few long letters explaining just how much he means to me and my family.
Our prayers were answered with a clean bill of health, and today, dad is golfing a feww times a week, and he and Mom are planning their yearly "snow-bird" trip to Florida to get away from these brutal Philadelphia winters.
My father is the kindest, wisest, strongest person I know, and I treasure him more than life itself....and he knows it. We don't say the actual words as often as I say it to my own kids, but we have ways to show our feelings. I has been blessed with wonderful parents who have been married over 50 years, and I hope someday, MY kids will look at me the way I look at my Dad. He's the reason I wanted to BE a Dad, myself. Ever see someone who is a 100% success at what they do???? My Dad is. Maybe even MORE than 100% .... cuz he had to raise ME alomg the way! That must be some sort of handicap !

My Dad died over three years ago now from a brain tumor. He provided me with a rich background in swing and modern jazz. But it is good to recollect old memories. When people pass away ( as we all will in time ) the only part of them that is left is the memories of others such as family members and other loved ones. It is good to keep their memories alive by remembering them. As in the case of Uncle Dave when they are still with us there is even more to celebrate so make sure you spend as much time with your Dad as you are both able to Uncle Dave.


[This message has been edited by Nigel (edited 07-03-2002).]

My dad, Sidney Kaye, was a professional drummer. He was the drummer/conductor for Danny Kaye from 1949 -1969 when Danny Kaye retired. My dad and his brother, Leonard Kaye, had their own big band called the Kaye Brothers in the late 30's and early 40's in New York until he went into the Navy during World War II.
In 1956 my family moved to California and my dad played in the studios and with Danny Kaye until he stopped playing in 1970 due to health problems.
We started our music store, Kaye's Music Scene in 1970, where my dad worked until he died in 1976. What makes me really sad is that my dad never got to know my 3 kids. He would have loved to see them grow and mature throughout their lives.
I think about my dad often and how much he would have marveled at the technology and how the music industry changed so much in the 80's and 90's. As the years go bye, I don't stop and think about him as much as I used to, but while writing this post, I miss him a lot right now!
George Kaye

thread bump ..............anyone else ?

dano

I had not seen this thread over the 4th of July holiday..... thanks for bringing it back up, dano ... unfortunately, my father passed away (cancer) at the age of 65, one year after he retired ... as I am now 61, I realize just how young he was ... thinking back, my father was always the ROCK of the family ... no matter what the problem, people called on "Frank" to help them out, and he never refused... I regret the fact that my children, who were 12 and 9 at the time of his death never really got to know him.... while admittedly having no musical talent, he urged me on to study an instrument, and I know how proud he was whenever I played, especially if he was able to book my band for some kind of social function ... he showed me how to be strong, gentle, tough, considerate, all at the same time ... and when he was 40 yrs old,, working out every night to pass a NYC physical exam for a job, he showed me that whatever the odds, if you want something enough to sacrifice for it, you can attain it ... it was 24 yrs last month since he left this world, and I still think of him just about every day, and often find myself asking "how would Dad have handled this" ... I didn't tell him often enough how much I loved him, but I think he knew ... and I miss him ...

DanO,
My Dad past away 45 years ago. He was 49 years old, and died from Sugar Dieabetes(don't know if I spelled that right)because I could not get him to take care of himself!
My Mom had lift him and he was never the same after that! He started drinking.
I had just married and I and my young wife took him in with us.
But we both had to work, and we come to find him drunk or not at home at all! I would have to go and find him and bring him home! Some times that was hard to do! He had a lot of so called buddies in there who sometimes made it very hard to get him out of the tavern! Anyway this made it almost impossible to control his blood sugar!
He just kept getting worse & worse I finally had to do the thing that breaks my heart!! I had to put him in a rest home, where someone could watch him.
I've had people to ask me why couldn't your wife stay home him? My wife was 19 years old and shy I couldn't put her in this situation
she went thru enough for 1 1/2 years anyway.
He died 3 months before our first baby was born!

I was born on a little 40 acre farm in Missouri on a spot called "Pea Ridge" don't know why they called it that!

My Dad? from the time I can remember I was with him. We did everything together. We were very poor as far as money! But rich in many other ways!
We worked the little farm. Back then we had a team of horses Jiggs & Molly! We plowed with a walk behind plow.Dad and I did everything together We went squirrel & rabbit hunting, also fishing. Not just for fun but out of necessity
Our toilet was a little house out back. You know the one with the Wards or Sears catalogue!
You know us kids used to look at all the ladies underwear in there! You know!
Just for a joke on my sister heard her say she was going to the toilet, I stuck my finger in the bucket of grease in the shop and I rubbed it around the hole! Guess what it wasn't her that went first! Twas my "DAD" wow! Where can I hide! There was a colvert under the road near our home were I hid. But there was a big maple tree in out in our front yard where my dad could always manage to cut off a switch. I thought maybe one day he would have them all cut off out of his reach! Ha!
Guess what? I think where I was hiding was the first place he looked!!
I'll always remember & love my Dad!
Nobby



[This message has been edited by Nobby (edited 07-12-2002).]

My Dad....Wow...
Born 1912
Died 1989
Started playing his life of music with the "Boys Brigaid" in London, 1926.
Member of the Royal Marine Band / London.
Fought with the Royal Navy in WW2. Was on the Manchester during the pursuit of the Bismark in the North Sea.
Naden Band in Victoria, B.C. from 1951 to 1960 inclusing a 2 year stint as Bandmaster.
During this time he also had two dance bands on the side. I didn't see much of my father.
He was always out with his small groups after a day at the base.
Retired from the Navy in '63.
Attained his teaching certification and proceeded to teach High School music 'til 1977, when his health forced him to retire.
Somewhat unstoppable, he joined up with the Shriners Band/Victoria B.C. chapter and was with them for 3 years.
My world as a child was constantly filled with Symphonies, Marches, and Big Band sound.
I guess that's partly where I get my appreciation for music.
Dad died in his sleep as a result of his bout with cancer.
Those are my thots.....

It's fasinating to read about other member's Dads on this thread. I guess it's time to add my thoughts.

I'm lucky because I've had not only one, but two fathers. The 'first' one both fathered me into this world, and then had the 'self less' compassion to give me up for adoption (because he realized that he & my birth mother were no longer capable to raise me along with their already large family). I was blessed again to have been chosen by my adoptive Dad (and Mom) when I was three years old. My Dad was always the envy of all my friends, because he always made it a point to take time from his hectic schedule (small businessman: liquor store chain owner) to take me on fishing trips, scouting events, ballgames (Giants/49ers), and attended many of my school sporting activities. Where some of my other friend's dads discouraged their sons from pursuing the arts, my Dad (though not musically or artistically inclined himself) always encouraged me in pursuing music & the arts, and I'm forever grateful for his support. The BIG influence my Dad had on influencing me musically was that he had (years before I was born) a side job of supplying records (45's, remember them?) for jukeboxes in local establishments. As a result, he was able to keep (and collect) 100's (maybe thousands?) of used classic 45's from the 1950s & 60's, and I listened to & emulated EVERY ONE of them starting at the age of 3. I spent countless hours listening to the music of that era which included: Sinatra, Bobby Daren, Nat Cole, Hank Williams, Ray Price, Hank Thompson, Web Pierce, Jim Reeves, Patsy Cline, Elvis, Beatles, etc. My Dad's #1 love: "Classic Country" has certainly influenced my current musical performance style. I particularly appreciate the sounds of traditional Country artists because what they sing (and the stories they tell) is so REAL & Sincere, and not just commercialized (like so much of the junk out there today). I strive to bring back 'honest sincerity' to music.

Though my Dad passed away 5 years ago, his spirit will live on (thru me) as I strive to live my life thru the values he instilled in me. - Scott

Side note: I'm convinced that our artistic inclinations are at least partly 'genetically inherited' because I was fortunate to have the opportunity to re-meet my birth family (after growing up) to find that they are all naturally talented musicians, whereas my adoptive family (though they enjoy listening to music) are not into making music themselves.

Scott

My dad Francisco Albuquerque.
Born 1906
Died 1986.

My Dad was a great classical guitarist and also played accordion.
I still have two accordions that dad played.
A Scandalli Super 6/120 and a Honner/80.
My Dad fovourit phrase : ALL MUSICIAN IS A GOD NEIGHBOR.

My regards
Chico