R.I.P.

A very close friend of 63 years, and fellow musician, Frank D passed away yesterday after fighting cancer for several years ... Frank, 80 years of age, was the founder and drummer in our NY band, "The Keynotes" ... when we first met as teenagers, we each had our own 'Rock and Roll' band, but shortly after Frank convinced me to join his band, and the rest, as they say, is history ... 26 years together as band mates with the same 3 other guys, we went from playing high school RnR dances, to college parties, and then weddings and dinner dances ... we had quite a history together in what I personally consider the very BEST times for live music - we played in OUR style and people hired us because of it - ... If a company move to RI hadn't taken me away, who knows how long the band would have stayed together, but it was a great run none the less ...
I'll miss my friend Frank, but I know the Great Band in Heaven has another drummer helping them out ...

I realize none of you knew Frank, but I just had to share ...

here are "The Keynotes", circa 1968 ...

Nice to know there are people here who think enough of their friends and band-mates to share their loss with us, even though we are complete strangers. Thanks, Tony. You are a "class act" and I'm sure your friend is enjoying that "Heavenly Gig."

R.I.P. Frank D.

----Dave

Tony, Sorry to hear of Frank’s passing, I know we spoke about his health problems at breakfast a couple of weeks ago. May he RIP!

Maybe he will save a couple spots in his band for some of us!
Sorry for your loss Tony. Sometimes it is as hard to lose a good friend as it is to lose a family member. Lately I've gotten a little numb because a LOT my contemporaries are leaving.
I hate funerals, but sure do go to a lot of them these days.

Tony, sorry for your loss..

Like DonM, I am so tired of funerals.. The last 10 days or so.. I have loss a cousin, 3 friends, family members of 2 friends, 4 of my past customers, 3 more classmates, a neighbor, and it looks like I will be losing another neighbor friend soon..

I have stopped going to funerals, I know it is for the benefit of the living, but I am not sure it helps at this stage..

I like to think on this forum,there are no strangers,just friends
who have not yet met.

Tony, I lost my long time music partner, Tommy Johnston a few years ago. He was 40 and I was around 20 when we joined up. He was my teacher. We worked as a duo in the winter and a trio in the summer, at a chain of Holiday Inns all the time I was in graduate school.

He played B-3 and I played guitar, banjo, mandolin, etc and sang.
As he got older and arthritis set in, I played more bass guitar; then Whirlitzer piano with a Fender finger-bass.

There's nothing like the bond between musicians on the same page.

So sorry for your loss.


Russ

P.S, I still have my Danelectro Sytar/guitar like the one in the photo. You may remember, I posted a photo of Tommy and I from the 70's last year, complete with puffy sleeved shirts, a hippy painted Mosrite double neck guitar and a melodica.

Tommy was a police judge in the daytime. He made the national news when he raided a cock fight. It took a bus to haul in all the people he arrested. The photo of his father getting on the buss was picked up by UPI and circulated all over the country.

I still miss the old SOB.

Sorry for your loss Tony. Thoughts and prayers are with you.
JM

I’m so sorry Tony. Cherish all those memories you have of Frank D. It’s a blessing you got to play music together for so many years.

Sorry for your loss. The funerals do get tiring, my brother-in-law just passed.

Thank you all for your kind words ...
And thank you, Nigel, for S-Z, a gathering place for support of all kinds ...
God Bless 🙏

Tony, losing a special friend is like losing part of yourself. We live with many memories; precious ones and your friend has left you with some beautiful ones.

My friend, sax player, lives alone, no car, very little money, and an aching body; I see him every Friday for the last five years. We have breakfast and talk about the good times we had. I will miss him.

Tony, embrace your precious memories, part of your friend is still with you.

John C.

Sorry for your loss Tony. Very sad losing a friend or relative.

Very sorry for your loss. My other two bandmates from my very sucessful Trio yearss ago are both gone. Way too young. Glad you had the chance to play in the good old band days, it was fun for all of us.

Tony - sorry to hear your sad news. The "good old" days seem to be the more fun days since music was totally live and each musician relied on each other for support. So it's definitely sad when the old friends and bandmates disappear. I have a friend (similar situation) who is facing tough medical issues and he is apparently refusing treatment. Keep the fun memories alive and smile each time they pass your mind.