Category Archives: In Memory

Licensed to 3: Yauch Concluded

(click image for full size)

part 1, part 2

When I was a kid and the Beastie Boys first got play for their music video, I had a hard time figuring out what the word Ill was, but I did know what a Roman Numeral three looked like. So I often wondered if these Brooklyn guys really had two other records out there and people were just saying Ill because they didn’t know. What could I say? I was a goofy kid.

Before I go on, Ch-Check THIS out. Neal Brennan (now know as awesome in my book) knows the pain we’re feeling. Co-creator of Chapelle’s Show, he unleashed an appearance of the Bea-stie-Boys LIVE outdoors in 2004 – never seen until now. Already erased by Viacom at least once, it’s back! I’ll make a dupe of this just to make sure it’ll be harder to kill than a certain Holiday Special. Hurry and watch the clip below – and get more blown away since I won’t say what song it is. [I’d say to watch out for language, but even work should let you blast this. You’re mourning, yo!]

This post was intended as a conglomerate of links and images. Since I came across some great articles and stories which I mostly hid in the other two posts, I figured why not make this subject a trilogy and make it a hodgepodge of links and images amongst additional material. To tease a taste, here’s someone’s tribute to MCA/Nathan Wind – delivering pizza dressed as Cochese.

New York officially mourns the death of Adam Yauch.  Don’t believe me?  Here’s the document for proof, or watch the video below. Continue reading →

Singnature Bassist – Donald Dunn

According to longtime pal and bandmate Steve “The Colonel” Cropper, Donald “Duck” Dunn passed away in his sleep; in Tokyo while on tour.  As lore states (according to Blues Brothers Central):

“Duck’ Dunn was a member of Jake and Elwood’s Blues Brothers Band in the 1970s until Jake went to prison. He then joined Murph and the MagicTones along with several other ex-members, until he rejoined the Blues Brothers Band in 1979. After a very brief tour, he went to prison with the rest of the band. By 1998 he was out of prison and working with Steve ‘The Colonel’ Cropper hosting WEXR 103.7 Talk Radio in Chicago. It was there that Elwood Blues convinced him to come back to the band, where he remained for several more years. His current whereabouts are unknown.”

If you prefer the “IRL” story of Dunn, why read it?  Check this short retrospective; produced in 2005 by Dan Lakin for the Lakland 10th anniversary concert.

How do I remember him best?  As the genius of an electrician who was the only member of the band Jake Blues shot straight with and had the most reverence for.  Donald quit his job working for a burglar alarm company to help get the band back together, but absconded with forgot to return the company van in the process.  If you don’t remember that part of the movie, or if you love alternate histories of anything, then read the book!  It’ll make you love Dunn (and the other members) all the more.

Even though the obvious clip would be the snazzy version of Dunn and company backing Cab Calloway Curtis, what better way to show off this bassist’s moves than seeing “The Duck” shake his tailfeather?

Thanks for the grooves, the pipe, and the times you rocked the fiery halo of a hairstyle.

(click the pic for the bigger version)

MCA: Who Let the Beat Drop?*

*The title does NOT insinuate the subject dropped anything except amazing albums, forward thinking, and proving a man [or band] can embrace a past just as much as denouncing parts of it without needing to be defensive; along with unabashedly making a difference in this world.  Mike D, Ad-Rock and MCA created the beat and passed it along to us: making it our responsibility not to let it drop…or fall silent on the turntables of today or the future.

It was downtown Chicago in the year 2000.  Rush hour as I remember it, but there was always some form of constant congestion; far as surface streets were concerned.  I couldn’t say there was any cruising on that occasion, but it sure did feel like it at points.  Blame/Praise the music for that.

There were two of us in a freshly battle-damaged Budget [rent-a-]van.  Going  between locations for a feature film, I was riding shotgun and intermittently wincing from the rays of “golden hour” whenever the sunlight slipped between buildings and connected with a direct hit to either eyeball.

Both windows were down and the sonic libations flowed freely – forming a sound loop engulfing a lane’s worth on both sides of the truck, which was rented on the dime of the “production company” as the duo referred to themselves.  Loud as it was, the driver could still shout over musical firepower of this magnitude: known as the Beastie Boys. Continue reading →

Mike Dorsey – March 23rd 2012

You should have been here.

You should have been thirty-four.

You should been unable to take my call: spending the time with your wife.  Your son.  A daughter- though she couldn’t lay eyes on you just yet.

I should have heard a story from my brother – making me jealous I missed another hangout session; or rather, jealous of whatever spirit was ingested during a celebration.

Instead, it’s a spirit I can only remember.

By now I should know what to call you – besides Mikey.

Instead: I know F (or L?) a bit.  I know C.  I kind of know S.  I should know them better.  I hope.  Just as I hope I did a good enough job listening and knowing who you are…

…because some questions still haven’t been answered.  You know I’m patient – sometimes too much so.  I wait.  I hope.

Maybe I’m here because I still have to try helping as many as you have.  If it can ever be counted.

I’m happy for what I ha[d]ve with you.

People say to celebrate.  Not mourn.  I’m trying.

Pencils Down: Ralph McQuarrie (1929–2012)

Any kid (or kid at heart) who passing through the eighties had some sort of indelible impression made by Ralph McQuarrie.  He influenced so many decades before and after, but the obvious is any walking out of a theater during blockbuster season and spending all week trying to keep the imagery from flooding their heads.  If you randomly chuckle when saying you need to phone home, imitate breathing behind a black helmet, or mention something about an object among ‘top men’…then indirectly you have this guy to thank.  Anyone worth their lore knows the tale of this guy’s concept work being the only reason Lucas got a green light concerning a space opera.

If you read this and you agree with the statement(s) above at all, doodle something on a napkin and say thanks to McQ. Even post it as a comment.  Maybe I will too.

One of the cool things about Mr. McQuarrie was turning down doing the prequel Star Wars episodes because he felt it should be passed to a new artist for the next generation.  Very classy (even if I can’t remember when/where I read it).

To read a little more, check this great writeup from tor.com by Irene Gallo:
http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/03/ralph-mcquarrie-19292012

The comments at the bottom are fantastic as well, so do a favor and scroll down if you peek there.

(Hit the jump to see familiar imagery.) Continue reading →

My Departed Other Brother: Mike Dorsey

Michael "Parks" Dorsey on the job
Mikey:

We had good times drunk.
We had great times sober.
We smoked cigars to the Sugarcubes
and we took a road like no other-
which cannot ever be taken by anyone else
ever again.
Continue reading →

Michael “Parks” Dorsey: 1978-2012

There’s no good way to put this news, so I’ll rely on others to speak for me…

The Daisy Mountain Fire Department is mourning the loss of Engineer Paramedic Michael David Dorsey, 33, who passed away in his home the morning of January 16th 2012.  He leaves behind his wife Felisha, who is five months pregnant with their first child together.

Mike, formerly Michael Parks, was a 15 year veteran of the fire service.  He has served as a member of the Daisy Mountain Fire Department for the last five years.

Mike’s death has come as a shock to the whole department.  “It is difficult to put into words the sadness and emptiness that our organization is going through with the loss of our friend and colleague Michael Dorsey” said Daisy Mountain Fire Chief Mark Nichols. “He was a valued member and will be greatly missed. I know our organization is a better place for having had him here.”

An account has been established to help the Dorsey family.
Donations can be made at Chase Bank, account 2997857764, in the name of
“Daisy Mountain Firefighters Charities Association.”

Continue reading →

R.I.P. Jeff Freeman: 1968-2008

I happened upon this and knew many people would take interest.  Some of you may want to know, and many are aware he was a developer for Star Wars Galaxies.  At times he was also the figurehead/scapegoat for some of the game’s modification: unfair as those accusations were.

http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/posts/list.m?topic_id=756313

[link since defunct]

His brother got word out via a variety of MMO forums:

“Some of you know who Jeff Freeman was; he was the lead designer at Sony when the major changes were made to SWG that left so many upset. Although it was not his fault he took the brunt of the criticisms, attacks, and even death threats.

Some of you may have even known him back in the UO days as Dundee, Guild Master of the Nameless Ones on Lake Superior and later the administrator of the private UO server World of Dreams.

I am not sure why I have chosen this forum to share this news; it may be that I would have loved to see Jeff build the game that he really wanted to, if he was running a private server. You see I am his brother. On September 24th Jeff took his own life. I am not angry at him or anyone else, sad yes, like so many others I feel a bit of guilt but I love my brother and I am thankful that he is no longer suffering.”

Obituary:
Some additional links and places to find food for thought…
Tribute/eulogy by Raph Koster:
Article via Escape Magazine:

EDIT:
Sadly, it seems his blog has gone defunct since his death. I was
hoping someone tried to preserve it somehow, but alas. Maybe his
brother was able to archive some of this, but I have no clue as of now.
Let me know if there’s info.

On a related note, his “memory book” has expired as well.  It takes paltry amount to keep it open forever: as is $80US.  That is less than most people spend to play the average MMO for a year.