I'm too tired to think. I'm almost overwhelmingly exhausted, and weighed down with sorrow. I have put the finishing touches on my speech for Dad's funeral tomorrow, and my nephew has made a wonderful video tribute. I won't link it here yet, I will wait until after the official 'premiere' tomorrow. My father is lying at the local funeral home, and I hate the thought of him being there. I guess I don't want him to be there alone, but the stupid thing is, Dad liked being on his own.
I'm also saddened by the death of Stevie Wright. Goodness, he was a talented dynamo. What a pity he wasn't equipped to cope with the business side and the pressures of the industry. It's like he, and others who suffer similar indignities like Pete Hamm from Badfinger, have the talent but they get fucked over by the corporate sector of the recording business. I was at a rock concert some years ago, and an announcement was made that during intermission, there would be people collecting donations for a charity called Support Act, which was to allow people like Stevie Wright some dignity. I don't mind giving to that charity. I'm no business woman. There but for the grace of God etc. Not that I would be recording anything because I can't sing for peanuts, although that doesn't seem to stop other people.
Someone said to me tonight, jokingly, 'I guess you're old enough to have been an Easybeats fan, Old Girl.' I tutted and said my memories of Stevie were from his solo career in the 70s. I loved 'Guitar Band' when I was a kid. Saw Stevie in 1986, when he was supporting The Sweet. Some of you will know The Sweet were my faves as a kid. This concert was at Selinas, and my cousin, her friend, and I stood outside waiting to go in, and I was chattering, and broke off in a daze, pointing, as I said, 'That's them...'. Yeah, a little way away were some of the members of The Sweet, having a quick ciggie before entering the venue to get ready. What an awesome concert it was. I was looking forward to seeing Stevie as much as The Sweet. When Stevie came on, I didn't recognise him because I was expecting a guy with long hair and a flowing shirt. The apparition that walked onstage had an Eighties perm and a wardrobe straight out of 'Miami Vice'. It was only that he nodded and smiled at the audience gave me an inkling this just might be Stevie. But when he swung into his opening number, 'Guitar Band', there was no doubt it was him. He really rocked the stage, and my cousin actually enjoyed him more than The Sweet (I enjoyed both acts equally). He also did some of the Easybeats numbers, and everyone was dancing when he sang 'I'll Make You Happy'. His grand finale was 'Evie 1, 2 and 3'. But where was 'that' song? He left the stage, and we kept cheering and calling for more. He would have known we were going to do that, because he came back on and yep, did 'Friday On My Mind'.
Saddened by the indignities he suffered. Saddened he was ill. Saddened he's gone.
Vale Stevie.
PS I wonder will my Dad recognise him if he starts up singing? We used to blare 'Guitar Band' on the old Sanyo tape recorder in the car when we were going somewhere.
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