In the brief innocence of a new morning, before the random assaults of things undone hits home, I chanced to look upon the half-folded calendar and realized there was a birthday to soon be celebrated for a dear friend who had truly "Found His Way Home".
Though Bruce passed in August of 2006, his April 7th birthday will always be celebrated by me. Since my birthday being only 25 days later, I always felt a karmic link between our respective birthdays.
We are told to believe Bruce is in a better place, a tough truth to handle when his birthday arrives, and once again you go through the emotional matrix of the "whys" and "hows" of his too soon passing. The "if onlys" invariably screw with your thin layer of acceptance no matter what!! I guess I had better leave these metaphysical meanderings for other times.
Today, Bruce's birthday is center-ring, the main attraction, the headline act. Its meaning clearly different today than from the not so distant past.
Even though gifts will not be purchased, or cards lovingly written, our prayers and thanksgiving for all he had been to each of us will be sent wherever his spirit may be hovering today. I say hovering, for dear Bruce was a hover-er if there ever was one. He was always peering over, or under, between or betwixt, you and whatever it was that compelled his hovering. This was, indeed, a Bruce moment of inquisitive delight whose gratification was usually at your expense.
This in your face, curious George encounter, at times was a pain in the arse, but now, in hindsight, this was Bruce's bottom-line edict that he would not be left out of anything he felt privy to no matter the "what" or the "who". His boldness would entitle him to look under any curtain, ask any question, question any answer, vault on stage to play with a music hero of his choice, whether he was invited or not, always craving interaction, whether favorable or not. I did often interpret this as negative and selfish behavior, but now, in retrospect, I better understand his drive for every crumb of experience that did take him to the heights of his profession.
Today I pray his spirit jumpstarts my joy and passion for the life we have, rather than the narrow minded view of how life should be, instead of what truly is. I celebrate Bruce's birthday in spite of my own sadness and desire in wishing he was still Here and Now. For I tell you this, if I could wish him back for a moment, I would be the one hovering ever so closely over his left shoulder, pinching him affectionately on his right cheek, as he would often do to me, and pestering him to share a meal, have music jams from dawn till dusk, see the latest hot flick, scan the heavenlies with his prized telescope, jack the coolest illegal downloads on his computer, take on the Topanga Mountain Trails on an insane bike-ride, check out the latest comedy sketches from Mason, Pryor, Carlin and Dangerfield, and laugh 'til our sides were splitting, and of course, after a show, go cruising the clubs for the perfect Fräulein to fall in love with, at least for a night anyway …
Though Bruce's drum seat be vacant, his spirit and love for life, lingers on in our memories, and serve as a reminder of the benevolent good that surrounds us all, if we choose to embrace it.
Happy Birthday Brucie Baby …
Affectionately,
Wastecoat "Prescott" Niles
--------------------Happy birthday, ya mensch. I'm six months behind ya. Our mutual engineer pal, Dave Kephart, and I were talking about you recently, and how we missed conspiring with you. We have 14 Jimi Hendrix radio specials left to do.
I ran into Prescott at the Motels gig at Warner Center last summer and we spent half the time talking about Capitol. Bruce Garfield, the Knack's A&R guy, reminded him I did the press kit for their first album and he actually recalled it. I told him his management was a pain in the ass and he laughed: "So were we." The rest of the time we spent talking about you. He told me a couple stories that were priceless and best left off the record.
Another friend of mine is developing a new invention drummers are going to love, and I wanted to ask you to try it out and see if it could withstand the ultimate pounding by a madman skinbasher on the road. If you thought it was cool, I knew it was worthy.
When The Venures were inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, I recalled the bitchen tape I have of you backing them on the Japanese tour in the mid '90s when Mel checked out. Loved Mel, but you should have also been at that ceremony. Maybe you were.
You'd love the interviews with Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Jack White in the new Rolling Stone. It's about continuity.
When my time comes, which won't be any time soon, please God, I'll be packing a quiver of ProMarks and there had better be another kit up there for me because we're going to rock it until the angels throw down their wings. Meanwhile, I will miss you and cherish the times we had together.
Stephen K. Peeples
--------------------I awoke today with thoughts of Bruce etched in my mind. I still can't believe or accept the reality of Bruce's (too soon) "exit, stage left" heavenly departure home. It is now April 7th, and that would have prompted a call from Bruce to make sure I didn't forget just how special this day was. Of course, I knew it was his Birthday (like I would have forgotten after being his rhythm buddy for 20+ years). But Bruce was being Bruce, and had to reassure himself that I did not have temporal amnesia and somehow would not have called to wish him a Happy Birthday.
Well Bruce, wherever your spirit may presently reside, I with countless friends, fans and admirers will pause from the mundane affairs of this day and offer you the sincerest of sincere Birthday wishes ever imaginable!! Though you are not here in your flesh, your spirit will pick up on the magnitude of our love for all you meant to us while here, and now in loving remembrance.
We are all victims, as Bruce was, in opposition to what is, rather than what isn't, according to our own version of what is expected to happen in our lives. I would have never imagined that this April 7th, Bruce's Birthday, would be celebrated without him with us in this earthly place. I know in my heart and spirit that Bruce is more than okay and lives in a wonderful peace that not one of us now can ever comprehend or grasp until our own departure day. The longing we're left with is but a dim reflection of our dis-ease with the temporal duration of our earthly stay.
With God, we can't have it our way or at our time, since what we don't know is a universe in itself, and since God has spun our universe into existence, who are we to challenge, correct, analyze, resent or question, when what is known is but a drop in life's bucket when compared to what we don't yet even fathom.
Yet, after all that I have written, and with all the Spiritual Maturity that I claim to possess, I still moan and groan, and wish, with the purist of loving intentions, that you were here just one more time to Celebrate your Birthday with me and with the many who truly loved you!!!
Catch you later Bruce ...
AND AGAIN ... HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
Prescott