It should be swell to release Sam’s last recordings tonight with all sorts of people from the past and present but like finishing this record what pisses me off is the fact that he isn’t here to enjoy it. Now Magazine interviewed me and asked what sort of legacy I was hoping for him. I paused a long time, I’m more interested in him being alive than whatever legacy there might be.

I didn’t know what to say to the guy even though I know he meant well. A lot of people were moved by their personal experiences with Sam but the talk about a hope for his future was too weird because it’s about what we do when we’re alive that matters.

I’m glad I got to say goodbye by working with him all those recent Sunday mornings and hearing him gab and gossip and complain and cajole. Eventually he explained the health problems but he always framed it in a positive way. He had a young Doctor and he thought very highly of him.

After he died I remembered a telephone call one afternoon in 1984.
“Bob, you busy Thursday?”
“No.”
“I’m getting married on Thursday and I was wondering if you would have time to come, this would be at City Hall Bob around 11:30.”
“You’re getting married? Do I know her?”
“Uh huh at 11:30 and we can go out to a little place afterward. No you don’t know her, she’s someone from work.”
“Sure ok.”

I looked her up after and found her online and wrote to her.
“Wasn’t I at your wedding 30 years ago?
“You were the best man.”
“Really?”
“I have pictures!”

I invited her to the release as well but she lives away and it isn’t going to work out. There are other people who live away that I contacted 5 sent me videos and we’ll screen them. Eileen O’Toole, Maria Grey, Diane Barbarash, Deb Montgomery & Thomas Sarantos. It should be a fun night.

And these people are performing

Brian Jantzi
Honey Novick
Kwesi Immanuel
Julia Rohan
Derek Currie
Robert Priest
Sarah Greene
Howard Gladstone
Brad McInnis
Johann Löwenberg
Tom St, Louis & Theresa Gregory
Lynn Harrison
Steve-Paul Simms
Kyp Harness
Don Kerr
Tony & Veronica
Glen Gary
Marianne Girard
Ben Bootsma