Friday, February 26, 2010

Farewell to a Friend

Gary Robertson

I will be in St. Louis this weekend to pay tribute to my friend Gary Robertson, who died on February 12th, of Multiple Myeloma. He was 62. I am going to play the piano at his memorial service, which will be Sunday, February 28th. I am going to play my compositions The Way Home and Letter From Home, respectively symbolizing his continuing journey and our song of gratitude for his years on this earth. He also requested that I play the John Williams' Hymn to the Fallen from the film Saving Private Ryan.

Gary was a gifted director and playwright. Writing the musical scores for his productions of Equus, Summer and Smoke, and A Streetcar Named Desire will remain highlights of my creative life. I remember so many details from our collaborations: moving sets around at 1 AM in an empty theater: me yelling, tearing my shirt off and kicking the wall because I accidentally erased a wonderful cue, while Gary laughed at my outburst. To see Gary's production of Sunday in the Park with George was an indescribable pleasure.

In addition to his talents, Gary was a wonderful human being, and I was proud to call him my friend. This weekend I will say goodbye to Gary for the last time.

Please pray for his wife Jeanie, their children Jennifer and Sean, and the host of friends Gary had around the world. He will be missed.

2 comments:

  1. i'm sorry with the loss of a friend, your music is a very fullfilling beauty. thank you and the song" prelude" put me in the mind of that time when a man struggles at the end of life and the sorrow that can be turned into joy and the endless joy that god haas waiting for us as we enter his presence...

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  2. So sorry to hear of your friend's death, Mike. I pray that your time at the funeral was significant and also a comfort. I am sure you and your music were a blessing!

    Jeff Bjorck

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Welcome to my News Page. This is where you will find up to the minute information about recording projects, new releases, upcoming performances and more. You will want to visit every week because each FridayI will be offering a new original song for you to download.........free! In addition, from time to time I will be sharing studio happenings, what I am listening to, favorite books, and glimpses into my personal life. Please feel free to leave comments and suggestions on what you would like to know about me and my music.

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