On drums...

My good friend and bass player that stood along side my kit for a solid 10 years, making some of the best music I've ever made, was just told he has cancer and 4 months to live.
Truly heartbroken.
His name is Marty and I'm asking Heaven for a divine helping hand.

What can I say, Kelly. Prayers.

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Gregory

Kelly,

I'll keep Marty and his family in prayer...and you too Kelly that you may have the wisdom and inspiration to respond in friendship and love with the time that is left. A bass player friend died of an inoperable brain tumor some 10 years ago on Good Friday. He was given a handful of months and fought for three years. He was only 39. I played with Andy in three different bands over the years. Bass players and drummers can bond intensely beyond the music. I thank God that I was touring in the Dallas area a couple of weeks before he died and had a day off to spend with him and his family in Arlington.

To make a long story short, that day with Andy is one of the most intense and beautiful days of my life. I assume Marty is back home so I encourage you to go up see him as soon as you have a chance.

Roland

Thank you Greg. Thank you Roland.
I am trying desperately to go see him. He took off for California in a last ditch effort to try some experimental treatments.
He is only 48, with a wife, no kids. And of course now they are in financial trouble with him being out of work and medical bills.
They had a benefit for him in our home town last weekend. The write up called him "a long time local music hero". And that's exactly what he is.

I spent a few of those days Roland with a friend I grew up with. Cancer took him at 28 years old. It was as you say. I'll never forget it. Thanks for sharing that.

Wow, that is truly heartbreaking. Being in the medical field myself, I know how far we have come and how far we still have to go in treating cancer. It is a dreadful moving target.

Best wishes to both of you. I hope he can find some quality care to help him through, and you can find some peaceful time with him.

In my thoughts,

- David

Amen David. Thank you brother.

My thoughts are with you Kelly...

A friend of mine fought colon cancer for 6 years before finally giving in. Two days before he died, I went to see him and we spent as much time as he could tolerate. We shared a lot that day. Brad got me interested in hockey. Made me a Blackhawk fan. We made a last game together at the end of the season that year. I can't watch a game without thinking of him...

Sorry Dave. What a loss. Thanks for sharing that.
This one is really affecting me. Maybe it's my age.
I'm non stop praying for a miracle. I can't accept it at his point, as long as he has breath I'm praying.
At least once a day my heart sinks and the tears come.
Someone posted a video of the benefit and Marty was up there playing a few songs. Just like I remember him.
Those were great musical days.

It seems that the gift left us by loved ones that suffer in illness and allow us to journey with them is the journey itself. If we allow the process to change us and alter our sense of priority, the gift of that contact continues to manifest itself long after they are gone. For me, the greatest change continues to be my use of time. For most of my life, I have made a living as a musician and teacher with odd day jobs thrown in. I have also spent a good portion of that time in some form of music ministry for my church. Even though these are good things in themselves, I had to realize that my time with my kids was limited only to what I chose to consciously give them, not to mention my relationship with my wife. As brand new "empty nesters", I am painfully aware of the the wasted opportunities.

Hopefully, we allow these times of pain and loss to create times of greater joy and appreciation in the other areas of life. I find that I have to relearn these lessons with the passing of each friend.

Roland

Very sad to hear this Kelly - very sad...

A bass player I played with since 2007, got diagnosed with Lymphoma several months ago. In fact, we played a gig in March, and the next day he was in hospital because he wasn't able to breath...

He's finishing his chemo therapy - I hope everything will be OK. I mentioned him thousand times - stay strong and positive, and miracles can happen...

Same goes here Kelly - never lose faith and miracles CAN happen...
I'll pray for your friend - hope a miracle will happen in California...



This reminded me of my father, when I squeezed his hand before they put him in the ambulance, telling him all will be ok... Some moments can never be erased...

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Goki - short from Goran

Let the good drums roll!!!