The entire music community is saddened on the heels of the departure of Sean Fitzgerald, who was tragically killed in a recent car accident.
Sean was a singular individual. He loved music and songwriting, and he always encouraged others to speak their piece musically--no matter their skill level or stage of development. And he cared about the world and about ordinary people. Sometimes, he'd go on and .. a song about this-or-that situation in the world--offering his views--and sometimes it was annoying, but now I miss that about him. The thing is he was a voice for anyone who ever wanted a voice themselves but couldn't find it. He compelled others to speak up, to make themselves known.
In 1999, when I first started writing songs and performing publicly, Sean was a great encourager--at a time when I was feeling like "What on earth am I doing here?" He validated my path and helped me feel okay as a performer, and as a member of the larger music community. I called him for advice when I got my very first paying gig--wondering how much I money I should ask for (I didn't have a clue back then). Sean suggested that he himself would be quite happy with $20-30 for a 3 hour gig, owing to his "utilitarian philosophy" he said. And while I thought this was way too little a sum, I now appreciate how much it says about him as a person. His interest was in sharing his ideas and music, receiving a little something in return to pay his way in the world, and little else. Humble he was, in this way.
Something we can all learn from...
And what great songs that captured the essence of Detroit, love, and loss...and what a wonderful, natural and relaxed performance style, which I was always admiring of...
Bless your spirit Sean.
Fly, fly, fly with the angels.