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Current mood:  sad
by Justin boyd
For the 99.8%
of you that do not know, I used to manage bands before I came to work
at insidestl.com. I worked with one band exclusively for many years and
saw the world with/through them for a long time. That band was 360Smile
from here in St. Louis. We toured through 15+ states together over the
4 years I was with them and logged 10's of thousands of miles on the
road in busses, vans and trucks and shared more experiences than I
could count.
Josh Herr, the singer for the
band and a great friend of mine passed away yesterday very suddenly.
Instead of a retrospective piece about his musical career, I decided to
publish my letter to Josh I wrote last evening on the night of his
death. Josh was an immensely talented guy and I along with countless
others miss him greatly. RIP
Dear Josh,
Well, I guess it is over now. The pain
that built up inside for so long no longer has its grip. I am sorry to
see you go out like this because you truly deserved more. For what you
left behind and the thousands of people you touched I will just say
that we will all miss you. I also know for a fact that we are all better for having had you in our lives for all these years.
Your talent as a musician was both immense and awe inspiring at times. The music
you gave to all of us truly moved and shaped my life in a different
direction. Your words on paper and the sounds you could make from a
guitar changed the path of my life for the better and I cannot thank
you or repay you in any way that makes up for what you allowed all of
us to do. I experienced so many things with you guys, my brothers, my
band, that I cannot believe it is over. Looking back I think those will
be some of the best times of our lives and having spent them with you I
cannot thank you enough for just being here with me. With us.
We laughed together, we fought...I mean
physically fought but in the end it was OK because that is what
brothers do. We were all in this thing together. Dedicated to one
common cause and no matter what we had to do, we would overcome any
obstacles to get there. We achieved a lot and the fruits of our labor
and your songwriting came to fruition in the fact that THOUSANDS of
people got to hear your words as they represented all of us. You were
the centerpiece of this operation and without you, it would have never
existed.
We shared so much in the back of a van.
So many stories, laughs, insults, punches, drinks. We gave each other
advice on life and tried to back each other up. We were lucky to have
you with us because you actually did give a fuck and we knew that. You
were a great friend to me and over the past year I am sorry that I let
life let us drift apart somewhat because now I will pay every day in
the fact that we cannot talk again. Ever. All that is left is your
words in song and my memories of our times together.
I guess it is over now. I feel horrible
that your children must go through their life now without your
guidance. They will never hear you sing another song you are working on
or hear your laugh. I am just sorry that they don't have their DAD
because even through all the rockstar shit, I think that is what you
took the most pride in.
I am sorry you left under these
circumstances and I know that you had more to do here but I know you
are out there somewhere. Please know that we all loved and
appreciated you for the person you were first, then everything else.
You worked your ass off and accomplished a lot. I am proud of you man.
I am happy the pain is gone and you are in a better place. Your music
is your legacy now.
You learn a lot about a person if you
are crammed in a tight space for hours at a time and I most certainly
learned that about you Josh. We shared many things but more
importantly, we shared LIFE. We lived opportunities that people dream
about and I cannot say that I would have wanted to spend that time with
anyone else besides the 4 guys in this band and the people that helped
us get there along the way. I know you enjoyed your 29 years here and I
know you made the most of it.
All I can say is thank you. Thank you
for being my friend. Thank you for your music. Thank you for changing
our lives for the better. Thank you for being you. I love you brother.
I will not forget.
Goodbye. For now.
- Justin (2:17 AM / 10-23-09)
3:59 PM
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