Chris Gaffney 1950 - 2008

My other big brother, Chris Gaffney passed away Thursday morning, April 17, 2008.

I really don't know what to say right now but I feel that I have to say something. First of all, I want to again thank everyone that sent messages to Chris and donated funds to his cause. It means more than you'll know to Chris, his family and me. We are still raising money at www.helpgaff.com to help with the existing medical bills and other various expenses including a forthcoming memorial service.

After twenty-some years I have thousands of memories of Chris. Through those years of songs, laughs, countless barrooms, eternal highways, broken hearts, screw-ups, bail outs, close calls, busted strings, elusive dreams, flat tires, stalled engines, hard hangovers, bad gigs, great gigs, in between gigs, tragedies, triumphs, secret jokes, bad TV, worse food and now, tears, Gaffney always had my back. I never had to worry about nothing or nobody if Gaffney was with me. I don't know what I ever did to deserve it but, God, I was blessed to have Chris Gaffney as my best friend.

Chris's and my friend, B.J. in Omaha, said it best for me in a email
yesterday. She said that I now have a "wild angel looking out for me." Yeah, I do believe that's true.

I'll still see you in Cuervo, brother.
Dave

April 8, 2008 Dear friends, fans and everyone else:

I want to sincerely thank everyone who has gone (and will go) to helpgaff.com and donated to the Chris Gaffney cause. I'm really at a loss for words regarding the overwhelming response from so many people to our call for help. Beside your financial donations, your many heartfelt messages of love and support have deeply moved Chris, his family and me. I don't think Chris ever realized how much his music touches people and how truly beloved he is. These are rough financial times for many of us, but your selfless generosity in the face of that hard reality, has gotten me a bit< misty eyed on more than a couple occasions lately.

I'd also like to thank all the people who are putting together benefit shows across the country. Shows are currently being planned in Austin, Omaha, Houston, San Francisco, Nashville and several other locations. Please let us know at helpgaff.com if you're doing a benefit for Chris so that we can plug it on the site. Later this year I plan on doing a benefit performance in southern California with many longtime friends of mine and Chris's. Check back here or at the Gaff site for information about when and where that will be happening.

My "other big brother" Chris is a fighter and having all of you in his corner have made me even more positive that he will win this fight. Thank you all very, very much.

Dave Alvin

May 29, 2007 RADIO BLUES

It's with deep sadness that I write these words. Two people recently passed away who did so much to keep roots/folk music alive in the past 30 years: Howard Larman and Laura Ellen Hopper. I was blessed to have known both.

Howard, along with his wife Roz, hosted the venerable folk music program, FOLKSCENE on radio station KPFK for over thirty years. He and Roz gave early exposure to artists like Tom Waits, Richard Thompson and Jackson Browne before most people had heard of them. Just as important, though, Howard and Roz championed the music of countless lesser-known artists whose songs and musicianship would never be heard on mainstream radio.

I listened to FOLKSCENE semi-religiously growing up and, if it wasn't for Howard and Roz, I never would have discovered amazing songwriters like Kate Wolf, Jim Ringer, Steve Young, Katy Moffat and Steve Gillette or have been properly introduced to the soulful and sorrowful world of traditional Celtic ballads. I always felt inspired and a bit more educated after listening to FOLKSCENE (I still do) which is a hell of a lot more than most radio or tv shows can deliver these days. Howard's broad definition of "folk music" (encompassing everything from his beloved Celtic music to traditional fiddle tunes to sensitive singer-songwriters to western swing to blues to rockabilly to jug bands and beyond) certainly influenced my wide view of what folk music is and, for that, I'll be forever in his debt.

Needless to say, I had butterflies the size of elephants when I first appeared as a guest on FOLKSCENE in 1988. I felt that I didn't deserve to be on the air with Howard interviewing me. I felt the same way every time I returned as a guest over the next 18 years. I never should have have worried though because Howard was a perceptive and gentle interviewer who knew how to make his guests feel welcome, comfortable and part of the great folk music tradition. Thank you Howard for the musical education, kind laughs and for being so patient with me over the years. I'll miss you very much.

The good news is that Roz (along with their very musically astute son, Allen Larman) will continue to do the FOLKSCENE show and keep the tradition alive.

Laura Ellen Hopper was the founder and the strong guiding spirit of KPIG Radio up in Watsonville, California. Regarding her passing a KPIG dj, John Sandige said something like "losing Laura was like losing a great redwood." That's very true. Like Howard Larman, she was a champion to countless artists who don't fit in on the tight playlists of today's corporate rock or country broadcasting. Laura made KPIG the home for radio renegades like Joe Ely, Robert Earl Keen, Tom Russell, Iris deMent and Steve Earle as well as for many blues, r+b and rock and roll acts. And she somehow made it commercially successful. Laura was business smart but had an artists soul (not a common combination) and I always enjoyed shooting the breeze with her. She didn't pull her punches and I appreciated that. We agreed on a lot of what was wrong with radio and what could be done to keep roots music alive. With her passing we lost a tough advocate for music that doesn't fit neatly into a nice, little programmed package. Hopefully, in the future, KPIG will be able keep up the good fight she fought so well.

All that the rest of us can do, as Curtis Mayfield said, is "keep on pushing."