Last week, he passed away, apparently crashing on his motorbike near Dublin, and I've been surprised by just how much this as impacted on me.
I truely love this mans music.
I don't have all his albums but I have quite a few, and many especially the Swell Season, Strict Joy, are pretty much on every play list I have.
I watched so many of his live performances on Youtube, often just him and his beat up guitars, playing and singing with more emotion and fire than anyone I ever saw. I wish I'd got to see him live, but he never played anywhere near where I was...pity.
I sang his songs with bands, and more often by myself, poorly but with feeling, and really felt he was one of the most gifted and talented songwriters and performers alive. His songs really get into your soul if you want to be poetic, there was just something about them, love, loss, happiness, anger, sadness, remorse, guilt, redemption, he tickled every heart string with poetic words and that amazing voice and passion he put into every one.
And now he's gone, the sense of loss that his fans are feeling is deep.
I watched his wake and funeral live on Youtube and could see the amount of love and sense of loss that his passing has caused, I've shed a few tears watching his loved ones and his fans express how much they will miss him..
I will miss him too.
Far too soon. RIP.
