To our friend Gerry Livers
updated October 30, 2003
Photo gallery beginning to take form at bottom of page. Frog Holler and Westville Pub tribute pages linked. Also news of a the November 2nd memorial in Chapel Hill and Guitartown posts from Ginny Daley and other friends (scroll to bottom).
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Sadly, we've learned that our good friend Gerry Livers passed away sometime on Thursday October 16, 2003. In addition to being one of the sweetest and most generous guys we've ever had the pleasure to know, he was a tremendous music and sports fan. Once or twice a year, he enjoyed listing list his favorite guitar and pedal steel players & records on the Guitartown Yahoogroup (You can read the outpouring of affection for Gerry at this link, subscribe at the "sign up now or "join this group" link). Folks there would be hard pressed to ever recall a cross word from Gerry. He was a lifelong Red Sox fan. Though I felt the same about the Orioles, we always had plenty to talk about. He's the only person I know who was actually at "The Concert for Bangladesh". I always asked him about that. He loved Jesse Ed Davis in huge way. We both loved Dylan, George Harrison, Eric Clapton and they were all there that day at Madison Square Garden. Others recall he was at Woodstock and if someone will find the photo, I'll post it here. Recently, I spied a pic of Gerry on his refrigerator, from a beach wedding last year. He's wearing a tuxedo t-shirt. Great picture! I'm sure you can picture that. But any tribute to Gerry Livers would be incomplete without the following:
Gerry's calling card, a converted violin case w/ enough bourbon for everyone
I/We (The Brown Mountain Lights) had the pleasue to watch an extra inning Red Sox game with him two weeks ago during the American League Divisional Series. The game was so long, we had to watch the rest of it in a local bar. He had booked our band in a bar a few blocks away in Asheville for the same night and he put us up in the wonderful mountain home that he and Ginny Daley shared. We got to see him in his element one last time. A memorable night of country-soul music with Ginny & Gerry, some Gram Parsons songs featuring our pedal steel player (we rehearsed and played some Sweetheart of the Rodeo Byrds' songs at his request). As the game had not concluded, Gerry had one eye on the game and one on us! I would not have had it any other way. He kept us posted on the score. And finally when the night was done, some quality time with his beloved dog Stella and cats. He and Ginny gave me a cool shirt as a gift before leaving for home. I wore it immediately at the next gig. I loved that shirt then and I will always remember him from it. Gerry was like that. Ginny too. God bless Ginny and God please grant Gerry his much deserved rest.
I did a websearch to find some of the humor of Gerry Livers and I think I found a pretty good one. He was like the straightman in his delivery, and although this was from Guitartown on August 28, 2003, a little more than 6 weeks prior to his death, I thought this was very "Gerry". He concluded a long post about a number of current events/music with this humorous quip:
"Some day when I finally win the lottery, after I've paid off all of my creditors, I will purchase almost every cd ever mentioned in ND (ed: No Depression). Of course I have been forbidden to win the lottery until my beloved Red Sox win a World Series, so I'm not really holding my breath or anything.
Thanks for bearing with me, if any of you did.
peace,
gerry
NP Dave Edmunds Subtle as a Flying Mallet"
Gerry, you have won the lottery. Sadly, the Sox missed the Series (again). Though I'm not sure if you got to see Game 7 vs. the Yankees that night, I think you are up there having a stern word with the Bambino about it right now. And I'm sure Gram Parsons, Jimi Hendrix, Danny Gatton and Mike Bloomfield are playing their hearts out for you. So long dear friend, we raise our glasses to you and your friendship. We loved you very much. You lived and guided your life by love and we all felt it each time we spent some time with you.
"An empty bottle, a broken heart, and you're still on my mind..."
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One of Gerry's dearest friends, Molly Flynn, has spoken to Ginny and it's been decided that a contribution to the Alejandro Fund (set aside for Texas music legend Alejandro Escovedo's battle with Hepatitus C) is being requested in lieu of flowers. See more here. Also, Tim Kimrey has graciously opened the doors to his home for a memorial of music and friends on Nov. 2 (4pm) prior to the Frog Holler show at Manbites Dog Theatre. And finally, this touching post on Guitartown from Ginny Daley
News from Molly Flynn about the 4pm November 2nd memorial at Tim Kimrey's house in Chapel Hill..
The Westville Pub Gerry Livers Tribute.
The Frog Holler Gerry Livers Tribute.
Rick Cornell's 10/30/03 column in the Independent Weekly pays tribute.
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Below are some pictures of Gerry and friends that some kind souls have submitted. If you have one you'd like to send, email me first at jeffhoo@yahoo.com and I'll make room on the server. This yahoo account sometimes bounces back large pics, so email me first so I'll know it's coming. Thanks.
   
 
plus several new ones submitted by Molly Flynn and Heather Selman at the Guitartown Photo page (some in the main folder and some in a "Gerry Pictures" folder". If not subscribed to Guitartown, you can go to the "sign up now or "join this group" link and subscribe there in order to view.
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