Fred and I went to high school together. (class of
1982)
The first time I met him I remember him having a satchel of records with
him.
He was buying bootlegs and imports mail-order and bringing them to
school
to make a few bucks to support his rock n roll habit.
I had to know where he was getting these things and he spread the
knowledge.
We placed orders together and went to record conventions. Our first of
many rock shows together we took a bus into Hartford to see Dylan on his
"Saved" tour at the Bushnel. Once I got my first car, I became the
designated driver and we saw every act that came to town. Hartford,
Springfield, North Hampton, New Haven, Providence...anywhere they were
playing live music.
Except Fred didn't want to be a part of the audience any longer
We became the gonzo press as an excuse to get backstage and take photos.
We'd arrive at shows at load-in time and make friends with the roadies.
Get invited in for the sound check, party backstage with the band
while everyone else was packing in. Fred still felt an outsider.
Around 1988 we formed Artrocity to promote local bands in Hartford.
Again his love of the music drove him. At the time there were very few
places for original local rock bands to play in Hartford. If you weren't
doing covers , you weren't getting booked. The Comet was little artdeco
restaurant that had alternative music DJs in the basement. On the
weekends this place was packed. Fred somehow convinced the owners to
book bands in the club on Thursdays nights. $3 a head to the band and we
got all the beer we could drink. Other clubs saw the success and Fred
was able to book bands all across town. He was finally the go-to guy if
you wanted to play the Hartford club scene and at the top of his game.
But I don't think Fred ever saw a dime from any of this.
The Comet changed owners , bands broke apart, and Fred found reggae.
He got hooked up with a soundstage company and we were backstage again
with yelloman, shabba ranks, josey wales, and the local N. Hartford
crew.
About this time I moved out of CT to pursue other avenues. As I left CT,
I had heard he quit the soundstage co to go on the road with SuperCat
In 1994-5 He saw my Artrocity page and I helped put together the first
super-cat.com page. We would talk for hours and wonder what it would
have happened if we had the internet back in the comet days. Sometimes
we would talk weekly, othertimes not for months. Always keeping me privy
to all the inner workings of the
*biz*
and what was next for Cat.
In Jan-Feb of this year , Fred said that he been feeling sick and
sounded real down. He talked of plans to go to Germany to get married !
But he didn't sound convinced that it would ever come about. I told him
to go make it happen. He had been friends with this girl since the Comet
days but circumstances always kept them apart.
April, he calls from the hospital. He's trying to get everything in
place, the website is down, the domain is about to expire, he's
struggling to get the information out.
4 days later I get a call from Cat. Fred has passed away. No service. No
burial.
I'm shocked and for the first time in my life I feel left out.
I will always remember all those great times with Fred. All the rock
events,
backstage and partying with the
*stars*,
being his right hand man at the Comet.
Always making me a part of the scene and giving me my chance to bring my
skills
and input to the table.
It was always about the music with Fred.
He didn't want to be the star, he wanted everyone to
be the star.
Selfless, honest, and a true friend. He will always be missed.
