THOUGHTS and PRAYERS: Remembering Denver Musician Kat Ellinger

[From Tom Murphy] I first met Kathryn Ellinger, who went by Kat, at one of Worm Trouble’s shows at the now-defunct Cafe Cero. I’d first seen her band, an experimental rock and pop trio, at the end of 2000 and was immediately taken with the group’s sound, which defied trends and avoided imitation.

At a later concert, Ellinger walked up to me and said that she’d seen me at some of their shows and declared that I was now a friend. And she meant it. Ellinger was genuine that way. She loved everyone in her circle of friends and family, even when it pained her to do so.

Like many, I saw Ellinger as an older sister. Her warmth, compassion, sense of humor and wisdom endeared her to many people. And when she passed away on June 5, grief rippled through Denver’s music community.

Ellinger and I shared several coincidental bonds. We both started playing bass at age 27. We both spent time in Okinawa as kids because we had military parents stationed there. Her dad was an educator with the Department of Defense on bases; mine was in Special Forces during the Vietnam War.

She was born in Landstuhl, Kaiserslautern, Germany on April 28, 1964, spent her elementary-school years in Korea, went to middle school in Okinawa and finished high school in Hanau, Germany. While down to earth, Ellinger had a worldly sophistication born of those experiences.

Read the rest of the article at the URL listed below:
http://www.westword.com/music/remembering-denver-musician-kat-ellinger-10468810

By Tom Murphy

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6/22/18: RIP my beloved Kat. Thank all of you for your kind words. There will never be another like you, my Lovely Lady. A celebration of Kat’s life & music will be held Saturday, June 30th from 6:00-11:00pm. All are welcome. Contact Dan Kuhn at: stunvolume@gmail.com for details.

So sorry for this news, Roger Ufema… Kat passed away June 6th

Organ failure per prescriptions side effect… more “natural” than something else… Kat was doing all the “right” things and doing well. I was/am super proud of her.

Lisa Cook: Kat and a bunch of us were on tour. We were playing in Iowa and some of the crowd was a little too white. Like they thought my hand tattoos were white power(I’m Jewish so, naw…)

Kat and I were singing MILKY WAY at the top of our lungs in the venue and these idiots seriously wanted to kick our asses. David and Lauren were with us too. Eliza and EN as well.
We got paid in pizza and amscrayed outta there! Snuck out the back and crept to our motel.
Kat was sticking up for me like no tomorrow. She was screaming and ready to punch nazi head in!

I loved her before that. I loved her even more afterwards. My Kat!

https://www.facebook.com/kat.ellinger.3