Anton Stuart-Medas (photo from his Facebook page)
February 2020 has turned out to be a difficult month for the Colorado blues community with the loss of two very dear musicians.
Loss of Scott Sessions: Upon returning from the IBC in Memphis, with The Movers and the Shakers, their beloved trumpet player, Scott Sessions was found deceased west of Fort Collins Monday morning February 10th. A suspect has been arrested and in custody at this time.
Wrapping my head around this has me somewhat numb and very sad. In Memphis we joked about your hot red sparkly jacket and your custom leather trumpet case, the man purse. So full of life. Funny. Charming. And ready to play. Not just play, but blow the walls off the place. The excitement to be there wrapped you up. My condolences to your family, band family, and friends. Damnit. It’s a very difficult and sad time in Colorado right now. God Speed Scott
Sessions, there is a large void with your absence in our music community. The angels have a new trumpeter. ~ Carla Jordan
Below is a KUNC article about Scott.
https://www.kunc.org/post/beloved-greeley-musician-s-murder-leaves-friends-memories-questions?
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Anton Stuart-Medas Left Us
February 16, 2020 around 1:00 p.m., Anton Stuart-Medas passed away after a short time in hospice. He was a humble, funny, sweet, considerate kind soul. I got to know him and his awesome wife Bobbie at Ziggies when they would come in for the jams for Anton to play bass. My condolences to Barbara Farr and the rest of the family during this difficult time. Anton was always a huge part of the Ziggies family. Always with a big hug, as big as his beautiful smile. Soft spoken, funny and a quirky sense of humor, and just a dang good guy and fun to hang out with. Play them fat notes now baby! Play them fat notes. I’ll post any public service or additional information as I get it. Rest now kind heart; your work here is done. – Carla Jordan
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Please consider making a donation from your heart to the HART Fund to help The Blues Foundation keep blues musicians healthy.
The HART (Handy Artists Relief Trust) Fund supports blues musicians and their families in financial need due to a broad range of health concerns. The Fund provides for acute, chronic, and preventive medical, vision, and dental care as well as funeral and burial expenses.
Donations to the HART Fund also help provide free health screenings for musicians throughout the year where doctors, nurses, and other health practitioners are on site to provide a variety of medical tests including but not limited to blood pressure, pulse, cholesterol, diabetes, Hepatitis C, PSA screenings for prostate cancer, private mental health evaluations, and more.
HART Fund Committee Chair Dr. Janice Johnston speaks on the importance of The Blues Foundation’s medical fund and ways to donate to support blues musicians health.
The Blues Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization. Your donation may be tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
Donate to the HART Fund: https://secure.blues.org/np/clients/blues/donation.jsp?campaign=1&
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Wade Hankins Moves On
From David Stasney: It was brought to my attention that Wade Hankins passed and his service was yesterday. I never met him but we would talk on band posts.
From David Brandt: Just saw that Wade Hankins passed away recently. He always commented on My Blue Sky posts as he was a bass player and a huge ABB fan. I even offered to let him sit in a few time but he didn’t take me up on it. Super humble and nice guy.”
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Other Notable Musicians’ Deaths…
February
19: Pop Smoke, 20, American rapper (“Welcome to the Party”), shot.
18: Jon Christensen, 76, Norwegian jazz drummer (Masqualero).
17: Henry Gray, 95, American Hall of Fame blues pianist and singer; Kizito Mihigo, 38, Rwandan gospel singer, organist and peace activist, founder of the Kizito Mihigo Peace Foundation; Andrew Weatherall, 56, English music producer (Screamadelica), DJ and musician (The Sabres of Paradise, Two Lone Swordsmen), pulmonary embolism.
16: Graeme Allwright, 93, New Zealand-born French singer-songwriter; Pearl Carr, 98, English singer (Pearl Carr & Teddy Johnson); Clyde Davenport, 98, American old-time fiddler and banjo player; Erickson Le Zulu, 41, Ivorian disc jockey, cirrhosis.
15: Cavan Grogan, 70, Welsh rock and roll singer (Crazy Cavan and the Rhythm Rockers); Prince Kudakwashe Musarurwa, 31, Zimbabwean singer-songwriter, lung cancer; Ron Thompson, 66, American blues guitarist (John Lee Hooker).
14: Reinbert de Leeuw, 81, Dutch conductor, composer and pianist; Sonam Sherpa, 48, Indian guitarist (Parikrama), cardiac arrest.
13: Darryl Braxton, Trinidadian record producer (Bunji Garlin, KMC); Christophe Desjardins, 57, French violist; Buzzy Linhart, 76, American folk-rock singer and songwriter; Jacob Thiele, 40, American rock keyboardist (The Faint).
12: Paul English, 87, American drummer (Willie Nelson), pneumonia; Mike Lilly, 70, American banjo player and singer, leukemia; Hamish Milne, 80, English pianist; Victor Olaiya, 89, Nigerian highlife trumpeter.