I had another topic all set for this week’s blog, but something happened yesterday that affected me, so that I will save that one for next week.
Yesterday morning, a song from the 80s came into my mind that I loved. “Every Word Means No” by Let’s Active. A great new-wave pop gem written by band leader Mitch Easter (who also produced R.E.M.’s first two albums). Originally a three-piece band, it added a second guitarist for touring. Her name was Lynn Blakey. She was from the same music scene as the band, which was the Athens, GA/Raleigh, NC area.
I had met Lynn at an Americana Music Association conference back around 2006 (more on that later). During her touring with Let’s Active, the band did a show in San Francisco with The Replacements. Lynn was the muse that inspired Paul Westerberg to write one of the greatest songs of the 80s, “Left of the Dial” (a song that I plan to include in my Perfect Song blogs).
After playing in local bands for a few years, she formed a wonderful folk/Americana project called Tres Chicas with fiddler Caitlin Cary (Whiskeytown) and Tonya Lamm (Hazeldine). The band released two albums on Yep Roc, and showcased at the AMA in 2006. That is where our paths crossed.
The bar was 12th and Porter in Nashville. It was one of about five or six that were showcasing bands during the AMA conference weekend, so crowds were spread out among them. Tres Chicas was the final band that night, and as showcases go, performances run late, so the band did not go on until after 1:00 am. During the performance, a guitar string broke on Lynn’s guitar (or maybe it was Tonya’s?). Anyway, I ran up and volunteered to change it (I have changing strings fast down to a skill. I was more popular on the Detroit music scene back in the late 80s/early 90s as a roadie than I was as a musician).
After the show, Lynn came up to me and thanked me for the help. We started talking, and our conversation went long and everywhere. It was literally like talking to your soul mate. She stole my heart (as she probably stole Westerberg’s 20 years earlier). As we were closing up the bar, we exchanged email addresses, and she kissed me. I will remember that moment like it was yesterday. We emailed back and forth a few times, then I lost touch with her. I guess this was about the time she met her future husband, German musician Ecki Heins.
Fast forward to yesterday, I decided to Google her to see what she was up to. To my shock, I learned that she passed away on February 6th of metastatic cancer.
My heart dropped to the floor. I read through some of the articles about her life and death, and all said the same thing – that she was a beautiful human being. That I can vouch for. Her wonderful presence on stage continued with her off stage and in her personal life. I learned from reading that she was first diagnosed with cancer in 2022, went into remission, but it recently came back. During her later years, she served as cantor and choir leader at her local Catholic church. She also returned to college to get a degree in Peace and Conflict Studies.
She passed away with Ecki by her side (he is also dealing with a cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy treatments). During the weekend of May 29-30, artists that she has worked with over the years, including members of Tres Chicas and Let’s Active, as well as Alejandro Escovedo and Chris Stamey, will be performing at a tribute concert.
Lynn, always know that the hour spent with you in Nashville was one of the most precious that I have ever experienced, and will remain with me forever. You were truly a gift to not only the music scene, but to mankind as well. You will always own a piece of my heart.
Chew on it and comment.
Luegra 