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Musicians and Angels
.jpg "illustration by Tanith Connolly")
In 1996, while touring with Chris Whitley (who was opening for an old friend, Warren Zevon), I became very ill. At first, I felt strangely tired and a trifle numb on my left side. However, when we arrived in San Francisco, things got worse and my daughter, Amanda, remarked that I was slurring my speech and looked sick. Visibly tired, I continued touring, driving on to Seattle (we recorded the opening cut of Terra Incognito, “As Flat As the Earth”, in a hotel room there), Portland, Aspen, Denver and Minneapolis, where, on a day off, I went to a local emergency room. The initial diagnosis was a small stroke, but after several CT scans and MRI’s, I was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. I returned to Boston to see Dr. Peter Black, the brain surgeon who had saved Ringo Starr’s daughter. After a biopsy, the prognosis was bad; the diagnosis was not a tumor but a rare disease called Leucoencephalopathy (like MS, it’s a disease that strips the myelin sheath from neurons and deposits the white matter on the brain and, in this case, my brain stem). At that time only 19 people worldwide had been diagnosed with it, and no one knew anything about the etiology or cure. Because of the location, surgery was out. The future looked bleak.
When Chris learned of my condition, he told Warren, and soon the word got out to others I had worked with. Discovering that I was in this midst of this struggle, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie called my wife about putting together a benefit for me. I had not worked for them in 26 years, but they called almost daily to help keep my spirits and hopes up. However, they were in the process of reforming the Nicks-Buckingham Fleetwood Mac tour. Mick, remembering the 1969 Peter Green Fleetwood Mac Shrine Auditorium concert I was trying to release with their permission, took it upon himself to get the project together and offered me all of their artist royalties. Everyone, including Jeremy Spencer, who was in India doing charitable work, and their former manager, agreed; and the CD was released.
It’s easy for an artist to perform at a big concert for a well-known cause that will generate a lot of publicity, but it takes an angel to help a sick friend from the past who is in need. The amount of love from the artists I had worked with was humbling. David Pack from Ambrosia, Walter Becker, Denny Dias and Michael McDonald from Steely Dan, Gene Parsons from the Byrds, Chris, Warren and other musicians offered to help with the benefit. These musicians, along with Mick and John, are angels who anonymously helped with no expectation of personal gain. A few musicians never even called, but I am so lucky and thankful for those friends who did. Eventually, a local benefit concert was put together with the Boston-based angels from my days as production manager of the Channel Club.
After ten plus years, the Leucoencephalopathy is still with me, but I am maintaining using complementary medicine, including acupuncture. More than ever, music from my past has spiritual overtones for me. When I listen to concerts I mixed decades ago, I can feel the angel spirit from every note these musicians play. That’s medicine, too.
25 Comments
Dinky. I worked with you at the Channel and I have learned one thing… what goes around comes around. You were always one of the good guys. Stay well… and love every moment.
great dinky-i loved your spirit coming through
dinky, i can’t wait to read more of your columns!
Dinky is the real deal … human, humble and humorous … and my pal.
you have been a great mentor and
even better friend. See you soon
Tim Miller
That’s the spirit, Dinky. May you stay forever young.
Dinky, you rock like no one I ever met. I feel blessed to have met you. You are the writer of the music bible and the world is a much better place because of you! You are truly an angel.
thanks for sending this to me Dinky. That really is quite an uplifting story!
Dinky, you rock like no one I ever met. I feel blessed to have met you. You are the writer of the music bible and the world is a much better place because of you! You are truly an angel.
Keep on taking your musicmedicine!
Marianne
Dinky…I’ve known you since I was 10(36 now). You have always been an idol to me. Your story gives us all hope that people really do “Give a Damn” !!!
I remember the fund raiser at the Middle East in Cambridge just like it was yesterday! (”I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends”) Wow, talk about a trip back in time…
It was Dr. Howard Jonas (see his comment on June 27) who pointed Dinky to Dr. Black. Howard, who had been our physician until he retired and who has remained our friend through all these years, is an angel himself. Without his urging, Dinky would not have gone to the ER in Minneapolis. His support encouraged Dinky to try acupuncture and helped him through his darkest hours. He’s a true healer, understanding how the spirit and body are intertwined.
Dinky, a great and inspiring article that gives further clarity on how it is that you give so much light and beauty to all who are fortunate enough to meet you. Much luv and mo’ jazz.
Dinky – It has been 35 years or so since the “Big System” first blew them all away in Lenox. From groups on the way up who couldn’t play then and turned their amps up to 10 to cover their mistakes to established musicians who bitched during the sound check, you have made them all sound better. From stadium to club, you are still the best live mixer in the business. Thanks for the music, my friend.
Now about the new Sound Forge and its relationship to Pro Tools ….
Dinky,
You are a true original as well as an originator.
We all are better off thanks to you.
Dinky, moving piece. Keep on Truckin’ my man.
Dinky,
I want my 1/4 share of the “WEM” sales and also what happened to that twelve pack of Newcastle Brown you “hid” from us on the way back from the “Whiskey A-Go-Go” in Newcastle???????????
Love ya!
John Mac
Dear Dinky, From the moment that we met years ago in Boston at that Music Convention, I have considered you a friend of the heart. Thank you for sharing your personal story with us in this article. My spirit wings its way to you.
I finally got to reading your article. I must say your writing is getting quite good and your positive outlook is an inspiration. Thanks for keeping me in the loop.
Very inspiring, Dinky. a dear friend and fellow performer must be the 20th guy in the world with the illness. He’s hanging in as well and still performing occasionally but we’ve all been living under a bit of a cloud. Your experience gives us strength and hope. One old road dog to another.
… Great Doctor and Chief Neuro Surgeon Peter Black…he performed neuro surgery on my mom in 1995 and successfully removed a benign tumor…and it was both you Dinky and Nancy, after your car accident! you referred my mom to one of your Doctors(forgot his name mate) from the Harvard School of Medicine who sent my mom to Dr. Black. I learned of your illness in 1997 through Joe and Nabil, owners of the Middle East in Cambridge and later got your new phone number from attorney Weiner in New York…
the angels of baalbeck art with you!!!
lots of luv…
elie
Dinky from 1966 you have always rocked with the best no matter what shape you were in.
A true original and true friend who had a clear vision even back then how audio concerts should be experienced.
As always mate ‘ stay forever young’ – Art
seems to me ya wanna hear and know about Ambrosia … you should research STEVE LEHMAN. The one man who knows the band inside out. P.Rossi
Bonnie-Curran-Claudine-Lerz