2012 Music Celebrity Passing

End of year publications devote quite a bit of space to celebrity passings.
Astronauts, writers, movers and shakers. Entire lives efficiently summarized with one or two sentences about their "best known for" moments.

One of the true musical giants of our generation quietly passed this year and did not make the pages of Time. In fairness, he never performed at Madison Square Garden or Albert Hall (at least as far as I know).

Ed Doemland  was a brilliant keyboardist and percussionist who worked out of the West Allis, Wisconsin area from 1963 until his death in August.  I write "until is death" because even during my last visit with Ed in hospice - a few days before his passing - he was still busily notating melodies that would otherwise reach only a very exclusive, heavenly venue.

I can't summarize everything Ed accomplished because I saw only the part of him that so richly blessed my own life. I just watched the DVD tribute to another  celebrity musician, George Harrison. In it, Eric Clapton observed that he always felt especially close to George. But at Harrison's passing, and as friends gathered to honor the ex-Beatle, Clapton was surprised at the diversity of people who felt just as close as he did to their friend. Not just musicians, but 'regular people', spiritual people, race car drivers, actors, business associates and family.

That's the same diversity of appreciation I saw for Ed.

I knew Ed as the kind man who taught me about church music. How to organize and lead musicians and congregations in meaningful worship. Ed was famous for his last-minute, printed lyric inserts and contemporary music arrangements. He often removed entire pews from the church to make room for guest musicians. On other occasions he simply called out hymn numbers for the congregation to turn to. And as a guitarist, Ed would frequently slip me new chords or lyrics during the sermon because it would "work better" with the preacher's message that day. When I started writing my own music, Ed was my biggest cheerleader, generously helping to notate music, and evening sitting in with my band for live performances and recording sessions.

Outside of our tiny congregation though, Ed was in constant demand. When he wasn't playing solo piano gigs at the best restaurants in town, he was sitting in with some of the top bands or playing timpani with the symphonic orchestra. His own music was published and he was widely recognized as a gifted pipe organ player.

But the outpouring of love for Ed wasn't limited to musicians. 40 years of high school science students pointed to his motivation and passion for knowledge as well.  And many people recounted how they remembered his phone number digits.   Simply the words...   Kid Soda.

The others words I'll always remember are from the simple refrain to one of Ed's favorite original songs.

"We may all have different gifts, but the same Spirit.  The same God working in us all !"

Ed always made me feel like my gifts mattered. And I think everyone else that got to know him felt that same acceptance and encouragement.  It made a difference - and I hope I can continue to share what I learned from him.

You can probably summarize the "best known for's" of a lot of famous people in two or three sentences.   But not Kid Soda.

And I've got a feeling that the story continues....wouldn't we all love to hear the session he's got going now!

I'll miss you Ed.