There has only ever been one 'rock star' death that I have ever mourned. The 3rd anniversary of that death is today. Stuart Adamson, of Big Country was found in a hotel in Hawaii this day in 2001. His death was deemed a suicide.
My big 'sis' used to talk about her total abandon at seeing certain singers and I always used to tease her about it. Called it the whoop factor, and I always said I'd never let myself go there. In 1993, I succumbed. I had wanted to see Big Country since I bought The Crossing in 1984. They had been to Denver in that year on the Crossing tour, but I didn't know until much later. In the dish-room of Dardano's my friend Dave and I made a pact to drive anywhere in the US that we heard about them playing. Ten years later I found out they would be doing a free show at a biker bar in Golden Colorado (I'd not seen Dave since graduation). I remember myself and a bunch of other drummers from my pipe band skipped practice to go to the show, and we ran into friends from high school. The Buffalo Rose- fitting as a venue for the Buffalo Skinners tour- was small and there could not have been more than 150 people there. Big Country played like it was Wembley. I whooped, I almost caught a pick from Stuart, and I threw him my CDPB shirt. I made my friends wait in the bitter cold for them to get on their bus. They came out one by one and they were amazing to us. Each signed autographs and talked to us. Mark Brzezicki had to be pulled from us by the tour manager because we were talking rudiments. When Stuart finally came out, I lost it. I approached him and as I was a little tipsy, the security guy grabbed me to pull me away. Stuart told him to back off and I gave him a hug. I told him we had been waiting years to see them and he said he'd been waiting years to get back to the US on tour. Then they got on the bus and left. We briefly considered driving to Kansas City to see them at their next show- but it was dismissed as drunken revelry. I had become a whooping, screaming fan. When I told Patti about the show I apologized for all the teasing. Now he's gone, and I've never done that again. Today ’s CD player will be filled with Big Country in memory of the only 'rock star' I mourn.