Harry was a gifted guitar player and teacher and he played pedal steel okay. He was one of my first customers.It is hard to believe he was in his early fifties and appeared to be in okay health and just like that he is gone. God Bless you Harry.

Bruce

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www.pedalsteel.net

[This message was edited by Bruce W Heffner on 12 May 2003 at 11:13 AM.]

It's a wierd life.
Similar to Bruces phone call to Harry, I called my best skiing buddy last week to arrange a day on the slopes.
His mother-in-law answered with the dreaded "Didn't you hear what happened?...".
He was killed in a head on collision coming home from the slopes last weekend.

What can we do but carry on the torch.

I always enjoyed Harrys posts about his meeting Jerry Garcia at a party and jamming with the members of The Grateful Dead on Jerrys guitar while Jerry snuck away for a bathroom break.

As the song says... "If there's a Rock&Roll Heaven, You know they have a hell of a band!"

~pb

I didn't know Harry and never had any correspondence with him. I only know of him through his posts and a couple of photos of him that were posted.

This internet is a strange and unique world. I'm saddened and although never knew him, I can't help but feel some kind of connection. I never knew him and yet I'll miss him.

He was so devoted to caring for his ailing father, who passed away about two years ago.

All intruments on the tracks were played by Harry. I hope his family will still make them available to Steel players.

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kd...and the beat goes on...

Drew

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www.newslinkassociates.com
www.drewhoward.com

When his father passed we shared many posts on the Forum and e-mail. It's almost like I should send him a note or something.....

A very sad day.

[This message was edited by Bill Llewellyn on 14 May 2003 at 08:19 AM.]

I don't think in his wildest dreams that b0b
would have imagined that the forum would evolve into the community that it has.
Kudos to you my friend It has to make you proud of what has happened here.

It's always sad to have someone leave us.
2 weeks ago my cousin, (who's also one of my dearest friends) had to say goodbye to his wife. The second wife to have passed in the past 5 years, both only 57 years old.

I've known Harry since the mid-70's, probably 1974 or 75. He was down here playing with Doug Sahm and some of the San Antonio West Side guys. Part of the invasion of pickers from the East and West, myself included, that came to TX to participate in the country-rock scene that was so hot here during that period of time.

My take then was that Harry, as here on the Forum, was honest and sincere about his opinions, but was too outspoken and "in-your-face" for a lot of the pickers here. He was, all things considered, a hard-core Yankee in a southern town and was a little out of step with the "good ol' boy redneck/hippie blues/country let's-burn-one-down" ethos that was the current culture amongst the locals.

But they couldn't ignore the fact that the guy could really play! Lead guitar was his main instrument, and he had a brown ShoBud Professional that he played his steel gigs on. He did a long stint with one of the Sir Doug ensembles, then returned back to the East Coast.

I hadn't heard from him in years until he showed up on this Forum a few years ago. We'd occasionally talk on the phone, instruments, amps, that kind of stuff. Sad to see one of my generation go like that. I'll remember him to the guys still around that knew him.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

Be Nice To One Another,Everybody Is Your Brother Right Now.

We should all live and learn that we are here
today and gone tomorrow.

Robert K. Seymour (Bobbe)

[This message was edited by BobbeSeymour on 14 May 2003 at 05:42 PM.]

I had so much wanted Harry to get back on the Apnea CPAP machine while waiting for the operation he intended to get.
For just this reason....
Some of you have seen the large posts I sent to his thread.

Yes CPAP is uncomfortable at first, but so much better than the alternative. And now damn it it's too late... I am SOOOO bummed right now.

Apnea does cause a huge stress on the heart all night long. I, unfortunately, am not surprised it was so sudden, and in his sleep.
Which for me makes it even more horrible.

I didn't know Harry from the big fights, but we had crossed paths, if not swords, in here a few times and I liked his posts. Another loss for us all. And a lesson for others ignoring heavy snoring and apnea.
I didn't remember he played with Doug Sahm and will now look for some CD with him on it to remember him by.

I never had the privilege of meeting Harry in person, but we shared a lot ot time together by phone and email taking about many things, including his devotion and relationship with his father, and I with mine.

Harry was kind, gentle, caring, loving and a professed believer, which is very comforting to me at this time.

quote:

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Hi Bob. Harry Hess and I were best friends and guitar buddies here in Philadelphia ford the past four years. He used to tell me about the Forum every so ofter.....and some of the "tiffs" he would get into with some of the guys. It's been great for me to be able to come to this site and read all of the nice things people have said about him. Harry and I were just about ready to start gigging with a country/rock band we were putting together, so this has been a very painful time for me since we didn't get the chance to pursue our dreams together as friends and musicians. Unfortunately, I'm not a member of the Forum and cannot list a post directly. However, I wanted to ask you if you would be kind enough to Harry's friends know on the Forum that his obituary was printed in The Philadelphia Inquirer at the following web site:

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/obituaries/5907129.htm

Thank you for you assistance.

Regards,

Lek Domni

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