( No fair writing anyone's but your's please..)

Eric J Lundgren of Portland died_____ at ______ of a________ ______ ________.

He was a local musician that went by the name of Eric West, which he took from a now deceased mentor, Don West.

He played as a sole means of support, such as it was from '79 til '86, with a corresponding hole in his SSGLI contributions. Mostly in local bands that sometimes travelled, from Tenino to Tonopah, from Gervais to Vegas. Some were damned good, some he just took the money..

Playing music from his earliest years on seemed to be the common thread of his small but special life, for better or worse. It always seeming to be a reason for taking "non career" jobs, mostly construction, that allowed his schedule to include it. This excluded any jobs with retirements, union representation, or shift work, though he took many that had schedules that conflicted.

While in the USAF in 75-9, he was able to take pedal steel lessons from a kindly fellow that played for a famous travelling group of troubadors.

After taking an exit to his four year military tour and coming back to Portland, he started playing steel for any band that he could, and was never successfully discouraged, played with more than a hundred bands, and thirty or more at the local truck stop. In his years of working steady construction jobs, he often worked more full week/month music jobs than he did when he did it for a living. This probably made him older than he looked, and/or actually was. Kind of like "dog years"..

In the later years starting in 2002, he found a Pedal Steel Guitar Forum, and was able to meet, trade stories with, gain instruction, and sometimes torment the more stuffy of his community. Some of his best friends, he met there, he claimed. His interaction on the forum took him on his "Motel Six" pilgramage to Nashville, where he met Lloyd Green, Lynn Owsley, Tommy White, Russ Hicks, Bobby Knight, Mr Sweeney, et al, picked up his Marrs Retrofit, and kissed Bobbe Seymour's balding head.

Overall, he went happily through life like s#it through a goose, whistling in any graveyard he could (In Equal Temperament), tormenting the cruel, and helping the helpless as he found time to. In the midst of violent surroundings, he always strived to be a very gentle soul. Sometimes it was easier than others.

People that thought he liked them, were often those he liked the least. People that didn't think he liked them were sometimes the ones he thought the most of. He garnered and treasured low class insults from some pretty important people, returning them in the form of time-release put downs when possible. He never told anybody he loved them unless he meant it. He told many people that.

His family and friends, he always considered the greatest source of his wealth, and his pets, his connection to his humanity.

His goal in life was to become a Humorous Campfire Story, and not a Tragic Figure, as many musicians seem to become.

He died leaving _____ to ______ and was survived by ______, his______-time _____.

Cremation was held_____the ashes scattered in Sugar Creek, in the Paulina District of the Ochoco Nat Forest, on a sunny day, to eventually float to the ocean or be tracked and strewn elsewhere by varmints or critters.

Now he is hopefully able to travel out into the cosmos with the music he played, and spend time perusing the best of it, skipping the worst of it, on his way to Glory in God's own time, ultimately reedeemed by his Son. Possibly after taking a few years as we know them to commune with the pets he liked so much..

(Subject to future edition if done in time..)

EJL

[This message was edited yet again by Eric West in plenty of time on 18 June 2006 at 07:46 PM.]

His grieving widow asks to please send cash in lieu of flowers.

He goes home to be with his Lord Who will no doubt call him on the Heavenly Carpet as soon as he arrives.
His close friend Gizzard will deliver the eulogy at the internment service. When asked about his old friend, Gizzard tearfully stated.. Yep, ol'Bullet Bob..couldn't play too good,but he shore were ugly... All his steel guitar equipment is bequeathed to his beloved Steel Guitar Forum... RIP

[This message was edited by Bob Carlucci on 06 May 2005 at 05:55 PM.]

------------------
Sierra S8, Gibson GA30RVT, Peavey Delta Blues, Regal Dobro heavily modified, Teese RMC2 Wah, Proco Rat, pyrex and bakelite bars

Her final wishes for the Grand Event were that her husband, steel guitar legend (at least in HER eyes), Tommy Dodd would play How Great Thou Art, and that Aaron Neville would sing Grand Tour. She said she is more than aware that the lyrics are totally inappropriate, but just happens to love that song.

Donna spent years researching WHY she could not carry a tune, settling on the idea that perhaps her tonsils might have been too large.

------------------
Howard, 'Les Paul Recording, Zum S12U, Vegas 400, Boss ME-5, Boss DM-3
http://www.Charmedmusic.com

Actually, I wouldn't even want to try to write my own obit... I hope my wife will come up with something nice.

Yours is really very good, even touching, Eric. Maybe you should write mine too? ... On second thought, maybe not....!

He loved Gene Watson,
and was over forty,
he request that somebody
play Farewell Party.

" I wish I borrowed money from everybody I knew yesterday"..

I remember seeing a quizzical headstone with the name "Weedon" on it.

Here lies Les. No Les, no more..

Something like that..

I'm waiting for Bobbe's.

EJL

Here lies Lester Moore,
Four slugs from a forty-four.
No Les, no more.

[This message was edited by Lem Smith on 07 May 2005 at 05:18 AM.]

A colleague of mine at Kuwait University used to have each student write his or her obituary. Joe said it was a salutary exercise . . .

(You might be interested in my related comment under "Jiggs Lemley.")

it was a coffin
they carried him offin

Here lies one 'Chippy' Wood
Enclosed in wood
One Wood within another.
The outer wood is very good:
We cannot praise the other.

------------------
Ron (Chippy) Wood
Emmons D10
Emmons D12

------------------
"From Truth, Justice is Born"--Quanah Parker-1904

He never ate Pike.

quote:

---

I don't want to achieve immortality through my work, I want to achieve immortality by not dying.- Woody Allen

---

FYI Go to this link and it will generate a photo of your own tombstone

[This message was edited by Colm Chomicky on 07 May 2005 at 02:02 PM.]

or:

[This message was edited by Jim Cohen on 07 May 2005 at 08:58 PM.]

It's been brought to my attention that this thread might have been meant to be "more serious".

If it was, the serious thoughts I hoped it would bring out, maybe from more than one of us (all of us actually) that are facing a looming situation, is that we'd find out how much of our humor/love we wish to leave behind.

I wish that to be the most prominent thing actually.

quote:

---

She lived with her husband for 50 years

And died in the confident hope of a better life.-Long Suffering Spouse-

---

What else do we have?

I certainly remember Jimmy Day thataway.

EJL

[This message was edited by Eric West on 07 May 2005 at 03:33 PM.]

A REAL obit will take more thought
than time allows.

[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 07 May 2005 at 04:43 PM.]

Written In Loving Memory By My Beloved Sweetie.
------------------
Whitney Single 12 8FL & 5 KN,keyless, dual changers Extended C6th, Webb Amp, Line6 PodXT, Goodrich Curly Chalker Volume Pedal, Match Bro, BJS Bar..I was keyless....when keyless wasn't cool....

[This message was edited by George Redmon on 09 May 2005 at 06:13 AM.]