Too Late, Now!

Death, it’s the fate of all of us. Here are a few legends I got to see before they left us.

by Gregory A. Kompes

TM

Mel Torme (September 13, 1925 – June 5, 1999)

I saw Mel perform at the legendary Michael’s, a cabaret room in New York City in the mid-90s. The ticket was a gift from a friend and we were sitting at a table just a few feet from the stage. Mel worked it all evening long (over 2 hours!) with a top-notch band.

 

That evening also provided a brush with greatness. Charles Durning was sitting right next to me.

 

Sarah Vaughan (March 27, 1924 — April 3, 1990)

I got to see Sarah Vaughn live in the late 80s while living in Florida. It was shortly before she died. She did a few short numbers, then a 10 minute version of A Tisket, A Tasket, was unhappy with the state of the sound system in the hall, finished the number, and walked off the stage. She was remarkable.

 

George Carlin (May 12, 1937 —  June 22, 2008)

I did get to see George Carlin before he died. It was in Atlantic City about seven years ago. He was incredibly funny and managed to offend everyone at some point during the evening…just as it should be. The super thing about seeing George live was that he was always trying out new material. Some of it bombed and the best of it ended up on his next HBO special.

His passing makes me sad. He was often a voice or reason. He’d see and say things that so many people thought but could never put into words. And, he did it with humor. While no one will ever take his place, here’s hoping that someone will try. We need more honest observation about the world, especially without regard to what others will say.

Read an online obit: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080623/us_nm/carlin_dc