RIP ILX poster Rickey Wright (aka "If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up")

If I don't make sense, blame the double d of nyquil.

Rickey was a "sports fan" about music, culture, and anything else that was the topic. I mean that in the way that Matos above described better. He was passionate and engaging about all of this, but you never felt intimidated by his passionate rhetoric. I'd say the same for all my Seattle peeps actually, but Rickey's delivery was unique. So many stories he had yet to tell. He could have lived to be 400, and that still wouldn't have been enough time for him to tell them all.

I also remember him at David Ritz speech at EMP 2008. Rickey was the de facto Marvin Gaye-ologist of our bunch. Even if someone else knew a little more, I didn't know a bigger Gaye fan. So I'm glad he got to see Ritz (writer and close acquaintance of Gaye) before this. He will be missed tremendously, especially at EMP 2009.

I'm still trembling when I see posts of his less than two weeks ago, like talking about "aqua boogie" on the ILM thread about Jet magazine 1979 picks. "why?" I pound on my bed. :(. But I know someday these posts will be whst they are -- testament to his sweetness and greatness.

Many heartfelt hugs to higgs, Morley t, rev, matos, Jen m, Charles my partner who met rickey once, and all of rickey's family and friends.

Maybe the most telling aspect about him is that when I'd tell friends--friends who knew Rickey also--that he was 45 or 46 (still not entirely sure), all of them were surprised: "He seemed so much younger." He did! He seemed like a teenager in a lot of ways. He had a keen sense of silliness--he wasn't silly, per se, he just appreciated it a lot. (YAAHH TRICK YAAHH!) He knew how to have a good time. I think that comes across in what he wrote, professionally and on ILM alike.

I remember we had first bonded on ILM over our mutual love of Stevie Wonder. When we first met in person, we started chatting in the EMP bar, not knowing who each other were. Eventually I stuck out my hand and said something to the effect of "Oh, by the way, my name is Rodney," to which he smiled and replied, "I'm Rickey. We both love Stevie Wonder." What a guy. I went down to the hospital and sang "If It's Magic" to him the other day. It just seemed like the right thing. He wasn't awake, but I'd like to think he heard me.

Don't think we had much ILX interaction but seemed like a really solid poster and also a dude on the basis of people's testimony above, RIP

"A dude" doesn't even begin to come close. He was that dude.

Fuck. Mortality's a fact we're all subject to but sudden and premature death is fiercely cruel, especially to those left behind. RIP Rickey, and all the best to those of you who knew him in any capacity.

RIP Rickey.

Condolences to everybody who loved you.

:( very sad. thank you for letting people know, rev.

― Happy, the Juggling Clown (some dude), Friday, 20 February 2009 06:19 (1 hour ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

^ terrible username right now, btw, i apologize

― some dude, Friday, 20 February 2009 06:20 (1 hour ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

He'd have smiled at this...

RIP

wow, that's terrible. i didn't know him, but i liked his writing, here and elsewhere. very sorry to hear it.

a nice obituary, if there is such a thing.

haha he wore his encyclopedic knowledge so lightly, though. it's really great to read how beloved he was in Norfolk, too--nice to see how broadly that was known.

My God, condolences to all his family and friends. Love to you all. RIP.

RIP. I never really interacted with him much, that I can remember, but condolences to his family everyone here who knew him. I've just searched under his name and he strikes me as the sort of poster I should have paid more attention to.

Damn, this is terrible. Condolences to everyone. Rest in Peace.

What a terrible start to the day here. Thoughts are with friends and family. Reverend, your post about singing 'It's Magic' to him has made me well up, sounds like he was a great guy irl.

RIP Rrrickey. One of the good guys by all accounts.

I went down to the hospital and sang "If It's Magic" to him the other day. It just seemed like the right thing. He wasn't awake, but I'd like to think he heard me.

aw Rev that's so great ;_;

Was always drawn to his posts on ILM, this is terrible news. Rest in Peace.

oh man i just saw this. I didn't know him well but I liked his posts too. Condolences to his friends and family. Rest in peace.

Pretty much echoing what Matt DC said above; not someone I really (or ever?) interacted with on ILx - I always noticed the Timi Yuro tag and nodded my head at most of what he posted even if I didn't respond - but RIP and all best to those here and elsewhere who knew him best.

This is awful. RIP.

this is truly horrible news! christ, i was hoping against hope that this would turn out to be yet another tasteless joke thread, but no such luck. i didn't know the guy myself but really wish i had gotten the chance to now; he was my main man on the Whatcha Listening to thread.

condolences to friends and family.

this is the last exchange we had on ilm (man, what i wouldn't give to take the past two weeks back...):

Unknown Session, Duke Ellington
The Raincoats

Thanks for repping, Hurting and Kenan!

― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Monday, February 2, 2009 11:28 AM (2 weeks ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

I sort of forgot I had a copy of On the Rise here, then idly looked at a big stack of LPs in the living room, so:
"Just Be Good to Me," The SOS Band

― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Friday, February 6, 2009 12:02 PM (2 weeks ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Just as I was starting to think "Greatest record ever?" about that nine-minute track, I found this 12-inch:
"Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick"/"There Ain't Half Been Some Clever Bastards"

― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Friday, February 6, 2009 12:10 PM (2 weeks ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Then (I was discouraged by you!):
"Wheel Me Out"/"Hello Operator . . . I Mean Dad . . . I Mean Police . . . I Can't Even Remember Who I Am"

― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Friday, February 6, 2009 12:18 PM (2 weeks ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

This makes me wanna take a drive, but the car I "have access to" isn't equipped with a record player:
Little Feat
"I haven't made sense in so long, I almost quit tryin'."

― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Friday, February 6, 2009 12:34 PM (2 weeks ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

I sure don't owe that record anything; I've gotta so much pleasure out of it and I think I paid a buck for it in Philly one time.

― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Friday, February 6, 2009 12:37 PM (2 weeks ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

*gotten

― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Friday, February 6, 2009 12:37 PM (2 weeks ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

I also listened to "Red Guitar" by Loudon Wainwright III, a song no one ever talks about, before this.

― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Friday, February 6, 2009 12:41 PM (2 weeks ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

OK, just Side One of the Little Feat. If that's punk rock of one sort, this is it of another:
Of Human Feelings

― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Friday, February 6, 2009 12:51 PM (2 weeks ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

lol, ur durnk?

― (a mess0 (Ioannis), Friday, February 6, 2009 12:55 PM (2 weeks ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Yes! How'd you know?

― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Friday, February 6, 2009 12:58 PM (2 weeks ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Chuck Berry, Johnny B. Goode: His Complete '50s Chess Recordings (Chuck's da man! bought cheap!)

xp

lucky guess.

― (a mess0 (Ioannis), Friday, February 6, 2009 12:59 PM (2 weeks ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Wow, I've got so much Chuck, but not that box. That's sweet, would fit well in my condition.

― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Friday, February 6, 2009 1:01 PM (2 weeks ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Heh, Ronald Shannon Jackson ends one track on the Ornette with about a bar of "Funk #49."

― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Friday, February 6, 2009 1:04 PM (2 weeks ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Side Two of Another Green World. If I stay awake long enough, then there'll be a Blood & Fire sampler CD called Dubwise & Otherwise 2. Otherwise, 'night.

― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Friday, February 6, 2009 1:11 PM (2 weeks ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

R.I.P Rickey

I also assumed this was going to be another one of those joke threads.

very sad news. RIP

RIP

Such sad news, he will certainly be missed. RIP.

Thia ia awful. RIP

Very very sad. All best wishes to people who knew and loved him.

Oh this is so sad. Rest in peace.

I was also hoping this would be a joke thread. alas no.

February 6, 2009 12:59 PM (2 weeks ago)

:-((( If we only could turn back time and change the course.

This is awful, awful news. Condolences to all the Seattle folks and everyone who knew him here.

Sad news. My thoughts are with his friends and family.

A long, honest, thoughtful and absolute crusher of an obit from a friend and former Amazon colleague:

http://amsterbeth.vox.com/library/post/rickey-wright.html

Don't read without a handkerchief nearby.

And somehow I had completely missed he was the guy who won the Geekus Maximus contest Rhino had a while back. That seems right.

RIP. i did not have much interaction with rickey, but i always appreciated his posts, and his username! this is very, very sad.

A great and knowledgeable ILM poster, something that's rare these days.

Ian otm. I did not know Rickey personally, but I've always enjoyed his posts. He will be missed.

very sad. from that obituary he sounds like he would have been a fascinating guy to know. condolences to those who did.

How sad!

RIP.

He was indeed a great poster. Very sad. My thoughts go out to his friends and family.

Awful news :(

RIP

Damn, too young. RIP.

So sad. I've been trying to remember when we first met, thinking it was a FAP at the Canterbury, but realizing this morning it was at Bumbershoot three or four years ago. We were in line for a reading at the Rep (George Saunders? Greil Marcus?), Rickey and I'm fairly sure the higgs were just ahead of us, having a lively conversation. Once we were inside and seated, Matos W.K. or possibly Mackro came in and introduced us all. Rickey was the kind of person you were always glad to see at a gathering; so upbeat and engaged and genuinely interested in what you were doing, or what you thought. I feel so fortunate to have known him, and so stunned and sad that he is gone.

The guy gave off a great, really positive love of music vibe that came through loud and clear even to those of us who only knew him on the internet. Having him on your thread was like having your buddy next to you while driving around in the car with the oldies radio on and you wanted to hear what he had to say about every song or even just watch him to see how he reacted. I remember once I was summoning up a certain crew of posters and I was really happy when he was the first one to check in. RIP (:

R. Dean Taylor: C/D, S&D
Rhino Musical Aptitude Test

I also remember thinking at one point "this dude seems like a really nice guy I hope he has some friends and some people watching out for him and being nice to him" so it makes me glad to read what Donut and Matos have written about him.

How terrible. I didn't know him personally, but I've been reading his posts here for quite some time. I am really sad.

I came across this post today... I wonder if he changed his mind about that one? That siren sound can be annoying.

horrible stuff. thoughts are with his family and friends.

Still too young. I always enjoyed having the same name as him; remain "Rickey" in part because shortening it seemed like jumping his turf. Very touching to read everyone's favorite things by him here; I especially love "Paint Box" and "Remember a Day." They define early Floyd in my mind as much as anything this side of "See Emily Play" itself. Rest in peace.

― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Monday, September 15, 2008 6:10 PM Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

This was the bit that really got me from the Amsterbeth piece to which Ned linked:

But now that I am older, and now that I am a bigger person, my attitude is different. Rickey was extraordinary. And extraordinary people need to be protected. They need to be preserved. They need license. Why couldn’t we have seen that? Why couldn’t we have *created* the environment for someone like Rickey? Why couldn’t we have nurtured, helped, compromised? Where was the effort in finding out how to do that but not cross the line into enabling? Why can’t we do that for all people? Maybe we did to some extent just by forcing the circumstance upon him. Maybe Rickey should always have been a freelancer. There were other permanent gigs he was passed over for after Amazon. But knowing Rickey made me come to this conclusion that all gifts of all people we know need to be celebrated and accommodated, not shoved aside to fit into the lane we’ve been assigned to on the track of our little daily rat races.

OTM and, again, RIP.

Dan Gibson has a brief piece up at Idolator:

http://idolator.com/5157212/rickey-wright-rip