[Harp-L] Gary Primich.....

["tomsmics" <tomsmics@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I considered Gary to be a good friend, besides a customer.  I first met him in the early 90's;  we did a lesson in the beer garden behind J&J Blues Bar in Ft. Worth.  Later, when the mic biz opened, he became a customer, and even a test pilot of some mic designs we pioneered, most memorably the Astatic 200S models we cut down to the bullet and mod-ed.

The guy was the real deal.  I'd seen him in so many formats--from acoustic to amplified, all combinations of players.  He was always the most happening thing on stage, and his infectious playing and patter always had an impact on his audience.  

I spoke to Gary just a few months ago.  He had lost all his harps, mics, etc.  Even over the phone it was apparent he had really changed--he just wasn't the positive guy I had come to know and respect.  When I had seen him last, his weight gain indicated he had completely forsaken the athletic regimen he used to follow.  

His death is a sad thing, for sure.  But after living with it a few days, I think I have to admit I'm also pretty pissed at him just because he killed himself.  Suicide is a tough thing, but unlike Bill Clarke--who died from internal bleeding that was a hereditary issue (and a REAL tragedy) and NOT self inflicted, Gary's death angers me.  Like Butterfield, he ignored all the warnings, lessons and examples of how NOT to live your life.  Willingly or not, he subjected himself to a nasty addiction, so well hidden few knew of it.  Did he try to get clean?  I hope so, and maybe we'll find out he was really struggling to get clear of the problem.  But dying of a drug overdose is just a waste.  It's not a tragedy, not as I define tragedy. 

It's a terrible way to wrap up a life of giving pleasure to so many.  And it really pisses me off he decided to go that way.  TOM ELLIS/Tom's Mics