I’m feeling a little melancholy today.
Yesterday was the anniversary of my mother-in-law’s passing. While they are often the butt of jokes, I cannot say enough good things about a woman that I could easily call “Mom” even when my own mother was still alive. A woman of integrity, loyalty and common sense. Values I see and love everyday in my wife. As well as the intelligence, strength, and empathy that I see in my daughters. While they did not have much time with my mother-in-law, it is not hard to see where my daughters got those qualities.
And then, last evening, I learned of the passing of a Pittsburgh music icon: Donnie Iris (properly pronounced by yinzers as “DAW-nee”) at age 83 after a battle with bladder cancer. Although I have lived in Pittsburgh for more than 25 years, I never had the opportunity to see him live. And I only know his hits: “Ah Leah” and “Love is Like a Rock”. My loss. But I know that when he reunites with his other Pittsburgh musician friends in Heaven, friends like B.E. Taylor and Tommy Bellin, the jam will be magnificent.
Of course, there are all sorts of posts about what an all-star band would be up in Heaven. And I have my own laundry list. Feel free to make your own. Ronnie James Dio on vocals. Maybe some storytelling by Harry Chapin or Gord Downie. A rhythm section of Neil Peart on drums and John Entwistle on bass. Keyboards would be handled by Rick Wright, all topped off with a horn section of Miles Davis, Clarence Clemons, and Leroi Moore.
The list of guitarists alone could create music that I could listen to for an eternity. Stevie Ray Vaughan, Duane Allman, and Jeff Healey would just scratch the surface.
And while I am missing some of our great musicians, a melancholy day like today would not be complete if I didn’t mention my personal guitar hero, Doug Rockwitz. I miss you my friend. (Shameless plug time: if you want to know more about Doug and his band, Armed and Dangerous, I wrote a whole book about it. Go ahead and pick up a copy of Rock the Hard Way in the Featured Books section of this site.)
I know what my Christian friends will say. Some of those I listed above would not be in Heaven because they were not believers. Fair point.
But I consider music a gift from God. And in the same way I cannot wrap my head around spending an eternity without my dogs, I think a Heaven without the immense talents of the legends that have passed (and so many more before them in times and genres I have not had the pleasure to hear on earth) would not be the reward that I know that Heaven is.
Whenever we face a loss in our lives, it is natural to wonder what comes next. The Bible talks about Heaven as being a place where the angels (and, worse yet, I) sing the praises of God non-stop. I don’t know if that sounds like Heaven to me. I picture the music, the good music that God graced us with here on earth, to be the worship that He deserves. Does that make me a bad person?
Maybe this hit me today because I know the nice weather this week is making its last appearance before the snow and cold of winter. Maybe it’s just age. But on days like today, I am reminded that life is temporary. Luckily, in this life, we have been gifted timeless music. So today, while I rake leaves knowing that my future includes Ben Gay, I will listen to a little Harry Chapin and Gord Downie and get a little taste of Heaven.
Rock on. Forever!