Well written tribute by Eric at Mississippi
Hello all,
Sad to say the great Michael Hurley has passed away.
I could fill hundreds of pages with stories and accolades of Michael.
He lived a life that's beyond belief. But, Michael didn't like fanfare, so I'll keep it brief.
I will say these things - .
If I had not seen it and suffered under it for 22 years, I could never believe someone lived by their own unique code as hardcore as Michael did. Some would call him stubborn, but I always thought of him as nobly defiant. Michael's will was unbreakable. For better and worse he taught me to stick to my guns, even if they were pointed the wrong way half the time.
Michael saw his friends as family. He could be distant and hard to read at times, but he always genuinely loved his friends.
Michael was a romantic. Every song he wrote is grounded in romance with women, food, the road, friends, booze, ghosts, the mystery and on and on.
Deep down Michael knew he was one of the greatest songwriters of all time. He didn't strut and crow about it, but he knew it was true. Michael believed that songs had great value and could change the world, so he worked hard at his craft.
Michael genuinely existed in a different dimension than the rest of us. Interdimensional beings,
talking wolves, dance crazes like Doin' The oPossum and Measling, magic teas and so on were things he had genuine contact with. He was tuned in to worlds the squares will never know.
Michael knew more song lyrics by heart than anyone I've ever met. If an old song's words were
evading his memory at 2 AM, he would call me to sing an incomplete verse in hopes that I could finish it off.
These are the best calls I ever got. Songs were constantly swimming in his head.
Michael and I shared a religious love of music. We both admitted that if it wasn't for music,
we'd have been dead long ago. It was one of our main reasons for living....though food, love,
friendship and the exciting novelties of life figured into it too.
Michael believed in being intentional. Often when he saw me rushing, or when I tried to speed him
up, he wagged a finger at me and said, 'there's no dignity in haste."
Alright, I'm going too long already. I would write a book about Michael Hurley, but he made
me promise not to. (Really).
I'm going to miss him a ton and am grateful he left us all with so much great art and memories to continue helping us through.
I'll let him give the last word -
"I take me a room at the intrepid Inn, where the winds
of eternity sweep across the last crossroads before hell, where
our absences are each others presences and the aimless driving
blue navigators rave on."
- Doc Snock
Don't be alarmed,
Keep veepin",
Eric at Mississippi Records
