It’s with a very heavy heart that I must share some sad news. Roger, who had been battling cancer for the past year, passed away on Monday, 21st October.
Ready Steady Gone started simply as a list of Rog’s gigs with the bands he played in—Jazzboard, Scallywag, James South, and others—but he was always proud of this site and the stories he could share here. As the site evolved into full-length articles and recollections pulled from his scrapbook, what made him most proud was the community he created through all of your contributions, comments, and memories. He particularly loved that he had managed to connect others who were part of the 60s music scene and that his blog posts became a way for people to reminisce alongside him. He truly appreciated everyone’s comments and the conversations you all shared. With that in mind, I’ll make sure the site remains active and the comments stay open; before he passed, he made it clear how important it was to him that you all could still access the site even after he was gone.
Rog wasn’t just a talented musician (and music historian); he was an incredible painter, and his house here in Wiltshire is filled with the art and music he created over the years. Personally, I like to think that his lasting legacy will be how he inspired others with the creativity he brought into life. Both my brother and I picked up instruments in our teens thanks to his influence, and now we both work in visual arts-related fields, and our mum—his wife, Eileen—has a home full of happy memories. If you’d like to remember Rog, I hope you’ll do so by going out and creating something yourself and by continuing the spirit of Ready Steady Gone, sharing more of your recollections here.
Mae Smith
The post Some sad news appeared first on Ready Steady Gone!.