|
3.20.2003
Ty Longley, 31; Great White guitarist
Ty Longley loved The Simpsons, running, boogie boarding in the ocean,
writing in his journals and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Perhaps most of all,
the 31-year-old guitarist for Great White loved playing music.
"I can tell you he LIVED for that stage and for his fans,"
wrote his girlfriend, Heidi Peralta, on Mr. Longley's Web site, www.tylongley.com.
"He always wanted to travel and be a dad and soon a husband BUT still
tour."
Peralta is expecting the couple's child.
In a journal entry for October 2002, Mr. Longley wrote about his experiences
on the road with Great White, from having dinner at the Space Needle in
Seattle to checking out fall foliage in Massachusetts.
"I'm grateful for the time I do get out here and know it's truly
a blessing to utilize my gift," he wrote.
Mr. Longley, 31, was born in Sharon, Pa., and grew up in Ohio before
moving to California to try to make it in the music business. At the time
of his death, he was living in Northridge, Calif.
But he never totally forgot his Pennsylvania roots -- a biographical
sketch on the Great White Web site reveals a die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers
fan: "Steelers rule!"
His first musical gig was with a band called Chains, in Youngstown, Ohio.
"God bless my family for enduring that one," he wrote.
Mr. Longley joined Great White in 2000, when the band was looking to
replace founding guitarist Mark Kendall. He toured with the band in 2001,
and when lead singer Jack Russell launched a solo career, he hired Mr.
Longley as a member of his touring band.
Kendall re-joined Great White last year, but the band decided to use
a two-guitar lineup and keep Mr. Longley on.
In a tribute to Mr. Longley on the Great White Web site, band manager
Paul Woolnough wrote about Mr. Longley's dedication to his music. The
last time they spoke, Woolnough wrote, they discussed a solo CD that Longley
hoped to record when he got back to California.
Knight Records, Great White's label, is planning to release an album
of Mr. Longley's music in the near future.
But Woolnough also wrote about Mr. Longley's personal side -- his daily
trip to Starbucks, where he would linger and write in his journals, his
enthusiasm for running, and his devotion to The Simpsons.
(Woolnough would record the shows while Mr. Longley was on the road so
he wouldn't miss an episode.)
Jason Williams, bassist for the band Trip, which was opening for Great
White, said Mr. Longley was a pleasure to be around on the road:
"As far as guys go he was one of the greatest guys you would ever
hope to meet in the world," Williams said. "He was constantly
keeping people laughing on the bus. . . . He never was moody, he always
had a bright chipper personality every day."
-- Andy Smith
Share your thoughts and condolences for all of those lost
|
