One of the best
parts about being in the business of rock n roll is the people we meet along
the way. Most of us have an interesting
story, some happy, some sad, some uplifting, and some motivating, but never
boring. Today was one of those days where I was able to hear a story, sad,
tragic even, yet highly motivating and very uplifting. I have been a devoted Widespread Panic fan
for the better part of 20 years and do my best to keep up with the comings and
goings of anything dealing with the band and its fans. I was living in Denver, CO, when I heard
about the passing of Wayne Sawyer, on September 29, 2009. Somehow Wayne and I never met, yet at the
time we had several mutual friends and it was obvious how special this man was
and how much he was loved. Now, on May 9, 2013, a little less than a month
before the 4th Annual Celebrate Wayne & Conquer SADS memorial benefit show
at Smith’s Olde Bar, I had the wonderful pleasure of meeting Wayne’s wife
Shannon and I was able to get a firsthand account on who Wayne Sawyer was, what
the benefit is raising money for, and how we as a family can make sure his
death was not in vain.
SADS, which
stands for Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes, are genetic heart rhythm
abnormality conditions that can cause sudden death in young, apparently healthy
people – who are undiagnosed. Wayne suffered from what is called Long QT
Syndrome, which is a disturbance of the heart’s electrical system. Nearly half of the people who suffer from
Long QT Syndrome never show any symptoms.
This is part of what makes the disease so hard to detect. It is genetic with a 50% chance of its being
passed down from generation to generation.
The hardest part of this is the disease being misdiagnosed eventually
leading to a sudden fatal heart attack at a very young age. Wayne Sawyer died
two weeks before his 41st birthday. With
the help of the SADS Foundation and benefits like this one, light can be shed
on this destructive genetic disorder and lives can be saved. Shannon informed me that there is headway
being made in stem cell research today.
With the correct medication, had Wayne been properly diagnosed, this
tragedy could have been avoided.
Thankfully, after Wayne’s passing, his family was tested and it was
brought to light that other family members including his daughter also suffer
from Long QT Syndrome. Fortunately Wayne’s passing, helped save his daughter’s
life as well as that of his two sisters.
With a big move
to Colorado and a new life for Shannon and her family two weeks after the June
1st celebration, Shannon insisted to me that this year’s event was going to be
less money driven and more about remembering her late husband and the man that
he was. Not knowing how her move to
Colorado will affect the annual fundraiser in the future, she wants this year
to be very special. I could hear the
love in her voice as she described who Wayne was, and how important he was to
the people he was closest to. Wayne was
an artist, a writer, a musician, a business partner, and a founding member of
the Widespread Panic road crew. Shannon
stated in our conversation, “The most important thing to me, when writing about
Wayne, is to say how very much he loved his wife and daughter. He was so
devoted to both of us. And that he died to save his daughter's life. I truly believe it, beyond my personal need
to assign meaning to his death. I believe it in the depths of my being ... that
his soul & body knew, and he truly loved her that much.”
This year’s event
will once again be held at Smith’s Olde Bar on June 1, 2013. There are VIP tickets available for $50 and
regular tickets for $25. The VIP music
will start at 5 pm with Cameron Stack and Betsy Franck, and catering will be
provided by Fox Bros BBQ. The music
upstairs will begin at 6 pm with The Heap, Col. Bruce Hampton, featuring AJ
Ghent, Jerry Joseph with Jeff Crosby and the Refugees, and Bloodkin. These guys will rock the house and everyone
will have a great time. There will be a
silent auction, and Shannon tells me there are some great pieces to bid on this
year. So bring your money and be
ready. Tickets are going fast so grab
one while you can before they are all gone.
This will be a night you will not want to miss.
If you are interested in donating, payments through PayPal
are accepted @ climb4wayne@gmail.com.
For more information on SADS please go to www.sads.org.
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