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OK this thread was started in the Wild, Wild West Section of the Garage Punk dot com Forum (but since it is now locked) I will repost some info here and hopefully it will continue here at the Hideout;
http://www.garagepunk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=35437
Erik4-A Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 11:58 am Post subject: Ian Fisher of the Cowboys RIP?
I heard that Ian Fisher singer of the Seattle band The Cowboys died yesterday (10/23/07) but have not seen any info on it. Anyone know anything? Nothing has been posted on their MySpace page;
http://www.myspace.com/thecowboysrock
or their label here;
http://www.chuckieboy.com/cowboys/cowboys3.html
Here is some thing on their 1997 reunion show at the Pain In The Grass Summer Concert Series;
http://www.offcenterdesign.com/Bands/Cowboys%20Reunion/TheCowboysReunion.htm
And something from the Seattle PI;
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/thebigblog/archives/124955.asp
also the Seattle Times;
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004010430_ianfisher13m.html
These links will get everyone up to speed.
The memorial at the Tractor Tavern in Ballard was a good one. I saw lotsa folks I hadn't seen in ages. Folks I worked with at the Old Central Tavern in Pioneer Square back int he day and elsewhere, plus people who gave me a break when others in this town wouldn't. I was probably one of the youngest in the room (at age 40!) I think Dave Deder of the Presidents (and honorary Cowboy!) had me beat by a few years though. Anyway the "Ian Fisher Memorial Roundup" started out with a short video put together by Michael Stein of Chuckieboy Records with interviews of Family and clips of Ian in the Cowboys and prior to his joining this band. It was good. There was no "moment of silence" but a "moment of noise" (as they said Ian woulda wanted it that way). It was a great way for me to end a hectic weekend of shows that started with seeing Girl Trouble & The Pierced Arrows at the Funhouse and ended with seeing members of some of Seattle's ledgendary 80's rock bands pay tribute to one of their own.
Some of the folks on stage were; Steve Pearson (of the Heats, Rangehoods, Fighting Cocks and tons of other bands that elude my memory at this time) Mark Gunther (of X-15) on drums and long running Cowboys' bass player Jack Hannan, and guitarist Ernie Sapiro, plus Rick Smith handling the vocals for the night. There were a host of special guests like Jim Basnight (of the Meice and Moberlys and many other bands) It was a regular "who's who" of the Old Seattle (pre Grunge) music scene. Even John Keister (of "Almost Live" fame) was in the audience. Also a good chunk of my musical contemporaries were there too.
In the "Old Days" I was way to young to see the Cowboys, and only got to see them on TV once (on a local music TV show called REV) It wasn't until 1990 at the last night at the Central Tavern that I got to experience them in their original form for my only time live (I missed their 1997 Pain in the Grass Reunion show!) and I was the schmuck that handed Ian a brand new mic stand (which he smashed to bits at the end of the set!) It is one of those memories I shared with folks I knew at this memorial.
Sadly I only know a few titles of the songs they did at this Memorial (fortunately they were my favorites! "Rock N' Roll Cowboy" "Rude Boy" and many others were among them!) It was more a social scene for those who remember those times. If anyone of you were there and remember more feel free to post it here. I had a blast. It was fun and they say there will be another bigger event to come in Feb 2008.
OK I need some more dang sleep!