RIP John Esser
Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 7:42 am
No, no one you would know. Well BM65 might know who he was.
John was the drummer in the band I was with in the 1970s. I encountered Universal Family in the late 1960s. As I approached, they were looking for a bass player, the old guy wanted to leave. And the lead singer (sax player and top hat wearer and school science teacher) had left Really talented guitarist to take over lead vocals. John on drums. Rob was the new bassist, and somewhere in there was Ken the organist. We called Ken "Nith" as in short for Kenneth. Me? With my major shortage of talent, I played the occasional polka on the organ or sometimes played guitar, and sometimes I did vocals. Mainly I ran the sound system.
Ken was the first to go, he had connected with a girl on tour and married her. They were in a hotel in Las Vegas having an argument and Ken stormed out the door and fell off the balcony to his death. The guitarist went to Chicago and finished is degree in Pharmacy... And committed suicide. I bumped into Rob one day at a local tech company, he was now a finish carpenter. A few months later, I heard he had passed on. And now a week ago or so John died suddenly, leaving me the only remaining member of that band.
At some point the band shortened the name to just Universe, and I left around 1973, and the band continued on with some other people in it, so there are still some surviving members of the band, but not from my era.
John was still active as a player, he had a trio he performed in. He also had a recording studio locally, and found time to run for Township Board. The guy is my age, and he leaves behind a fiancé.
John was the drummer in the band I was with in the 1970s. I encountered Universal Family in the late 1960s. As I approached, they were looking for a bass player, the old guy wanted to leave. And the lead singer (sax player and top hat wearer and school science teacher) had left Really talented guitarist to take over lead vocals. John on drums. Rob was the new bassist, and somewhere in there was Ken the organist. We called Ken "Nith" as in short for Kenneth. Me? With my major shortage of talent, I played the occasional polka on the organ or sometimes played guitar, and sometimes I did vocals. Mainly I ran the sound system.
Ken was the first to go, he had connected with a girl on tour and married her. They were in a hotel in Las Vegas having an argument and Ken stormed out the door and fell off the balcony to his death. The guitarist went to Chicago and finished is degree in Pharmacy... And committed suicide. I bumped into Rob one day at a local tech company, he was now a finish carpenter. A few months later, I heard he had passed on. And now a week ago or so John died suddenly, leaving me the only remaining member of that band.
At some point the band shortened the name to just Universe, and I left around 1973, and the band continued on with some other people in it, so there are still some surviving members of the band, but not from my era.
John was still active as a player, he had a trio he performed in. He also had a recording studio locally, and found time to run for Township Board. The guy is my age, and he leaves behind a fiancé.