Wayman Tisdale

I was going to add some thoughts about Wayman Tisdale in the previous blog. However, I wanted this to be seperate. We read in the paper and see on TV stories about people dying all the time. Famous people, popular people, people who are close to us and people we have never met. Wayman Tisdale was all these things to me. He was famous, a famous athlete. He as popular, a popular bass guitar player. I met him twice face to face and saw him countless other times and I felt a closeness beyond other people I have known for years. And although we did meet and I had a chance to share some brief moments with him, I was just part of the crowd, the many people who had their lives changed when he walked into a room or on stage.
Wayman Tisdale died last week. It was the day before the Newport Beach Jazz Festival. So ironic because when he first found he had cancer, he had to cancel a performance at that very festival two years ago. Oh, he closed the festival last year, in fine Wayman fashion. Every one who played this week end had something warm to say about him.
One of the best things I heard about the man was from Tim Bowman. He said if you ever met Wayman Tisdale and you had a problem with him it was all on you. I only wish I could have had that impression on people and I, because of his example, I will try to be more like that from now on.
Wayman was a believer and he is in Heaven today probably trying to teach Peter, James and John how he is able to get such a great wound out of that big bass guitar of his.
God Blessed Wayman Tisdale and all of us who met him along the way.