Sunday, November 8, 2009

Thank You Jerry

So there is no confusion:

Last night Jerry Fuchs, our friend and our drum hero, passed away. Jerry accidentally fell from a freight elevator in Williamsburg Brooklyn and was not able to survive the intense trauma caused by the fall. Nick and I entered the building about the time the fall occurred. We found him in the elevator shaft. We held him and talked to him and went with him to Bellevue Hospital. Heartbreakingly, the doctors were unable to resuscitate him. He was pronounced dead at 3:33 am.

My last text message exchange with Jerry went like this:

Me: Gerard, will you be coming alone tonight or do you need a +1?
Jerry: I will b coming with my friend J tonight. Let me know if that's a problem. Seriously.
Me: Not a problem!
Jerry: Dude, I know ur list is tight. Let me know if you can't swing it and i will just buy a ticket at the door.
Me: Its fine! We got it
Jerry: Thanks dawg.
minutes later....
Jerry: Thank u, thank u, thank u.

This exchange was typical of Jerry: Always apologizing unnecessarily, endlessly thanking me for no apparent reason, relentlessly polite in a world in which manners have largely been replaced by irony and sarcasm. Of course you wouldn't assume any of this from watching him play drums.... He was terrifying. A machine. A beast. Uncivilized. Rude. A savant. When he got MIDI IN and MIDI OUT tattooed on his forearms I wasn't surprised in the least. In fact, I remember thinking, "Oh, so there they are!" - - as if Jerry had finally revealed the secret to his precision and syncopation.

Jerry was the star of every band he played with and will be painfully missed by those bands and a vast network of friends, family, and of course, musicians and music lovers, worldwide. My deepest sympathies go out to his family in Georgia.

Jerry: Thank you, thank you, thank you...

Always,
Alex
Posted by at

25 comments:

  1. UnknownNovember 8, 2009 at 6:14 PM

    Always considerate. Always polite. Always thinking of others. Always had a good time and ensured a good time. So enthusiastic and passionate. Our lives are different than how they would have been if we had never known him and will be different now that he is gone. THANK YOU JERRY

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  2. pixelifeNovember 8, 2009 at 7:16 PM

    Changed my life just by being the nicest and most talented guy I may ever have met. I love you Jerry.

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  3. MilesNovember 8, 2009 at 10:21 PM

    Fuck in ear monitors. Jerry was precision. The world is worse off for this loss. Jerry is one of the nicest people I will ever know. I'll miss you Jerry, when I hear thunder I will know that is you up in the sky tearing the shit out of the drums.

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  4. AnonymousNovember 8, 2009 at 11:10 PM

    So sorry to hear. RIP.

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  5. AnonymousNovember 9, 2009 at 3:50 AM

    This was a very sweet statement ...Jerry was a good friend of mine from working with !!! and his passing has left a big big hole that will never be filled. I hope he didn't suffer too much and that he had friends with him brings me great comfort.
    RIP Jerry ...he really was a fantastic guy and a great drummer and will indeed be missed by anyone who knew him and knows anything about good music.
    xx Jamie

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  6. AnonymousNovember 9, 2009 at 6:38 AM

    I got the privileged of seeing him perform twice, back to back days with Maserati. He was an amazing drummer and a staple for many. He will be missed but never forgotten. May his talent continue to live in the hearts of all the people he inspired.

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  7. AnonymousNovember 9, 2009 at 8:07 AM

    We were so shocked and so very sorry to hear about this today. Although we never knew him personally we saw him play with !!! in Osaka, and just by the amount you talked about him whilst you were here I could tell that he was not only extremely talented but also a really decent guy too.
    Our thoughts are with you and Jerry's family and friends.

    Matt and Megumi xxx

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  8. nbNovember 9, 2009 at 11:27 AM

    Thank you for sharing your very private last moments with Jerry with us. Please accept my deepest condolences. I didn't know him well, but I do know that he was a great guy and hilarious and his memory will live on.

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  9. JordanNovember 9, 2009 at 12:29 PM

    I will listen to his albums forever. Jerry was an inspiration through his playing and his personality. I feel privileged to have known him.

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  10. AnonymousNovember 9, 2009 at 3:07 PM

    I didn't know anyone involved.
    I'm just someone who came across this story, and it caught my attention via Facebook and various media sources.
    This journal posting moved me to tears, and all I can say is that I'm very sorry for everyone's loss.

    ~A Sympathetic Soul in Williamsburg

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  11. AnonymousNovember 9, 2009 at 7:23 PM

    So sorry for the loss.

    Peace,
    Ernie

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  12. AnonymousNovember 9, 2009 at 7:31 PM

    this is just so very touching and a reminder for all of us of our mortality. i don't know anyone here but i truly am touched by the admiration and warm respect.

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  13. Andrew McMillenNovember 10, 2009 at 3:22 AM

    Adding my condolences. RIP.

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  14. SimonNovember 10, 2009 at 6:31 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  15. SimonNovember 10, 2009 at 6:36 AM

    Every time I try to think of something to write that expresses how I feel it comes out wrong. My sincere condolences to everyone who knew Jerry. From what everyone has written, here and elsewhere, he sounds like a remarkable person. It just isn't fair.

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  16. Nicole BlonderNovember 10, 2009 at 8:00 AM

    alex this is just so crazy! what a random tragic occurance. I'm so sorry for this tragedy.

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  17. AnonymousNovember 10, 2009 at 9:13 AM

    I don't know what to say... The guy was like the definition of sweetness... ! we didn't know each other that well but each time he treated me like i was an old friend (keep saying thanks for coming to the shows he was playing at, while HE was the one letting me in each time...)
    Huge drummer, huge person,...Huge Loss

    Alex and everyone, I'm really so sorry for you guys... Jerry will be remembered

    Vincent // Paris-France

    PS: Last time I've seen him, we had a cocktail named after a parisian club... Now all the following ones will be to his memory

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  18. dali!November 10, 2009 at 11:14 AM

    heartbreaking.
    jerry was the epitome of badassness smothered with a supreme dose of niceness.
    he will live in our hearts and minds forever.
    my thoughts and love are with you guys alex.

    dali / los angeles, ca

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  19. AnonymousNovember 10, 2009 at 1:02 PM

    I will have a moment of silence for him every time I get behind my kit :(

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  20. AnonymousNovember 10, 2009 at 4:49 PM

    I didn't know Jerry well. Talked with him a few times about mustaches, hairdos and artwork. Now I regret that we didn't talk about more important things. Seemed like an awesome guy, I know he will be missed

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  21. Ms Scully HereNovember 10, 2009 at 8:42 PM

    I was there and was looking over. I took your phone and jacket as you helped. I felt so helpless, but hopeful that he was going to be OK. So sorry for your loss, I can't imagine what you much feel these days

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  22. Natalie GNovember 11, 2009 at 1:31 PM

    Alex,

    Your tribute to Jerry is sincerely moving and poetic. I only had a few interactions with him, but one time I remember standing beside Jerry during a show at LPR as he drummed his heart out. I was truly in awe of his talent. And in that, he has become immortalized through his art and will live on forever in our hearts and minds.

    My sincere condolences to his family and friends.

    Natalie / NYC

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  23. AnonymousNovember 11, 2009 at 4:43 PM

    so so so sad... such a shame to lose a great talent and by all accounts a sincerely nice guy! my thoughts are with Jerry's family and friends.

    Dave, ADL Australia

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  24. AnonymousNovember 11, 2009 at 6:57 PM

    Goodbye Jerry. Thanks for the music.
    Murphy, Sydney, Australia.

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  25. garry vickersNovember 22, 2009 at 4:11 PM

    Sincerest condolences. A moment of silence... followed by an entire day of listening to his amazing work.

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