Larry Boyd

[Robert C. Mayo]

I had known Larry since around 1989; we worked for the same company for about
5 yrs. He bacame a musical mentor of sorts; both being musicians, we
inevitably talked music. Larry quickly sussed the 'deficiencies' in my
knowledge/collection :-) and made  what must amount to 150 or so cassttes for
me during that period, When he left the company, the cassettes kept on coming
thru the mail (right up until last summer). I literally have 4 milk crates
overflowing with his homemade cassettes. His hand-written liner notes were
always outstanding; accurate, concise, smart, and funny. Any question I ever
had about music was answered by him. Not musical trivia, but the
philosophical, the technical, the artistic; supplying both objectivity and
subjectivity (Larry had VERY strong opnions on all of the above).

His specialty was the 'secret history' of rock music, as he saw it; and I
have his manifesto, contained within 13 yrs of magnetic impulses, catalogued
in a makeshift milk crate museum in my basement.

Larry also located a cassette copy of an LP he told me right out wasn't sure
ever existed: Leigh Stevens' Red Weather LP.... I asked if he could dig it up
and he told me he had never heard of it, and that meant it might not actually
exist :-). But he found it for me, trading his way thru his gigantic network
and mailing it to me. He supplied me with a ton of stuff I never knew I
needed until I heard it.

Music was the most important thing to Larry, of that I have no doubt. Passion
doesn't describe it.... he considered himself a 'keeper of the flame' with
his favorite music and considered it his mission to keep that flame burning.
He succeeded with me. And Larry was an accomplished writer, but he
communicated most effectively with some thru music. Our decade-long
'conversation' left me enriched, endebted, and amazed. Of course, I never
really kept up my end of the 'trading', as Larry didn't 'need' to a mentor,
he was one. He cherished the role and told me so; I was greatful to him and
told him that often.

We have lost a great lover of music, an amazing mind, a rockin' drummer, and
a gentle spirit. We should remember him each our own way, and be thankful
that has found peace.

If anyone would like cassette :-) copies of any of the music Larry actually
made with his many bands, email me. I must keep the flame burning......

BobM