Randy Thomas of Sweet Comfort Band just said that he is starting to feel like all his “homies” are headed Home. Randy had just lost his dear friend Kevin Thomson, one of the founders of the Sweet Comfort Band, who when home to Jesus on May 30.
Then over the weekend…Christian artist and pastor, Dana Key (DeGarmo & Key) passed away and joined him due to complications from a blood clot. He was only 56.
Maybe Bob Farrell of Farrell and Farrell said it best when he wrote in his blog…
my good friend and brother in Christ dana key died yesterday.
i have so many good memories of dana – he and eddie degarmo and i worked togetther a lot in the 80’s – writing songs for Farrell & Farrell and DeGarmo and Key, recording, touring – and just hanging
dana played some of the guitars on our Choices and Jump To Conclusions albums, as well as singing background vocals with jayne and i on both albums
i remember vividly recording bgv’s on People in a Box – dana and i were in the studio, eddie in the control room – right next to the mic dana had set a small portable black and white TV up on a stool – so he wouldn’t miss seeing Memphis State in the basketball finals (the same TV we quite spontaneously used to record the Monty Hall opener to that song)
i remember writing for the first time at eddie’s white frame house in germantown – that day we wrote Get Right or Get Left and Let the Whole World Sing – a pretty good day and a fair omen of more to come
i remember touring throughout Europe – and many wry comments and commentaries from my friend with the sharp intellect and active sense of humor
i remember his incisive and sometimes blistering message to the body of Christ in their concerts – and his heartfelt invitation to the unbeliever in their midst: whosoever will may come
i remember him writing constantly while riding on the bus – on legal pads and notebooks (before PC’s) – thoughts, lyrics, song and sermon ideas
i remember more than once his encouraging words for jayne and i – whether it was about family issues or tour buses
i remember especially writing the lyrics with him and eddie to a song i have always loved that jayne sang on our Superpower album:
Where the Lord is there will be peace
He will bring love and all tears will cease
We will rise up as on eagle’s wings
When we find the way to love
For we see but a poor reflection
But one day we shall see face to face
When we find the way to love
i remember watching D&K perform so many times – and always had a heavenly vision when i heard their rendition of the classic Are You Ready?
Are you ready to sit by His throne
Are you ready not to be alone
Someone’s comin’ to take you home
And if you’re ready He will carry you home
Songwriter, believer, poet, author, philosopher, preacher, pastor, brother….friend
Yesterday. Someone came to carry dana home. I will miss him.
And….I look forward to seeing him again someday.
bob farrell
June 7, 2010
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