RTP-area local music and culture

[grady AT ibiblio.org]

Randy Ward was a member of some of the finest bands this area has known 
-- Metal Flake Mother, Family Dollar Pharaohs, and lately his amazing 
one-man Protean Spook music/art project -- so while I'm always concerned 
about whether and how to convey sensitive information via something so 
impersonal as UseNet, I think it's important to use the tools available.

Randy died last night, of cancer, after only being diagnosed a few 
months ago. The rest of this email is excerpted from a note I got from 
Kerry Cantwell, because she's much better at this than I am:


Hello all,

I'm sending this to all of you who I thought might have known Randy Ward 
(or had some dealings with him somewhere along the line) in fear that 
the message might not have reached you any other way.  Randy was a 
member of Metal Flake Mother and Family Dollar Pharoahs back in the day 
and recently was the brains behind the infinitely brilliant one-man 
Protean Spook project.

Well, last night, shortly after 8 o'clock, Randy passed away after a 
brief but intense battle with cancer.  He was diagnosed around late 
November/early December with a rare and fierce form of the disease.  He 
was doing moderately well until just this past Monday morning.  He spent 
a night in the hospital and was sent home to hospice yesterday 
afternoon.  He passed quietly at his home with his family and his 
amazing girlfriend Amanda.

I had the painful pleasure of seeing Randy Monday night because he had 
asked that all of his friends be contacted to visit him in the hospital. 
 (My husband had become friends with Randy in the last year or so.) 
There must have been 100 people flowing in and out of that room 
throughout the day. Amanda says it really made Randy happy.

No funeral or service plans have been arranged as of yet, but I will 
gladly pass on the info when it becomes available.

Kerry