Introduction by Joseph Timmons – Xombiewoof Magazine and Foreword by Bob Steshetz
Photographs by Bob Steshetz
The following is a story submitted to us by the way of a friend of ours, photographer Bob Steshetz, who was so taken by this woman’s story, one of motherly love for a son who was killed in a tragic accident and taken from the world too soon and a musician who help fulfill the young man’s dream of one day playing together onstage. The musical artist Gary Hoey not only played a song in tribute to the young man, but played it on the young man’s guitar, in way, though gone from this world, through his instrument he lived once more and graced the world with his presence through his instrument.
Bob Steshetz sent me this message – “I saw Gary Hoey on Friday night at the Coach House. It was an amazing night. He stopped his show part way though to fulfill a Mothers request. The woman’s son was killed in a fatal accident 4 year or so ago. He was a big Gary Hoey fan and a young guitarist. She said that when he was killed he actually had a pair of tickets to see Gary in his possession. Anyway, she wrote Gary a letter asking him if he would play her son's favorite song (Tele Like It Is) on his SG. It was an amazing and moving evening”.
After reading her story, we knew we had to publish it, and we present it to you in its entirety, unedited- sent to us by Justin’s Mother, Sher Kirkpatrick with a foreword by Bob Steshetz.
Foreword:
My son Justin loved God, his family and friends, but most of all he loved music. He was the most beautiful, funny, compassionate, loving, talented, and caring person I have ever known, and I’m not just saying that because he was my son. Just ask anyone who knew him.
He was born in LA in 1981, but lived most of his life in the Placerville area. Our house was always filled with rock music. He was born to the song, “Breakfast in America” by Supertramp. I was singing, and the Dr. was dancing. Every time he heard that song he would roll his eyes and say, “ugh. That song! My mom was playing that when I was born. He loved listening to me play the piano and quickly picked it up. He learned how to play saxophone in the school band but it wasn’t until he was 13 or so when his uncle came for a visit and showed him a few chords on the guitar. From that moment on all he wanted to do was play guitar. We bought him a cheap electric guitar and he got pretty good at it, so he and his best friend started jamming together. There dream was to form a band.
One day we were spending time in the music store looking through one of the guitar magazines when I saw an ad from the Musician’s Institute. I got all excited and told Justin, “you should go to this school. Let’s make it happen”. He had just graduated from High School and his step dad, Mark and I moved to Southern California so it was a great opportunity for him to attend GIT in Hollywood.
We wanted to buy him a nice guitar, so we headed for Guitar Center so he could pick one out. He tried several guitars, but fell in love with a beautiful red Gibson SG. It was a bit more than we wanted to spend, but Mark said, “It’s yours”. I think he had tears in his eyes, but we couldn’t see his face because he was on the ground kissing Mark’s feet. He was quite the comedian.
He was accepted into the GIT program and he worked hard to finish. After he graduated from the GIT program he moved back to Placerville to marry a gal named Alysia and to start his a band. His band, Shadowproof was a Christian progressive metal band. His biggest influences were Dream Theater, Tool, Yngwie Malmsteen, Van Halen, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, but he especially loved Gary Hoey.
One day Justin called me and said, “Guess what? I finally got to meet Gary Hoey at one of the guitar classes he was doing up here at Guitar center”. He was so excited to finally meet him and told me how he had asked Gary if they could jam together sometime. Gary gave him a look like “sure kid”, but then Justin proudly told Gary he was a GIT graduate. Gary smiled and said something like, “Oh! Sure. We could jam sometime.” That made Justin’s day.
On June 14, 2008 Justin had tickets in his pocket to finally see Gary in concert, but he didn’t make that night. That was the day of his fatal motorcycle accident. I can’t even describe the depth of loss we experienced that day. The only thing I wanted to bring home of his was the Gibson. I don’t know what made me think of this, but I wanted so badly to write Gary a letter and ask him if he could play Justin’s favorite Gary Hoey song, “Tele Like it is” on Justin’s guitar. I had it in my head that would be an impossible dream, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I didn’t know how to write, how to ask. How do you ask something like that of a well know musician like Gary Hoey?
In November this year my sister and I went to see Ambrosia in concert. She knew Joe Puerta from High School, so we got to visit with the band back stage. I was talking to their guitarist, Doug Jackson, and he was sharing with me that he studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston. I told him about Justin and how I wanted to ask Gary Hoey to play his guitar. He said, “You need to ask him. He would probably love to do that for you.” That was the nudge I needed, as soon as I got home that night I sent Gary a message on his Facebook Fan Page with my story and wish. He wrote me back 2 days later! I couldn’t believe my eyes. He said he would be honored to do that for us and let’s try and make it happen. I noticed he was on tour down in the San Diego area in December. Much of Justin’s family lives down there, so I thought it would be the perfect time. I asked if he could do it at the Coach House and he said yes!
Story by Sher Kirkpatrick, Justin’s Mother and Biggest Fan.
We have Video footage of this momentous event; please take a moment to remember one young man’s life and a tribute to it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aIqhstHENQ&feature=youtu.be
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