I've been avoiding this post for over 2 months because I didn't know what to say and I still don't. I got news on New Year's Eve that my friend Wayne Porter lost his tough fight with cancer.
He with diagnosed during COVID quarantine and fought hard, but the odds were not in his favor. Wayne and I played 5 feet from each other for 17 years in the DeadWax Trio together with Jon Reingold as well as a handful of one-offs, side projects, and recordings. More importantly, we were friends. My now 14 year old son grew up idolizing Wayne, who must have seemed like a gentle giant to him. He ran to him and sat near him on stage when we could. I get it Del, Wayne made everything seem better all the time.
I still don't know what to say, but spent the day getting ready for his memorial and decided it was time. I couldn't blog about anything else until I had acknowledged this loss.
I don't know how many gigs we played together, countless, though I'd do anything for one more. We played at the top of the Space Needle a few times. We played parties, and music venues, and bars, restaurants, dives, and events, and we were in fact the house band at a medical marijuana lounge before recreational marijuana was legal in Washington state. (we lost that gig to a DEA raid, fortunately on a night were were off). I don't remember the last gig we played together, but I suppose it is best because I can't imagine the feeling of knowing that I was on my last gig with him. I did keep up with him as best I could during quarantine and was blessed with one evening with him and his lovely wife Rainelle after things opened up. More would never have been enough.
Wayne was one of the warmest people I knew. He had a soft voice and a big smile and I was always happy when we spent time together. He was also the epitome of time, taste, and control as a drummer. I am a much better bassist because of the time that I got to spend playing with him. But, more than anything, he was my friend and I miss him.
A bright spot, if there is one, is that a community of other musicians who's lives he touched has come together to play at his memorial service this month. I've invited them to share their comments and stories here, because it takes the pressure off of me to come up with the perfect thing to say, which is not possible. I feel like we're a village now and I hope that we stay connected to one another. It's helping so far.
Rainelle, thank you for sharing Wayne with us all of those years. Wayne, you'll always be missed and never be forgotten. Thank you for the friendship and the music.