From Scott Parry
Life Aint Over Yet
I write you with great joy and sorrow. My name is Scott
Parry, I live
in Iowa.
I was given two weeks to live eight years ago- I had
hours of
conversations about passing on with both Helyn
Chrobocinski and Big
Danny Gallagher only it was them counseling me about my
impending
demise. They both loved my phrase 'Life Aint Over Yet
and we laughed
heartily about if you could still say it ,it was true.
My friends have
joined "The Band" and I miss them so much.
How did a lowly Iowa boy fall in with those two wise
ones? Thirty two years of chasing the E Streeters in
which they brought me in, flew home-said goodbye to my
momma + poppa quit my job and ran to the
Meadowlands--standing with my
backpack backstage on the first night of ten(1984) Obie
took me over to
this red bearded giant and told Danny "take him home,
he's one of us."
Without a word I was now immersed in Shore history.
We lived above Ray's Garage in Deal with Big D's family.
He said, well, you know Bruce so the next person you
should meet is Helyn and so the story goes, we
travelled to D.C. for the next shows and Helyn, Danny
and I grew very
close. They said such soothing and spiritual words about
my coming
death and now here I sit, alive, and my close confidants
already know
the answer to the question we so often asked ourselves.
Helyn put me as security at Clearwater on Sandy Hook
(for a few years when back from the tours)- introduced
to you by both Helyn + Danny in passing so I was
so touched when I ran across your site and wanted to
thank you.
I don't know why I am still alive and I don't know why
our friends are gone.
Your words and photos were a great comfort, thank you.
Danny's last
words to me from J.R.'s house in Colorado were of course
'Life Aint
Over Yet' and my last visit with Richie + Helyn I was
able to take them
to Madison Square Garden for what turned out to be their
final
Springsteen show, I was honored to do so.
To you, Vini Lopez, Eileen, Too Tall, Schraeger, String
Bean and all the other colorful folk who make up the
Jersey Shore scene, thank you for the fun, memories,
friendship and sounds. That Round Mound of Sound, I
smile whenever I
think of that and Helyn sent me some of her artwork she
wanted Bruce to
have so I snuck it into his dressing room when Seeger
Sessions hit
Iowa- hope he looked at it Helyn!
In two weeks I travel to St. Louis to see Danny's new
grandson by his son Eddie, taking him and his wife to
see Bruce and then I go on to Kansas City for a second
one- I am trying to watch out for your kids Danny, you
knew I would. So all of
this - in the Seventies I'd travel to Asbury to just be
there, before I
knew anybody and I would sit on a bench and listen to
the sounds and
songs of the carousel as the night grew dark and I still
hear those
sounds as I think of you Helyn and Danny, rest in peace
my friends.
Thanks for listening AlVis
August 10, 2008
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