I don’t know what happens when people die
Can’t seem to grasp it as hard as I try

"For A Dancer"
Jackson Browne

I know this guy.  He’s in the best shape of about anybody I know.  Probably from doing yoga sometimes multiple times a day.  We’re ski buddies.  We met in Aspen, at Jim Lewi’s conference.  We even took a trip to Alta once.  And despite his turning ability not being of world class standards, his gumption takes him down steep slopes that even I sometimes think twice about navigating.

Dan Hoffman and I are buddies.  But it’s not cry in your beer buddies, but take action buddies.  Dan’s about forward, not backward, or stasis. Reflection is not his thing. So, when I received the following e-mail from Dan, I knew he must be really tortured.  Especially since his e-mail almost never breaks a sentence.

I did not know Gerry Tolman.  But, although it’s the stars that touch our hearts, without the people behind, the show does not go on.

I too am 52.  The thought of my life ending today is something I can’t contemplate.  I feel I’m at the middle, not the end.

We must go on.  We must laugh.

But we can never forget that life is precious and can be taken from us at any time.

My list is not a forum for others’ expression.  But I know Dan is not the only person touched by Gerry’s death.  And, since Dan is a friend of mine, I’m giving him this space.

BOB:
I know that you normally are just printing notes from your constituents that pertain to content you have published, but it seemed to me that your readership might be well-suited to hear what I wanted to say about Gerry Tolman, so I am hoping you will print this.

Today I opened my daily Billboard Bulletin from Friday to the headline "Manager Gerry Tolman Killed in Car Wreck." Gerry was only 52 and was the longtime manager of Crosby Stills and Nash. There were quotes from Graham and Stephen and info on donations in his name (House Of Blues Foundation, 6255 Sunset, 18th Fl, LA CA 90028). I was stunned and I and my family were  tremendously saddened.

I have known Gerry for over 20 years, and he was an a true friend, a man of  honor with a heart of gold, unfailing good humor and great common sense. He  did so much to help develop and preserve the legacy of CSN. Although each  member of the group is incredibly talented, Gerry’s tireless efforts on  their behalf through some very difficult times helped bring their music through both live and on recordings to their original legions of fans and also to new generations.  Gerry pulled together and produced many volumes of  CSN recordings, dealing with every aspect of the process, and he was the driving force behind their continued touring schedule over the years.

Gerry helped me early in my own career when he (and Stephen Stills) put their confidence in me as a young and rather "green" music business attorney. As the years passed and I moved over to the ‘company" side, Gerry and I remained close, and I fondly remember him arranging for my teenage daughter to meet Stephen and Graham (and get them to sign her CSN vinyl  album cover) after a show in NY a few years back. Recently Gerry and I sat poolside on the roof of a West Hollywood hotel and talked, and I remember  him saying how time is the most precious thing we have. When I saw the  headline today, that conversation came rushing back.

Like Gerry, many of us have complicated and significant responsibilities and demands that occupy us. If we can take one lesson from the way he lived his  life, it is to fulfill these duties and functions with compassion and with full effort, and to make the way we live our lives a labor of love.

Thanks
Dan Hoffman
RAZOR & TIE