Remembering John Cammelot, our Friend and Former Band Member (December 27, 1950 –October 4, 2014) October 6, 2014 at 9:50am <https://www.facebook.com/notes/carl-giammarese-singersongwriter/remembering-john-cammelot-our-friend-and-former-band-member-december-27-1950-oct/800670189978617> <https://www.facebook.com/notes/carl-giammarese-singersongwriter/remembering-john-cammelot-our-friend-and-former-band-member-december-27-1950-oct/800670189978617#>
Saturday night, The Buckinghams lost one of our own former band members, and a man we all knew and greatly respected, John Cammelot. John was our keyboard player in the 1980s for six years in the earliest days of our very first band reunion during an important time in our career. John was born in Evanston, Illinois, and he lived there all of his life; Chicago was in his heart, and the rich music so identifiable with the city flowed through him. He was an expert piano tuner and ever as much as he was respected as a musician, particularly with his soulful blues playing, he was one of the first-call piano tuners in Chicago. Whenever major venues expected a major-name artist for a concert, they called John first, because he was unparalleled in making their instruments sing. I’d known John Cammelot for quite a while around Chicago I used to enjoy seeing him playing with Chicago guitar legend Harvey Mandel, and their group had a distinct, true blues sound. John was trained in classical music as well, so his repertoire covered Beethoven to B. B. King to Buckinghams’ songs and everything in between. When John Gehron of WLS called me to see if The Buckinghams would reunite in summer 1980 for ChicagoFest, I called Dennis Tufano, Nick Fortuna, and Marty Grebb to see if they were interested and available. Marty was unavailable and touring with Chicago, but Dennis agreed and Nick said he was in. My next call was to John Cammelot, to see if he was available, as well as to first-call drummer, Tom Radtke, and that was our reunion band. For the next two years, we played a handful of dates, from some summer festivals to a New Year’s Eve show at the Park West. On drums we featured Tom Radtke, Tom Osfar,and Jim Heinz during those three years. A turning point came in 1982 when, based on the Chicago audience reactions, I wanted The Buckinghams to tour full time, and actually play outside of Chicago. Dennis declined continuing, as his career in the film industry was where he felt his true calling and heart were, so when he left in 1982, Nick was committed, and John remained with us we were planning on going forward. Before the Happy Together Tour, we wrote and recorded new tracks for our first Buckinghams album in 10 years, “A Matter of Time” (Red Label). In addition to John on keyboards, we added Laurie Beebe Lewis on vocals and second keys, as well as drummer Tom Scheckel to our band; Nick played bass and sang,and I played guitar and sang. And then The Buckinghams went on the Happy Together Tour in 1985. Playing on that national tour was a phenomenal experience; it was named a Pollstar Top 10 national tour that year, and considering we were not what was on the current contemporary charts, that was a major affirmation of support. The whole tour starred The Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie, the Grass Roots featuring Rob Grill, Gary Lewis & the Playboys, and The Buckinghams. We were real road warriors that year and the tour was a blast, in performing, but as The Hollies’song goes, “the road was long, with many a winding turn.” Through it all, John was a committed professional, and he embraced our music and made it his own,giving his best. Those Happy Together Tour dates were John’s last with us,and he rejoined his life and family in Chicago and kept his music going. John and I have stayed in touch over the years. Even when a MS confined him to a wheelchair, family and good friends found ways to bring him out to our shows when we played locally. When The Buckinghams were on the Happy Together Anniversary Tour and arrived in Aurora, Illinois, in August, 2011. John came backstage to visit us. Susan Rakis took the picture you see here as I presented John his official Happy Together Anniversary t-shirt. We all enjoyed a visit backstage before the show. It was a very happy day. When the tour came back to Chicago the next year, as John came backstage he was wearing his official t-shirt. Saturday afternoon we were in Oneonta, New York doing a sound check with Gary Puckett & the Union Gap, and singer Christi Copeland for our “Groovin’ the 60s” concert last night. My phone rang and it was John’s sister,Judy, who said that John was in the hospital in Evanston, with pneumonia, under Hospice care, and that John wanted to talk with me. We spent a few minutes on the phone, and although it was difficult for John to speak due to MS and weakened lungs, we still communicated successfully and shared that precious time together, a special gift that remains in my heart. Susan Rakis, who’s also been close to John and his family, went to the hospital yesterday, but found that he’d transitioned just five minutes earlier. After our Saturday evening concert, I checked my messages and there was one, sharing that John had passed away. Today, John is free from the wheelchair that held him, from the disease that bound him to MS, and from earthly constraints of pain, and he hurts no more. The music he made for us, the memories he made with us, and how each of us in The Buckinghams mourns his passing remains steadfast in time, apart of our history as of our lives. Those of you who saw him perform with us were a part of some of the happiest days of his life, a gift you gave to him. May God continue to bless his family with peace and comfort during this time of reflection. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Diamond Headz" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
