My deepest condolences, John -- and to all who knew and worked with Tony. I was lucky enough to be introduced to Roberts and Barrand in the 1980s by my good friend Joan, with whom I would walk home from those concerts down the sidewalks of New York bellowing the songs in harmony. That music has remained one of my great joys. For as long as I can remember, I have baked Christmas cookies with the Nowell Sing We Clear album blasting on the stereo. In the 1990s, after NPR's All Things Considered did a story about a New Jersey state song, I sent in a cassette of "The Rolling Mills of New Jersey," which they then aired in their "letters" segment. The gleam in Tony's eye when doing recitations or singing bawdy songs was legendary, but I treasure most of all his gorgeous rendition of "Long Lankin." I am so grateful to have had this music in my life.
|