Obit: Jed Marum (1952 - 2018)

Subject: Obit: Jed Marum
From: Uncle Phil
Date: 03 May 18 - 12:11 PM

Sad to report that long-time Mudcatter and my friend Jed Marum passed away suddenly on 2 May 2018 at his home in Dallas, Texas. Requiescat in pace

Subject: RE: Obit: Jed Marum
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 03 May 18 - 12:29 PM

Oh NOOOOO - I am so sorry to hear this. I always found his posts, and his knowledge of Civil War history, informative and interesting. Heartbreaking to think that there will be no more from him, and that his music is stilled.

Raising a parting glass to you tonight, Jed. Rest easy.

Bonnie

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 May 18 - 12:39 PM

Oh, what sad news. Back in the day, Jed was a Mudcat legend. And he was a darn good guy, too. Rest in peace, Jed.
-Joe-

Jed last posted 6 Aug 2017

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: olddude
Date: 03 May 18 - 12:48 PM

Oh shit aww rest in piece my brother aww we shared our music with each other aww

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: olddude
Date: 03 May 18 - 12:49 PM

Breaks my heart

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: GUEST,Kim C
Date: 03 May 18 - 01:05 PM

Sorry for the previous blank post. ;-)

I met Jed through this forum and we visited in person a few times over the years and even performed together once at a Civil War history event. He was always supportive of my efforts, and for that I am eternally grateful.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: ranger1
Date: 03 May 18 - 01:58 PM

I feel so lucky to have known Jed. I will miss him, his music, and the occasional house concert and next morning breakfast up here in Maine.

Kim C, Jed always had really nice things to say about you.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: KT
Date: 03 May 18 - 02:06 PM

So sorry to hear this. Thanks, Jed, for the goodness that shines in the music you've passed on to the world. KT

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: Stewart
Date: 03 May 18 - 02:09 PM

Sorry to hear
Jed played for Pacific NW Folklore at least a couple of times in Seattle. He was a first-rate musician, a good friend, and Civil War buff. We will all miss him.

S. in Seattle

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 03 May 18 - 02:24 PM

How very sad. As I said on FB, he was one of the good 'uns.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: GUEST,Janie
Date: 03 May 18 - 02:54 PM

Shocked and saddened to hear of this. Had the pleasure of meeting him a few times. Definitely a gentleman, as well as a fine musician.

Rest in Peace, Jed. Deepest condolences to his family.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 03 May 18 - 04:17 PM

Met him in Arizona a couple times. So sorry to hear it.

~ Becky
formerly in Tucson, AZ
currently in Ashland, OR

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 May 18 - 04:29 PM

WHAT??? This is dreadful! My condolences to his family and friends. He was so much a part of the North Texas music scene, he will be missed.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: Wesley S
Date: 03 May 18 - 04:30 PM

Damn that's a shame. My love to his family.He'll be sorely missed.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: My guru always said
Date: 03 May 18 - 04:44 PM

So very sorry to hear this news, Jed will be missed

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 03 May 18 - 04:49 PM

Sad news, indeed. RIP.

Regards

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 03 May 18 - 04:57 PM

Very sorry to hear this. RIP
RtS

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: Allan C.
Date: 03 May 18 - 04:57 PM

I'm shocked as I'm sure everyone else is. I will miss him.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: JennieG
Date: 03 May 18 - 05:03 PM

Oh no! Condolences to Jed's family and friends.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: Nancy King
Date: 03 May 18 - 05:07 PM

How very sad. Jed was a fine songwriter and singer, and an all-around nice guy. He will be greatly missed. RIP, Jed.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 May 18 - 05:14 PM

Jed's website

Photos

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: Jeri
Date: 03 May 18 - 06:00 PM

I saw this at work, but didn't have time to respond, plus, I didn't quite believe it.
I still don't.
Figured Jed'd be around a long, long time.

Love to his family and friends.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: Mooh
Date: 03 May 18 - 06:28 PM

I didn't know the man outside of here, but enjoyed reading his contributions.

May he rest in peace.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: Elmore
Date: 03 May 18 - 06:32 PM

Condolences to his family.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 03 May 18 - 07:15 PM

another source of information, gone, condolences to family & friends.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: Alice
Date: 03 May 18 - 07:25 PM

This is sad and shocking news. I'm so sorry to hear this.

Alice

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: Stewie
Date: 03 May 18 - 07:35 PM

Sorry to hear this sad news. RIP, Jed.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: MMario
Date: 03 May 18 - 08:31 PM

R.I.P.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: Ebbie
Date: 03 May 18 - 08:43 PM

After the initial shock, my first thought was that Rick, Spaw and Jed are together again. Imagine the music!

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: wysiwyg
Date: 03 May 18 - 08:56 PM

It just feel like the last whimper of Mudcat. I know we go on.... but why?

~S~

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: Janie
Date: 03 May 18 - 09:03 PM

Ties that bind, Susan. Ties that bind.

Ebbie, if there is an 'on high', as I have the impression Jed believed, I imagine him grabbing a banjo from the clouds as he headed up.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 03 May 18 - 09:33 PM

Aw, no. Such sad news.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: Rapparee
Date: 03 May 18 - 10:25 PM

I think he would have appreciated this.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: Little Robyn
Date: 03 May 18 - 10:36 PM

Sad news. We have played many of his tracks on our radio show over the years.
Rip Jed.
Robyn
Folk on Sunday
Radio Kidnappers
New Zealand

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 May 18 - 10:48 PM

After several years of pestering the Friends of the Library folks at my university they finally agreed that I could invite Jed as the performer for the holiday program. People came out of the regional woodwork - folks I hadn't seen before and who haven't been back since. It was our BEST attended holiday program that I remember in 20 years, and he had the usual delivery of a good singer - the grownup songs the kids in the audience wouldn't understand, seasonal folk and traditional songs, some of his own, and a swap out of several instruments during the performance. There was a quote I wrote down: "No set list survives the performance" and he threw in a couple extra as suited the occasion. He had recently purchased a banjola that he brought along for the evening.

I'm glad Don Wall was there to video the performance, most of it is up, one song at a time, on YouTube.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: GUEST,Guest David
Date: 03 May 18 - 11:29 PM

Jed was a long-time friend of Northfield School of the Liberal Arts in Wichita, Kansas. He was in the 2017 documentary by one of our instructors, Ken Spurgeon. The film is "Home on the Range" and Jed played the banjo in it.

Gonna miss his wonderful voice and sweet spirit.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: GUEST
Date: 03 May 18 - 11:36 PM

In the non-digital world, I think I met Jed only once. Felt I already knew him because of the presence he was here on Mudcat for so long.

Condolences are important, and I offer them here to those of you I know, those whom I don't and those who loved him, even if "condolences' so often seem to have all the insubstantial heft of "thoughts and prayers."

It dawned on me (too slowly), years ago when a dear friend passed, that there was much
more to do. Sing his songs! Tell his stories! Not because you'll be him, or sound like him (don't try that too hard), but because those things mattered to him. He (or she in a different case) wanted them to live. So now it's down to you. To us. Honor that!
- G

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: GUEST
Date: 03 May 18 - 11:37 PM

How did I get to be a guest again ? The above is me, George Ward.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: Big Mick
Date: 04 May 18 - 12:31 AM

To say my heart is broken is a study in understatement. Jed, Rick, and I all met at the FSGW Getaway in Havre de Grace. We all immediately became fast friends. Jed and I both had long red hair tied in a ponytail. We both had goatees. We looked like brothers. He was tall,, so was I. We performed with Rick at the evening concert. Rick said, as he stood between, that was the first time he ever thought of himself as a little guy. That weekend the trio came by the name of The Beef Brothers. Rick introduced Jed and I into that marvelous Toronto folk community. Jed and I took a ramble out there, that is when we met Paul Mills. We recorded Desolation Island on that trip.When Rick got sick, and the end was near, he anointed Paul to take his place as the third Beef Brother. Jed and I took a number of rambles together

Our political conversations were intense. We had very different views. But we both agreed that politics should never come between friends. He always characterized our discussions as being “fierce agreement”.

This musical brother of mine was one of the most gifted songwriters and instrumentalists I ever met. To this day I perform a half dozen of his creations on a regular basis. His love song to his beloved Lou was the title track on Soul of a Wanderer. The Banks of the Mobile, about a Civil War nurse who helped Blue and Gray soldiers as they passed over brought this old Veteran to tears. We were doing final mix down with Paul at Millstream. He had painted such a picture with his lyrics that I sat there with tears running down my face. The Locket, The story of his Mom’s life as she succumbed to dementia, reminds us that it doesn’t matter that our loved ones can’t remember our names “Will she know my name at all, and does it really matter after all”. Just think on the depth of understanding in those lyrics.

Jed, your voice is easily found in those of us that were your friends. I am playing a Festival the first weekend in June. I am going to insert Desolation Island and Prayer from Little Round Top in the show. I hope you will approve of my version. I will miss our phone conversations, my friend. To Lou and the family, I ache for your loss. I was never once with Jed, or talking to Jed, that he wasn’t speaking with love and pride about you all.

Mick

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: GUEST,Seamus Kennedy
Date: 04 May 18 - 02:52 AM

One of nature’s gentlemen, a gifted composer and songwriter, and a damn fine hand on the banjo and guitar. I’m proud to have shared the stage with him on a few occasions, and as with Big Mick, we never let our differences of political opinion ruin our friendship. RIP big fella!

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: Ernest
Date: 04 May 18 - 03:50 AM

Only knew him from the Cat (and youtube), but one I would have liked to meet.
His Banjo will heard on high!

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: alanabit
Date: 04 May 18 - 04:20 AM

I can add little to what has been written above. He used his considerable talents to record and celebrate the lives of others. In addition to all the other things he did, that made him a true bearer of the folk music torch. Farewell to a very good man.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 04 May 18 - 04:42 AM

Sad news about the loss of a great musician. His work was nothing short of magnificent - his passion to communicate his clear vision of folk music was an inspiration to the world. His friendliness and the generosity with which he shared his music was cherished by his many friends.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: C-flat
Date: 04 May 18 - 05:21 AM

Sad news.
I always enjoyed his posts.
Thanks to Acme for the earlier links.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: GUEST,Guest Bill Sables
Date: 04 May 18 - 06:25 AM

Sad news indeed R.I.P. Jed

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: GUEST,Don Meixner
Date: 04 May 18 - 08:30 AM

On September 11th, 2002 I was at a conference in Toronto. I spent the evening with Rick Fielding playing some song s and generally passing the time as a storm came in off Lake Ontario. The first time since I owned it that my Ode five string played was ever played.

When I left he said, " Here, give this a listen, I think you will like it." The CD was The Soul of A Wanderer. By the time I reached Syracuse I think I knew every song on the CD and I have spun it every week ever since.

The few times I conversed with Jed was in this forum. When Jeri posted on a Facebook thread that he had passed I was stunned. He was one of those friends that we rarely see but his presence is felt.

I will miss the music that was yet to come.

Don

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: GUEST,bfdk
Date: 04 May 18 - 08:44 AM

Oh man, soooo sorry to hear this!

RIP Jed, and thank you for the music.

Bente

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 04 May 18 - 09:10 AM

Thought I'd posted here, where I first heard the sad news, but I guess it was at Facebook.

That news was such a surprise, like a kick in the chest.

My heartfelt condolences to Jed's family and community of friends.

Linn

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: gnu
Date: 04 May 18 - 09:50 AM

RIP, Jed and... thanks.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: Jed Marum
From: Vashta Nerada
Date: 04 May 18 - 11:27 AM

Posted on Facebook late on Thursday by Jed's son:

We will be holding an intimate family memorial service this Sunday for Jed Marum. Soon, I will post information about an event we will be having to celebrate the life and music of my father, Jed Marum.