Vondy

Have you ever known someone that affected you so much, that even after they're gone, you make decisions based on what they would do or think? For a lot of us, it's a close relative. I'm not really any different, as I find myself asking in the back of my mind, "what would Dad think about this?" But I also find myself asking "what would Vondy think?"

If you've read through some of my blogs, you'll know who Vondy Campbell was. If you haven't, then please go back and do so.

In a bit of conversation the other day, a gentleman by the name of Tony Diorio came up. Tony is a monster bass player up in the Detroit area that Vondy hooked me up with years ago. I only sat with Tony for an afternoon, but I left with my musical flood gates wide open (Thanks Tony!). After the conversation, I decided to google Tony. The second site I checked out was about a band Tony had played in called White Mud. Some of the stories about that group of kids are really funny and amazing. As I was reading about White Mud, Vondy's name came up.... I got the impression he was one of the ring leaders of the outfit..... imagine that! There were a bunch of old photos posted there, and a link to a site put up about Vondy by his brother. As I went through all of this stuff, I was overcome with emotion.

Vondy was a unique character. Upon first meeting him, you realize right away that you've just met one of the coolest people on the planet. And I'm not using cool like other people do..... I mean super cool.... this guy exuded hipness that you could feel when you entered the same room with him. And Vondy had a knack for surrounding himself with other cool people. Who else do you know that could have Lyle Lovett wanting to hang out with them?

Once you got close to Vondy, you started to realize a certain frailty about the man that was in such contradiction to the hipness, it only drew you closer to him. I tend to think of Vondy as a sort of Meg Ryan in "When Harry Met Sally".... high maintenance. However, upon closer inspection, you'd find that his tastes were relatively simple, and the high maintenance aspect was just him wanting things to be kept that way.

Musically, Vondy was not the most technical guitar player I ever knew, but he played with more heart and emotion than anyone I ever knew. The guy made everyone playing around him better. He had a great ear for what everyone else was playing, and he could comp what they were doing in a way that made the band sound great.

As a friend, Vondy was the best. He always called me when there was something awesome happening... and with Vondy that was regularly. Great concerts, jam sessions, Space Dog Nigel reunions (you had to be there!), sales, restaraunts, people... whatever. After 17 Reasons Why split up, is when I got really close with Vondy. Our drummer, Johnny, Vondy and me could be found jamming regularly, or just hanging out at Orleans in Mt. Clemens shooting pool, throwing darts, and drinking Bass Ale on tap (Vondy wasn't drinking then though).

When I left Detroit for a job opportunity in Reynosa, Mexico, Vondy told me I was selling my soul to the corporate world. At the time, I didn't believe it. I left with every intention of doing a 2 year stint down there, and coming back to Detroit with better opportunities. A year into being there, Johnny called me to say our friend was gone. He died in his sleep. I was crushed. My initial emotions were the same as anyone who just lost a dear friend. A few hours later, I found myself extremely let down, as I realized at that point that I was stranded. There was no reason to go back to Detroit, and I became bitter.... indeed, my soul had been sold.

I skipped out on the funeral. I just couldn't do it.... I was crushed.

It would be about a year for me to start to get over it. I lost contact with everyone back home, and moved to Chicago for a couple of years, and then to Tennessee (where I'm at now).

Over the course of the past six months, I've started to make contact with old friends back home. I miss them. I miss Vondy. He is in my thoughts everyday. Of course, he has to be..... We named my youngest son after him. Anthony Avaundal .... or Vondy, for short!

Da Krusha