Jack Carlson |
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www.jamiethompson.net The Personal and Music Website of Guitarist Jamie Thompson |
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Jack Carlson |
To view 1980's pictures sequentially click "back" or "next." |
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When I first moved to State College in the spring of 1980 Jack Carlson was one of the first people I met. He was an Electrical Engineering graduate student, a fellow guitarist, and he proved to be one of the most generous and helpful people that I knew. The band was severely lacking in good equipment and funds... not a good combination! Jack amazed us all by simply building electronic gear that we needed from scratch! He built us an 18 db per octave stereo, two way, active electronic crossover for our PA system that worked beautifully. He also built a fuzz pedal for David that was no less than astonishing. I've never heard another one like it. I have some live recordings of the sound that thing made that will amaze you... you can hear it on my next CD... when I get around to recording it! Jack also did a superb job running sound for the band during the summer of 1981. I have some very fine board recordings from his time at the controls. Thanks Jack!! The RRC thing would've suffered terribly without you! Jack lives in Pittsburgh these days and I am pleased to say that we stay in touch regularly. JKT Update: Jack sent me an email in the early summer of 2005 telling me that he was diagnosed with cancer. He said his doctors removed an enormous malignant tumor from his lower abdomen and he was starting chemotherapy.
We visited Jack and his daughter in the beginning of July, 2005. We went out to lunch and then Jack showed me his wonderful guitar and amp collection. We parted full of hope of seeing each other again but I have to admit my heart was heavy.
Since then Jack's health steadily declined. He was admitted to the hospital in August after he took a bad fall. We stayed in touch all through his ordeal and my former RRC bandmates and I tried to help keep his spirits up with calls and plans for an RRC reunion in the summer of 2006. Unfortunately, there was no keeping Jack here on earth. On Sunday, 9/25/2005 our friend, Jack Carlson, died after having a seizure and lapsing into a coma. He passed peacefully. If I could say one last thing to Jack it would be this: "Jack, you were a good friend and one of the sweetest and kindest-hearted persons that I've known in my time on earth. I loved you and I'll miss you. Farewell, friend, in the afterlife. I hope to see you again someday... Your old guitar pickin'/rockin' friend, Jamie Thompson" |
