RIP Traci Michaels
My heart is heavy as I post this.
I was just informed that a dear friend from yester-year has passed away today.
He was very visible in the local music community through the late 80's/early 90's, so some of you will definitely be familiar with him.
His name was Traci Michaelz. He was a drummer. He was most notably in the local bands "Champaine" and "Wasted Angel." He eventually moved to Hollywood to continue playing the kind of music that he enjoyed. The musical landscape here had changed quite a bit (aka grunge, and somber tones moved in, and made a real impact on the glam/sleaze rock scene). In Hollywood he was involved in several notable projects including Heart Throb Mob, and most recently The Peppermint Creeps.
I didn't know much about his personal life over the past while, but one thing that I always said in regard to Traci is that he was always true to himself. He didn't follow the trends that a lot of other musicians did back in the day, and that never changed. He didn't compromise what he was trying to convey from my perspective. There may have been some growth, and change, but he stayed true to what he was trying to do the entire way.
Whether I talked with him recently or not he definitely had an impact on my life. There are memories a small group of friends (Traci having been one of them), and I share alone, and I hope that some of those memories can extend a hand of comfort to everyone.
One of Traci's nearest, and dearest was my good friend Ray (who is probably pissed at me for not being in touch). Ray & Traci were like siamese twins back in the day.
I hope you don't mind, but I have to share a memory that always makes me smile, and it's still a story I tell (in more detail than I'll convey here) in present day.
Back when we were all in our late teens/early twenties our little pack of friends went to see Wayne's World together at the movie theater. We were the annoying group in the theater because we were louder than we should have been, and Ray & Traci were causing all kinds of distractions from their seats in front of us girls.
Anyway, through a series of shooshes from other attendees, and laughter from all of us (we were little shits) the crowd was getting more and more peeved by us being there. We probably ruined the movie for many of them.
And then the funniest thing happened (ok, you may not laugh, but it still causes me to crack a smile because it was so loud, and antagonistic). During the car scene where Wayne and his cohorts are listening to Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, Traci & Ray decided to rewrite the lyrics. Instead of "Mama Mia, Mama Mia, Mama Mia Figaro" the two of them shout out "Gotta Pee-a, Gotta Pee-a, Gotta Pee-a, Let Me Go." So stupidly funny that we all just started cracking up.
I believe, if memory serves correctly, that some jock guys turned around, and tried to get threatening at that point, but didn't get very far.
Anyway, a lot of my favorite memories from back then include those two, and I'll always cherish them. No matter what kind of a person I am today. No matter what happens in the future, or whether I keep in touch the way I should (and mean to) or not, I will always treasure those times.
(Tracy in the center)