Let me share this:
When I was 24 yrs old I was playing the Namm show. On a riser, in the middle of room D, with no glass around me or anything. Back then the sound police were much nicer. Anyway I get done playing, covered in sweat and I look up and there is Dennis Chambers.
He shakes my hand and says "man I really dig the way you play" I of course almost crapped my pants. We hung out the rest of the afternoon walking around Namm and hanging out together. We exchanged phone numbers and have been friends ever since. I will never forget that day, and what It did for me as a drummer and a person. It was really amazing and the start of a nice friendship. Can you imagine at 24 yrs old the man you viewed as an idol tells you to send him more video of you playing, and is very complimentary of you. Plus when he introduced me to other cats like all the main guys he was like you got to hear this kid. Thats the kind of guy he is.
So excuse me if this one hits a little closer to home than most. Excuse my passion and my opinion. I won't post about this again, it was not my intent to cause an argument, I was just looking for some of you to have some human compassion and whether you agree or disagree go along with the family wishes. Me, I'm praying for my friend and his family. Thats what I'm gonna do.
With all due respect to you, Joe - as a person and as a musician - this isnt really about you.
The flip side to all this brouhaha is that for those of us for whom Dennis is a larger -than- life figure- someone who has played a key role in our development as musicians - it really is the same as asking about a close relative: " Oh, Bob isnt well??? What happened, he seemed fine last Thanksgiving".
To take PFG's comment to imply that people are curious because they need to gossip or sensationalise or trivialise his illness, is kind of insulting.
My two cents
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