THE SONG HAS ENDED BUT THE MELODY LINGERS ON

May 25, 2021

He would have been 100 on June 12, 2021, but his long run ended a little too soon.

I’ve lost my Mentor-Maestro-Performing Partner and Dear, Dear Friend…

It is a rare experience to work together with a musical partner in perfect harmony…symbiosis…cantata…. 

We met in 1983 due to the determination of one of my friends, Diana Faville. Diana and I met on the running track of the MAC.

Diana’s husband wanted to learn to play steel drums, and it turned out the foremost expert of Steel Drumming happened to live in Banks, Or. And, said expert happened to be the brother of Norman Leyden, and a very accomplished musician and performer himself.

Jimmy Leyden also taught voice and I wanted to study voice and Diana decided I should study with Jimmy.

(Jimmy Leyden had a very full musical career. He’d written high school musicals; taught steel drums; conducted the orchestra for Arthur Godfrey; was the leader of an octet who sang commercial jingles in the 50’s and the back up singers on a number of recordings for well known artists; and was the director of THE LEYDEN SINGERS for the Oregon Symphony POPS concerts. I am undoubtedly missing a huge hunk of his other accomplishments in the music business.)

Diana ordered the steel drums from Jimmy and had him deliver them to the MAC bar where I was singing so he could ‘hear’ me and she could introduce us. I recall he wasn’t much impressed, but politely sat through an entire set and was congenial when we were introduced.

Unbeknownst to me, from the next day and every week, then day and month after that first meeting, Diana called Jimmy asking him if he’d take me on as a student. He told her, “but, I’m not taking on any new students.” Her persistence paid off… he finally agreed to ‘interview’ me and Diana drove me out his home. 

We spent around 3 hours going through a variety of tunes, and I’d say he was more impressed with my extensive knowledge of tunes and genres than my voice. He asked if I wanted to study with him and of course I unequivocally said, “Yes!!!”

Again Diana called Jimmy over and over to ask when he might begin my lessons. I think he grew tired of the calls after a year and finally called me saying, “I thought you wanted to study voice with me.” To which i responded, “You never called.” “Well, I’m calling now.” And that began a remarkable friendship.

I studied with him for a year and one day after a lesson….lessons always lasted for 3-4 hours…he announced, “Well, I’ve taught you all I know.” “Good,” I said, “now we can perform together and I won’t have to pay you!” “OK”, he agreed. Of course, I couldn’t live long enough to learn all he had to teach.

He prepared me for every POPS Performance. He made certain his brother, Norman, wrote orchestra charts in my key. He rehearsed me for hours and hours, choreographing hand gesture and body position and painstakingly every nuanced note until he was confident I was ready.

I would spend the week before concert reviewing every word in a song and hand gesture throughout the night, then the night before concert I slept soundly.

POPS Concerts were 5 performances and I always gave Jimmy my salary from one of the performances. 

He ran lights during these concerts, and just before concert began he’d drop by my dressing room to say, “Good show!”

He couldn’t travel with me to out-of-town concerts, but he would always call…. he was the voice of calm and confidence and gave me courage to believe myself.

Lunsford & Leyden

We had a custom….kinda like an athlete who wears the same pair of sox for every game….just before he took the stage, we’d look at one another to say,  “Let’s go make some magic.” 

We wrote ‘customized’ musicals, rehearsed them for weeks and I memorized them for a single performance…..except for one show THAT’S A GIMME! We performed that show several times at various Country Clubs.

At one particular Country Club, we finished the show and got an encore. People in the audience wanted to make song requests, so I told them we would take their requests for a tip. Jimmy groaned, and made a comment about ^saloon work^, but went along with me.

The next morning I counted the money in the tip jar and then went to find him to give him his half. At first he wasn’t sure he wanted to take ‘tips’, but I said, “Well, your half is $150.00…do you want to pass?” He took it and I laughed.

Jimmy had several health challenges over the last 5 years, the last one landed him in the hospital and then to assisted living and all the restrictions and lock down that the COVID-19 Pandemic created. 

Because he couldn’t have visitors, and he was in Gig Harbor and I in Portland, I suggested we have HAPPY HOUR every Friday at 4, and he was delighted to oblige. Each time I called and said “Hi, it’s me!” He responded, “There you are!!”

I would call him and we would chat…mostly about music and working together…reminiscing with abandon together. Those conversations I will forever treasure, along with all my other memories spent in his company. 

During one of our last conversations about music, when he was trying to recall a particular lyric, he said, “I know it…I just can’t remember.” We had a good laugh together over that.

I will especially remember my mentor-maestro-partner-and dear, dear friend at 4PM on Friday.

BY WALT WHITMAN

O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,

The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won,

The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,

While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring;

                         But O heart! heart! heart!

                            O the bleeding drops of red,

                               Where on the deck my Captain lies,

                                  Fallen cold and dead.

 

O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;

Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills,

For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding,

For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;

                         Here Captain! dear father!

                            This arm beneath your head!

                               It is some dream that on the deck,

                                 You’ve fallen cold and dead.

 

My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still,

My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will,

The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done,

From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won;

                         Exult O shores, and ring O bells!

                            But I with mournful tread,

                               Walk the deck my Captain lies,

                                  Fallen cold and dead.

 

 

Good-by, Maestro….We’ll catch up some other time….

MCL