A True Gentleman and a Scholar – Memories of Tommy Makem

First gig with Tommy at Cocheco Park, Dover, NH – 1992

My friend, Irish singer Tommy Makem, passed away the evening of August 1, 2007. My phone rang at 9:00 PM with the caller ID showing that the call was from Thomas Makem. I picked it up quickly, not only hoping for good news about his health but also hopeful that he was inviting me to back him up for a short tour as he had so many times before throughout the years. It was Rory Makem, Tommy’s eldest son, speaking in a voice identical to Tommy’s and telling me that his dad had died peacefully at his home in Dover, NH three hours earlier.