Mikey Dee has passed on Options

[Guest_DebCat]

All of you have captured so perfectly what Mikey was about or how he contributed to this Boston scene. I know he is in perfect peace right now but I am still so sad - just sad that this happened to him to begin with - and am truly feeling this loss of him.....yet I know now he is free....

He was a rarity. Truly one of the most unpretentious, down-to-earth, sincere people in this scene. Never part of any cliques; always open to just GOOD music and he just embraced music with a serious, real passion.

He helped me tremendously with the bands I worked with - particularly SuperZero - his endorsement alone made a significant difference for the band....but more than anything, Mikey was my friend..... so not only did the Boston music world lose Mikey but I and so many others lost a true friend....

Peace to you, Mikey.....I miss you.

[radiotony]

Wow, what a drag. I have been praying for him but didn't get a chance to visit him. Please keep us all posted on where the memorial service will be.

Thanks,
Tony

[K 2]

It is a very sad day indeed. Mikey was a great guy and will be missed by many...

[Sandybomb]

When I think of Mikey Dee, the word that first comes to mind is "passion." That boy had a passion for life, music, food, Jerry Lewis movies, Elton John, and countless other things, that he would gladly fill you in on. When I first moved to Boston back in 1985, he was my guide through the Boston rock scene. We used to go clubbing, and he always delighted in getting me up to speed with all the local gossip and "who's who" of the scene. I saw some amazing shows because of him: Neighborhoods, Lyres, Outlets, Willie Alexander, and on and on. His passion was contagious. But he wasn't just a guide through the scene. He was a true friend. There are not many like him. I may not have always appreciated his frankness with me over the years as I was having problems with booze, but I felt like he would always be there for me if I needed him. I just wish I could have been there more for him. RIP Mikey.

[In the Woods]

Reading all of this makes me sorry I never met the guy. Sounds like the real deal and the real deal is so rare.

RIP, bro.

-Jon

[blackdahlia]

[JohnnyBlack]

Damn. I just sent an email his way and was planning to visit him out there. Suffice to say that he was a stand-up guy who was generous with his talents and time - he used to share all his extra show and movie passes via a weekly email giveaway.

I got to know him shortly before that tragic operation and he was all that everyone has said and more. Seeing him in the hospital was a heartbreaker but his mind was still working, he was truly trapped in an unresponsive body.

I guess my fondest memory post-stroke will be the day I brought the Fart Machine to Spaulding. Mikey was convulsed with laughter. I put it under his sheet and called in the nurse saying I was concerned there was a little too much fiber in his diet. Then I placed the remote control button in his strong hand so he could set it off, stuck the speaker in my pocket, and walked down the hall completely at the mercy of Mr. Dee who had me excusing myself to several complete strangers.

Well, he was a sweet human being and will be missed. Weird timing - I was about to burn him a new song that references his struggle but now it's too late...this one's for you Mikey, I'm truly sorry you never got to hear it:

GIVE ME A REASON

I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE
TRYING TO FIGHT YOUR WAY BACK OUT
I KNOW IT'S LONELY IN THE DARK
I'VE GOT A PICTURE
IT SHOWS THE WAY THINGS USED TO BE
IT SHOWS WE'VE ONLY COME SO FAR

GIVE ME A REASON
NOT TO FADE AWAY
GIVE ME A REASON TO BE TRUE
IT'S NOT THE SEASON
IT'S NOT THE DAY
DON'T TELL ME THAT MY LIFE IS THROUGH

I KNOW A BUILDING
I KNOW THE STREET WHERE IT ONCE STOOD
I KNOW THE FACES IN THE LIGHT
I'VE GOT A MIRROR
I WANT TO SMASH IT EVERY DAY
I WANT TO MAKE THE WRONG THINGS RIGHT

GIVE ME A REASON
NOT TO FADE AWAY
GIVE ME A REASON TO BE TRUE
IT'S NOT THE SEASON
IT'S NOT THE DAY
DON'T TELL ME THAT MY LIFE IS THROUGH

[LisaMcC]

I guess my fondest memory post-stroke will be the day I brought the Fart Machine to Spaulding.  Mikey was convulsed with laughter.  I put it under his sheet and called in the nurse saying I was concerned there was a little too much fiber in his diet.  Then I placed the remote control button in his strong hand so he could set it off, stuck the speaker in my pocket, and walked down the hall completely at the mercy of Mr. Dee who had me excusing myself to several complete strangers.

I gotta say, that fart machine was genius. Potty humor was never not funny to the Dee. We went to see him one afternoon shortly after you'd given it to him, and there it was -- positioned right under his thumb. He was in his "spot" outside his room in the hallway, and kept hitting it and laughing like a lunatic. He eventually wore the thing out. His last birthday, we got him one of those keychain-sized whoopee cushions; it wasn't as easy for him to manipulate, but it cut some nice ones, and he just giggled and giggled.

[Kennedy]

I had gone to visit him, at Spaulding, a couple of years ago. He was having a bad day and I wasn't able to see him. I hadn't spoken to him since his stroke, but had written a couple of times.
I always assumed I'd be running into him at some point. Mikey Dee was such a big influence, and his charisma so endearing, that he will remain with Boston's music scene for it's duration. A "Mikey Dee Toast" to YOU Mikey Dee! Love, and may you be at peace.

[Shady]

This is the worst news. I only met him once, he was a great guy and his drive and attitude were amazing. I hope he finds peace where ever he is.

[Eric S.]

I sat with Mikey once to discuss promo stuff and he made me feel very welcome and said incredibly nice things about the music.
He was loved very much by many, and he will be missed.
Rest easy Mikey
~ Eric

i got a call from a friend at about 11 pm last night. i never expected things to go this way but i know that it's best. mikey and i spent a hell of a lot of time together, from working at planetary to arguing about who did what in this or that band to renting obscure movies... there's a lot stewing in my head, maybe some of these fragments will make sense.


-mikey brought a snare drum and crash cymbal to the planetary office so that we could punctuate our one-liners and puns appropriately. we got in a bit of trouble with that one.

-mikey told me many times that, the older he got, the harder he wanted to rock.

-mikey came to my parents' house and started a huge fuss about how much he thought it was nasty that i was eating steak tartare. he was enjoying it immensely after about 2 minutes of cajoling.

-i recall a great evening at mikey's house in somerville when Mickey Bliss Organ Combo played downstairs and the event was strictly formalwear.

-it is hard to overstate how much this man cared about local music. i think most rock musicians in the area will attest to that.

-yowza.

-mikey liked to use a lewd joke about Senor Wences.

-we spent an great weekend at the Burlington Music Festival together as panel speakers several summers back. sharing a hotel room was unforgettable.

-mikey used to paw through the racks at DiscDiggers in Davis Square and wait for them to mark down certain discs because "they don't know their pop."

-there was a lot of air instruments played in an office with mikey dee. he used to do a lot of the 'one foot raised on the monitor guitar' and the 'lay across the desk with the guitar'.

-amazons.

-mikey used to frequently tell people to "listen to the bass".

-there was a lot of "water" drank on the air at WMFO. it was often remarked how good this "water" tasted.

-mikey once tried out for the drummer job for SSD (the seminal Boston hardcore act).

-a past girlfriend once cut the sleeves off one of mikey's most prized possessions, an original Spinal Tap promo t-shirt. prior to that, people often tried to buy it from him in the street.

-the name mikey dee is short for "Mikey Dee Costello" which some dj friend gave him years back . this guy was certain that mikey looked "EXACTLY" like Elvis Costello. go figure.

-in the WMFO studios there should still be a great picture of mikey with some very suspect facial hair.

-i had the honor of shaving mikey's head many times, in the office and in Spalding. he took to it very well.

-"the best in local and live."

-was there a bigger fan of Xena The Warrior Princess? i doubt it.

-we had many many memorable nights at Redbones scarfing pulled pork. testimonials were often also made to Pabst Blue Ribbon

-mikey's last name was a secret for a long time.

-the man was a huge fan of elton john.

-mikey was quiet and introspective on his own time, often reading. otherwise he was a tireless fanatic in search of music, food and good times.

-mikey kept a sticker on his computer that read "FIND IT." i'd like to think that he has.

dup

[aj wachtel]

hey t max, why dont you call up the powers that be at the boston music awards and tell them an award in ;the name of a great non-musician supporter like mikey dee or mickey o should have an award named after them and given out every year. this would further help to create a real link between the boston music awards and the boston music scene. hope all is well

[lslapiko]

hey t max, why dont you call up the powers that be at the boston music awards and tell them an award in ;the name of a great non-musician supporter like mikey dee or mickey o should have an award named after them and given out every year. this would further help to create a real link between the boston music awards and the boston music scene. hope all is well

T Max doesn't read this board very much, so if you really want to get in touch with him, e-mail tmaxnoise@aol.com.

[John Haydon]

Let's have confidence that Mikey completed a great mission in this life - to teach all of us how precious life is! Mikey has physically left but his spirit lives on in each of our hearts. Mikey would want all of us to ask ourselves" "How should I live? How should I spend this moment? How can I be a pillar for others?"

THANK YOU ALL WHO CAME OUT TO HONOR MY BROTHER ON MONDAY.. WORDS CANNOT DESCRIBE HOW HEAVY THE FAMILY'S HEART FEELS AT THIS MOMENT, BUT AS DEVOUT FRIENDS AND FANS, I RECON YOU HAVE A SIMILIAR FEELING, SO PLEASE FORGIVE ME IF I AM TRIPPING OVER MY WORDS. I KNOW THAT MIKE WAS WITH US ON MONDAY, AND IT WAS THE TYPE OF PARTY HE WOULD HAVE LOVED. THEY SAY TIME HEALS ALL WOUNDS, BUT I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THIS ONE.. HOWEVER, JUST LIKE JAMES DEAN, MIKE WAS A LEGEND IN HIS OWN TIME SO THE MAN UPSTAIRS (AND NOT THE LANDLORD) DECIDED IT WAS TIME.. AND TIME TO END MIKE'S SUFFERING. HE IS FREE NOW. FREE TO WALK, TALK AND SCHMOOZE. HAS HIS OWN LIL' RADIO SHOW IN THE SKY "ON THE CLOUDS WITH MIKEY DEE".