Just got this in the mail, i assume it's for real.

"Hello friends of Mikey Dee,

Mikey passed away early Sunday morning, July 6 2003, at 3:50am. He had been
suffering through repeated bouts of pneumonia this winter (and, actually, since his stroke) which weakened him and eventually became resistant to antibiotics. While Mikey fought harder and braver than anyone could have asked of him, he seemed to have made peace and he died in his sleep.

There will be a memorial service soon. Details will be worked out over the next few days and, of course, I'll contact all of you again. If any of you would like to participate in Mikey's memorial service, please let me know. We will also post information about any upcoming services and memorials, along with a place where people can leave their thoughts, at Mikey's website, mikeydee.com.

Thank you all for being Mikey's friends, for visiting him, singing for him, caring about him. It meant so much to him and gave him a reason to keep fighting.

Thank you"

a huge loss to the local music scene if every1 was like him we would be the best scene in the USA a true gentleman and will always be remembered

He was such a great guy.. always there with a helping hand and encouraging words... He was the main reason that we (the Crowns) even played the Rumble. What a huge loss. Rest in peace Mikey. You will never be forgotten. Jason Kendall

this has really bummed me out.

I just now got a call about this...

this is very sad news. there had been a least a small hope of some recovery, but he had been struggling sooo hard. I'm glad he at least is done with the suffering and pain. I'm sure he is off to a better place now.

he'll be much missed. I don't think it is possible to be any more active in the boston music scene than he was.

Bon Voyage, Mikey.

Jesus, I just got this email too. I moved here after he had already gone to the hospital and never got to meet him, but I've heard so much... he is the sort of a person that actually cares about music and makes a scene happen. We need more like him.

Mikey, rest in peace and know that your life, your love for Boston and music extend far beyond the hands you shook, smiles you inspired and the concerts you attended. We'll do our best to make sure that no-one forgets you and that everyone is aware of a model scenemaker and lover of music, a standard we should all aspire to live up to.

I hope that where you are now is full of brilliant tunes, sunshine and health and that you can feel the love and sorrow from the town that you helped nurture.

I met Mikey several years ago. He was very outgoing and positive and always made me laugh. A very inspiring individual with a lot of class. I know he's in heaven and smiling down upon us.....

Goodbye Mikey, and may god be with you..........

Fucking drag.

Only met him a couple of times, but he absolutely walked it like he talked it.

A sad day indeed.

I take joy in this news only in the knowledge that Mikey is now released from
the prison that was his broken body.
Never met the man,and wish I did from all that I am told about him.
Good people are never forgotten,and it sounds like Mikey Dee will be with us
in that regeard always.

I never met him either, and besides references to him that I've heard or read here and there, I'm not entirely clear on why he's venerated by so many locals. I recall that he wrote for the Noise (and elsewhere?) and hosted a left-of-the-dial radio show... but lots of folks have done that without gaining such widespread adoration as Mikey Dee apparently did.

Could someone who knew him and his accomplishments please provide a brief synopsis of what made him such a special dude?

I'm sure you'll get a much more informative response once monday rolls around, there are others on this board that could tell you a whole lot more than me but I CAN say that he was a one man support machine.. support for local bands, clubs & the entire Boston scene in general... you just had to know him or be around then I guess. this really makes me sad... I don't know what to say... I have alot of great memories of him.... shit.. Jason Kendall

So very sad. RIP, Mikey.

SDecay, while I saw him everywhere, I maybe only spent a few minutes actually talking to him over the years. And even in just those few minutes, I can honestly say his enthusiasm was totally palpable, his respect for those around him genuine (when it often wasn't mutual or required), and that he really was everything you hear that is so goddamned undefineable about the guy --- he was just this positive presence, and not in the usual cheerleading way, but where you knew he was listening with his heart and brains --- he was never there to be seen or because it was the flavor of the month --- he just truly loved being out there, and when you saw him, you felt good to be there too --- i doubt anyone will properly encapsulate it, but that's my $.02. I hope wherever he is, he's dancing.

Herr Coughlin and Bloodyrocker, thanks for the input.

It squares with some of the stuff I've heard about him, regarding some ineffable quality that he had as a buoyant, really positive character.

And yes, I'm sure I'll learn a lot more about him once the workweek crowd shows up here tomorrow... but I'll raise a glass to him today.

rest in peace brother.

i wish i could feel angry about this, but what can you do?

I had only met him briefly over the years as well, gotta give him credit for making things happen, maybe somehow he got alot done because he had less time to do things in?

He's in a better place, no doubt he'll soon be setting up gigs for Roy Orbison and Jimi Hendrix.....

SDecay,

Thanks for the invitation to state this for anyone who might not know about Mikey. Nobody has ever loved the Boston Music scene or had been as deeply involved in it as Mikey Dee. Not only did he write about it, play it on his WMFO show, promote shows at the Kirkland, and play in several bands, he simply adored Boston music and dedicated most of his energies to supporting it. He was always the first person to be a booster for great new bands. It was simply that he went out to clubs to see bands 3 or 4 nights a week every single week and you'd see him, right up front singing along to every song (whether it had been recorded yet or not) and between every song he'd lean over and say "Have you heard____ yet?" and it was always some great new band. He'd tell you where they were playing next, often at a show he had put together, and he was hardly ever wrong. He was perpetually on the guest list, but he was the polar oppositte of a scenester who hangs at the bar while the bands play. He was always right up front for every show, doing air- drum Keith Moon fills.

He lived in the apartment below me for a couple of years when I was first getting started in the local scene and offered me tons of encouragement. He would sit down and discuss your band as if it was a serious, important endeavor. He'd fill you with a sense of purpose and validity with his pep talks and he'd never hold back with where you were fucking up. He was the one to tell me things like "Now, the Pills are a good band, you might become a great band if you start tuning before shows, but you're at the point where you need to start spreadng your local shows out. It doesn't matter when nobody knows you, but you guys are starting to build up enough of a following that you're going to burn them out if you keep taking every show you get offered". It doesn't sound like a lot, but he took the time to care about how your band was doing when nobody else cared. He suggested the possibility that you were part of a noble tradition. He would help me visualize the line from Barry And The Remains to the Modern Lovers to the Real Kids to the Neighborhoods to the Cavedogs to the Pills until it seemed clear that, with a little hard work, one might make it to the pantheon of great Boston bands (a list that seemed to be curated in his mind). It seemed like I never had to look for Mikey because he would inevitably pop up at any good show in town.

Mikey Dee was the first person to ever play one of my songs on the radio. Some of the best memories of my life are hanging out at WMFO while he did the concert report- which could take forever because he had a story about every band on the report. Trust me, nobody ever loved grubby Boston musicians as much as Mikey. Nobody ever tried as hard to celebrate our efforts and nobody ever truly cared as much as he did. This is a total heartbreaker. The Boston music scene has lost it's heart and soul.

I think right now he is at the great Barnies gig in the sky, requesting all his favorite songs and singing along.

well said Corin my friend. ditto. Jason

Goodbye Mikey ... I'll miss you.

It's hard to put into words what made Mikey so special.

I loved the little welcoming nod of the head he'd give you when you saw him across the room. After the stroke, when he'd lost control over his neck, that evolved into a whoop of joy when you'd come see him at Spaulding, and later on, at the Greenery. Different reaction, same effect -- when Mikey was happy to see you, it was something you carried with you for the rest of the day.

I loved that Mikey and my mom once had a 20 minute conversation about Wally Cox (the voice of Underdog) that he'd bring up years after the fact whenever he asked how she was doing. He loved trivia, loved people who knew the same random shit he knew. He was charming, he was funny, there wasn't a pretentious or insincere bone in his body.

I loved how he'd stand right up front at a Barnies show, furiously airdrumming along, not giving a rat's ass if anyone thought he looked uncool.

Even towards the end, when the paralysis and the series of infections that had decimated his immune system had left him so frail, he still cared so deeply about this music scene. His friends kept him in the loop, giving him new CDs and filling him in on all the gossip.

Raise a glass to the Dee tonight, or go out for some barbeque (always his guilty food pleasure of choice), or go see a local band and airdrum along.

Such a difficult thing — it is a blessing that he is released from what must have been a very difficult state to endure for someone as active as Mikey was. It was also a blessing that it was peaceful in his sleep. Mikey was the first person in Boston to lend a hand to me as I was getting seriously started in the scene and I NEVER forgot that. His genuine enthusiasm and willingness to help is extremely hard to come by. Mikey was a class act and if we all follow his lead, our music community would be so enriched. Mikey, you will be sorely missed.

I had the privilege of working with him for 3 years at WMFO and keeping his seat warm on On The Town for another 3. Words simply cannot describe the sorrow I feel right now. Take care, Mikey. Alex Piandes, Coffee 'n' Smokes/WMFO Radio

this is really really sad.
mickey was a great guy that really reminded a lot of musicians in this town to stay excited about the local scene no matter what.
This is a terrible loss.
fuck.

I have heard so many great things about him and I wish I had met the man.

RIP Mikey

I'm at a loss.

I considered Mikey a friend.

He'll be missed.

Wow. First Tom Prebble, now this. What a shitty week.
I didn't know the man, but I know of his impact. I hope everyone will try to think of him when they're thinking of hanging at the bar instead of supporting the band.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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".