“Writers are liars, my dear, surely you know that by now? And yet, things need not have happened to be true. Tales and dreams are the shadow-truths that will endure when mere facts are dust and ashes, and forgot.” - Neil Gaiman - Dream Country
This gentleman (Derek Pike) was kind enough to share his
memories of Mark to a Facebook group (link here) after discovering he had passed. I’ve copied
his words directly from the post below to try and keep this little
snapshot of Mark’s life from getting lost. It’s a touching tribute and
should stay with the photos. Unfortunately social media moves fast and
the pictures have moved along without the backstory. I know the photos
will get shared countless times. I only ask you keep the story with
them.
From Derek Pike: How incredibly sad... unfortunately news as this is slow reaching the
U.S. (if ever). I met Mark in Italy on a 2008 Ducati bike tour and had
no idea he was the lead singer / founder
of Talk Talk until our last night of dinner. So unassuming and very
funny with a dry wit most wouldn't appreciate (I certainly did!). We
talked non-stop about motorcycles and his beloved Ducati Monster. My
wife and I felt an instant connection to him and his sincerity was
palpable... just a real down-to-earth guy. I'm still in shock... last we
talked he & a friend just completed the trans-America trail... a
trail ride from TN to OR. He remarked he had an amazing time and 'oh
yeah, you live in a REALLY big country'! We fell out of touch, but I
believe I could have picked up the phone or sent an email and he would
respond ASAP. What a sad day (for me) and loss for us... I hope his
family is remembering the good times and that assuages their (and our)
loss. Take care, Mark... can't wait to play guitar with you when next we
meet. 😢
Favourite Lyric: We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there. I'm east bound, just watch ol' "Bandit" run.
Why? In tribute to Burt Reynolds. The movie wasn’t a huge favourite of mine, but it was for most of my friends. The car is iconic and Jackie Gleason as Buford T. Justice is wonderful. I had finally watched the movie later in life and can appreciate the story and comedy from that era. Burt Reynolds was as iconic as the Trans-Am in the 1980s. He will be missed.
Artist: Aretha Franklin and George Michael Title: I Knew You Were Waiting For Me Favourite Lyrics: When the river was deep, I didn't falter When the mountain was high, I still believed When the valley was low, It didn't stop me I knew you were waiting, I knew you were waiting for me
Why?: In tribute to Aretha Franklin, I racked my brain. Of course “Respect” is a great song and would have been the go to for her. But in my own personal list of music and what it means to me, this is the first song I could recall from my youth where I knew who she was. She was that older black singer with a great voice and she’s singing a song with George Michael. I liked this song. The lyrics still speak to me. The songs I like are about love. This chorus is no different. But there’s momentum here. A desire to move forward because my lover will wait for me to reach these goals. Note: This was originally published with video link and lyric choice only.
