Oregon Music News

David Rea / Photo by Jack Bawden

David Ernest Rea

October 26, 1946 – October 27, 2011

When we ran the story of guitarist/composer/vocalist David Rea’s death in October it sparked twenty-six heartfelt comments. They will follow below, along with those of Music Millennium’s Terry Currier and singer/writer/broadcaster Tom May.

He appeared with some of the finest artists of the 1960s, including Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, Joni Mitchell, Richie Havens, Judy Collins and Tom Rush. At this time, David also played with many old-time bluesmen, such as Reverend Gary Davis, Mississippi John Hurt, Roosevelt Sykes, Lonnie Johnson, Skip James and Son House.

He was Gordon Lightfoot’s lead guitarist and played on the landmark Ian & Sylvia albums, “Nashville,” “Lovin’ Sound,” So Much For Dreaming,” and “Full Circle.”

He co-wrote Classic Rock’s “Mississippi,” recorded by Mountain. Read more of his musical biography.

Playing with Richie Havens / 1967 photo by Bill Smith

There will be a free tribute concert for Rea on Sunday, January 29, 6pm at the Alberta Rose Theatre. Playing will be friends of Rea’s including: Tom May, Roundhouse (Ron Leavitt, Kim Jones, Joe Denhof, Donn Whitten), David Cutler, Dennis Gunn, Bill Murlin & Jim Portillo, Tom May, Dylan May & Donny Wright, Shanghaied on the Willamette (Gordy Euler and Jonathan Lay), Sarah, Caitlin & Travis Rea (his children), Reilly & Maloney (Ginny Reilly and David Maloney), Hank Cramer & Mark Iler, Richard Columbo of Artichoke Music, The Method (Michael & Christine Knapp), Brian Cutean and Curtis & Nikki Chamberlain.

His son Travis will be playing one of his father’s guitars.

The concert is being put together by Kathleen Stokes, Rea’s partner of ten years along with Tom May and Terry Currier. She told us, “We want to celebrate David’s life and music and his love of life. It will be an affirmation. A lot of these people are coming from far away so that they can pay tribute.

“He would tell me about tribute concerts in honor of friends he knew, so when he passed, Tom and Terry arrived at the hospital as David was dying. They waited out in the hall. And then David was gone. Just about the first thing I said to them was, ‘We’ve got to have a concert, a tribute to him, a send-off. Not a memorial, but a way to share the musical gifts that David left for us.

“We want to do as much of his music as possible.”

Watch ”The Gift”, Rea’s contribution to and title track of an album in tribute to the songs of Ian Tyson.

Terry Currier wrote:

My friend David Rea passed away at age 66. He had an amazing journey in life playing guitar with Gordon Lightfoot, Ian & Sylvia, Joni Mitchell, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Judy Collins, Tom Rush, Jesse Winchester and others. He was an amazing guitar player. For a few months, he replaced Richard Thompson in Fairport Convention. He also co-wrote “Mississippi Queen” for Mountain, a classic song that will live on forever. David made several albums with Mountain as his back-up band as well as my first introduction to his own music “Slewfoot” in 1972 with various Bay Area musicians playing with him including members from the Dead.

A David Rea show was 1/2 story, 1/2 song….and he had plenty of stories. Tom May & I visited him last week in the hospital. Yesterday, just seconds before we got to his room, he passed on. A tip of the hat to a great person and musician. We many a great conversation. He will be missed…..

Listen to “The Brass Ring”

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Tom May wrote:

Goodbye, David……

Terry Currier, from Music Millennium in Portland, and I got to the hospital yesterday just as our old pal, David Rea, passed away. He had been ill much of the summer.

I did many, many gigs with him the last years of his life after re-meeting him at the Napa Valley Folk Festival, where we both performed in 1994. I had met him originally in Toronto in the 1970′s.

He was a character of the first order, with songs and tales to keep you entertained for as long as you cared to listen. He was fortunate in last 10 years to live with Kathleen Stokes in Portland, who he loved dearly and who loved him.

We will not see his like again. Farewell, old pal.

Here’s the title tune from Rea’s first solo album, Maverick Child:

Here is a sampling of the comments left with OMN’s news story of Rea’s death, starting with Kathleen’s:

David Rea / Photo by Robert Sarner

I am David’s partner and I am missing him so terribly. But it makes my heart glad to hear so many friends and family sharing stories and loving memories. Thank you all for remembering and sharing your love of such a wonderful man. I can assure you that David loved you all. So do I and, I believe that so do David’s children. Just do everything that you can to keep his memory, his warmth and his music alive. Kathleen Stokes

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‎”We all know why we are here. There are people out there that are cold and hungry. Some feel like out there like giving up, but this is to provide a chance to not give up. Let’s go on and do something! It is up to us to help out not just tonight but tomorrow. Even if a guy gives me a good story on the street. This guys comes up to me the other day and tells me he just murdered his wife. I need $20 to buy me some booze and cigarettes until the cops come. Here you go! I can’t make this stuff up.”
–David Rea
He spoke this at Aladdin theater last year
He really cared for others and had a way with words!
We will really miss you! You were a wonderful friend and neighbor!
The Alexander Family

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What a player, and what a story-teller. Thankfully David Rea left a significant body of work, both solo and with others, and that impressive discography fuses so many links in the chain together. Did anyone of his generation play the music of Mississippi John Hurt with more passion and authority? I doubt it.
I’m glad we taped so many of your performances in Alberta from ’99 through 2009.
Rest in Peace David

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The flags will fly at half-mast on the French River remembering you. Where ever you go I hope there is a twelve string guitar for your wonderful music. You’ve been a great brother-in-law and good friend. I’ll miss you.

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I had the pleasure of meeting David a few times, and the pleasure of playing a few tunes with him (and good friend Tom May) at the Alberta Street club in Portland in ’09. David was such a fine guitar-player, with a long and colorful music career. His work on Lightfoot’s first album, and those recordings with Ian and Sylvia, are enough to place him highly on the list of great music-makers and “sidemen” in the folk and country-rock catalog. But I think that many people overlook David’s superb songwriting skills: his Brass Ring and Shorty’s Ghost albums are excellent. R.I.P., David, and thanks for all of the great music. –Chris Kennedy in Wyoming

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David was a fixture in our house (in Toronto) when I was a kid (mom was very worried about his glasses). He was good friends with my sister Anne… if you could please include this picture of Anne in David’s “tribute to the man and his songs in Portland, most probably in early December”
http://www.theprovince.com/Saying+goodbye+Anne+Garber/5136154/story.html
– I hope they are tripping along together
RIP David… you will be missed 

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When he called to tell me he wrote a song for my cd that I would be the first to sing if he could play the lead, I went over.
Thanks, David, for “WHITE HAT”. No doubt you knew how well I loved our time together. How special for me that your guitar work graces my songs. I’m a better man for having been your friend.

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A piece of americana sadly is gone but will never be forgotten. I had the pleasure of living next door to David in SE Portland for a few years in what is affectionately known as “felony flats”, he was a real character. He would stop by the house quite often just to say hello. Many times I would open the door to him singing Irish lyrics and he would not finish until the song was over LOL. One of the funniest times was an ugly sweater Christmas party I had thrown, David showed up in his bath robe and had a great time chatting and telling stories to everyone. At one point he had gone home and came back with a handful of his latest CD and preceeded to hand them out to some of the party goers with whom he had been talking with. Later in the evening, preparing to leave and filling his pockets with finger sandwiches he approached those he had shared the cd with thanking them for a great time and very seriously said that he would now be ready to collect the $15 for the CD LMAO! He was a truly great guy!! R.I.P Brother!!!

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At Fiddler's Roost

I remember meeting David at a friends house in Niagara, he was such a good story teller, with so much to talk about. This was some 10 years ago approximately. The only song I really remember him playing was one about bringing a squirrel in a shoe box into church and causing some trouble. Wish I could re-live that moment, but until then I will always remember you.
All the best to the family and friends of this immaculate man,
Thank you for the inspiration!

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He was truly a special talent and a great friend. I first met David in North Bay when he was 16. We ran a folk club called “The Black Fly” and spent many hours & days together including taking him to Mariposa for the first time…and the rest is history. We stayed in touch over the years, he even lived with me for awhile in Toronto. I will dearly miss him and his infrequent but long phone conversations from Portland where we discussed old times. He always expressed his great love for you and pride in his children.

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I met David at the San Francisco Folk Fest. I played some banjo on his American Music CD and became good friends. I lost touch after he moved to Wash. but got a call from him about four years ago. I’ll miss his humor and great playing. I can imagine his spirit kicking back on the French River with a can of Ail in his hand and his D-45 he got from John Duffy on his lap. Rest well David, you’ve earned it.