"There's always one more Sunday, and there's always more to give."~Larry Kegan
As we prepare for the May 17th Salute to the Music of Bob Dylan I’ve been sifting through a variety of interesting sources in search of items to highlight pertaining to the various musicians who will be performing here at Duluth’s Sacred Heart Music Center. In the process I discovered a very cool video of two stars of that show, Scarlet Rivera and Gene Lafond, making music with Bob Dylan’s boyhood friend Larry Kegan 32 years ago today.
Larry Kegan met young Robert Zimmerman at a Herzl Camp and the two became friends for life. A diving accident left Kegan a paraplegic when he was only 15 years old, and 10 years later he became a quadriplegic in a car accident. But everyone who crossed his path had the same thing to say about him, a rare individual who was an inspiration to all.
Gene Lafond was also a friend of Larry Kegan’s in high school. When Zimmerman, now Dylan, began touring in earnest in the 70’s, a road show that has continued in various forms to this day, he invited his old friend Larry to join him several times a year. For about 15 years Geno came along to assist, and gained an inside look at the Dylan road show as it transitioned from the Rolling Thunder Revue to the beginnings of his Never Ending Tour. Dylan’s friendship with Larry was such that he dedicated his album Street Legal (one of my favorites) to this boyhood pal who once shared Bob's dream of making music for a living.
Larry did become a performer. As Lafond said when I interviewed him last year, 'We used to sing together. Larry couldn’t scratch his nose but he’d go out and sing for people."
In 1981, during Bob Dylan's concert at the Holiday Star Music Theater in Merrillville, Ind., Dylan called up wheelchair-bound Larry Kegan for the encore and let him perform Chuck Berry's 'No Money Down' while Dylan played the tenor saxophone. A snapshot of this moment in time has been shared on audio here.
32 years ago today Larry, Scarlet and Geno performed at the West Bank hotspot Cafe Extempore, a period of time captured in Cyn Collins's West Bank Boogie. The YouTube video embedded below captures their rehearsal for this event. If you don't have time for the entire segment, Larry's rendition of More to Give qualifies as a "must listen."
Everyone who knew Larry Kegan was inspired by him. His last day on earth happened to be a major changepoint in history as he died on 9-11-2001, the day the Twin Towers fell. Dylan's Love & Theft was released that day and I can imagine Larry looking forward to listening to his lifetime friend's new recording. Instead, he became immersed in making phone calls from his home in Minnesota trying to affirm that all his friends were O.K. According to StreamingGoldies, he he died of a heart attack just hours later. At Larry's funeral service, the rabbi suggested that "God called Larry to heaven to help disabled victims make their transition to eternity. He couldn’t have picked a better man for the job."
In Memoriam of The CHAMPION OF ALL CAUSES...LARRY KEGAN (April 16th, 1942 - September 11th, 2001)
Larry Kegan (Vocals) with Gene LaFond (Vocals and Guitar) and Scarlet Rivera (Violin)
Coffeehouse Extempore / Minneapolis, Minnesota / April 19th, 1982
1. Forty Years (Gene LaFond)
2. More To Give (Larry Kegan)
3. More To Give (Larry Kegan)
4. All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down) (Hank Williams, Jr. 1981)
5. Ain't Got The Blues (Larry Kegan / Gene LaFond)
6. Ain't Got The Blues (Larry Kegan / Gene LaFond)
7. I Shall Be Released (Bob Dylan 1967)
8. Violin Lady (Gene LaFond)
9. Ain't Got The Blues (Larry Kegan / Gene LaFond)
10. More Than A Memory (Gene LaFond)
11. Violin Lady (Gene LaFond)
12. North Country Blues (Bob Dylan 1964)
Photo Top Left: This photo appeared on the back cover of the booklet that accompanied Dylan's Tell Tale Signs (Columbia). American Jewish World (AJW) was asked for details about the picture. Jerry Waldman, former executive director of Jewish Family and Children’s Service, identified five teenagers pictured at Herzl Camp in the summer of 1957, including himself. Shown above are (l to r): Larry Kegan (fourth from left, dark jacket and white shirt), Waldman (singing), Bobby Zimmerman (Dylan), Louie Kemp and David Unowsky. Joe Marver, a St. Paul native now living in Carmel, Calif., called to say that he thinks Leon (Aryeh) Spotts, a Herzl counselor, took the photo. He also identified the boy, second from left, as Paul Black. Larry Kegan passed away in 2001. — M.S.
EdNote: This blog entry and others like it have the aim of raising awareness for the upcoming Salute to the Music of Bob Dylan concert which will kick off the 2014 North Country Dylan Celebration in Duluth and Hibbing. For tickets to this great event visit dulutharmory.org/events.
As we prepare for the May 17th Salute to the Music of Bob Dylan I’ve been sifting through a variety of interesting sources in search of items to highlight pertaining to the various musicians who will be performing here at Duluth’s Sacred Heart Music Center. In the process I discovered a very cool video of two stars of that show, Scarlet Rivera and Gene Lafond, making music with Bob Dylan’s boyhood friend Larry Kegan 32 years ago today. |
| Larry, Bob and their summer camp buddies, 1957.* |
Gene Lafond was also a friend of Larry Kegan’s in high school. When Zimmerman, now Dylan, began touring in earnest in the 70’s, a road show that has continued in various forms to this day, he invited his old friend Larry to join him several times a year. For about 15 years Geno came along to assist, and gained an inside look at the Dylan road show as it transitioned from the Rolling Thunder Revue to the beginnings of his Never Ending Tour. Dylan’s friendship with Larry was such that he dedicated his album Street Legal (one of my favorites) to this boyhood pal who once shared Bob's dream of making music for a living.
Larry did become a performer. As Lafond said when I interviewed him last year, 'We used to sing together. Larry couldn’t scratch his nose but he’d go out and sing for people."
32 years ago today Larry, Scarlet and Geno performed at the West Bank hotspot Cafe Extempore, a period of time captured in Cyn Collins's West Bank Boogie. The YouTube video embedded below captures their rehearsal for this event. If you don't have time for the entire segment, Larry's rendition of More to Give qualifies as a "must listen."
 |
| Larry and Bob |
In Memoriam of The CHAMPION OF ALL CAUSES...LARRY KEGAN (April 16th, 1942 - September 11th, 2001)
Larry Kegan (Vocals) with Gene LaFond (Vocals and Guitar) and Scarlet Rivera (Violin)
Coffeehouse Extempore / Minneapolis, Minnesota / April 19th, 1982
1. Forty Years (Gene LaFond)
2. More To Give (Larry Kegan)
3. More To Give (Larry Kegan)
4. All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down) (Hank Williams, Jr. 1981)
5. Ain't Got The Blues (Larry Kegan / Gene LaFond)
6. Ain't Got The Blues (Larry Kegan / Gene LaFond)
7. I Shall Be Released (Bob Dylan 1967)
8. Violin Lady (Gene LaFond)
9. Ain't Got The Blues (Larry Kegan / Gene LaFond)
10. More Than A Memory (Gene LaFond)
11. Violin Lady (Gene LaFond)
12. North Country Blues (Bob Dylan 1964)
Photo Top Left: This photo appeared on the back cover of the booklet that accompanied Dylan's Tell Tale Signs (Columbia). American Jewish World (AJW) was asked for details about the picture. Jerry Waldman, former executive director of Jewish Family and Children’s Service, identified five teenagers pictured at Herzl Camp in the summer of 1957, including himself. Shown above are (l to r): Larry Kegan (fourth from left, dark jacket and white shirt), Waldman (singing), Bobby Zimmerman (Dylan), Louie Kemp and David Unowsky. Joe Marver, a St. Paul native now living in Carmel, Calif., called to say that he thinks Leon (Aryeh) Spotts, a Herzl counselor, took the photo. He also identified the boy, second from left, as Paul Black. Larry Kegan passed away in 2001. — M.S.
EdNote: This blog entry and others like it have the aim of raising awareness for the upcoming Salute to the Music of Bob Dylan concert which will kick off the 2014 North Country Dylan Celebration in Duluth and Hibbing. For tickets to this great event visit dulutharmory.org/events.
12 comments:
Another year has gone by. I enjoyed your article. I met Gene LaFond at Reg Mug Coffeehouse.
Larry was like family to my family. My dad was his physician and I have fond memories climbing up into his wheelchair and listening to him sing. I think of him so often. When my dad died in 2011, Larry's sister attended the Minnesota memorial. I wish I could post a photo or two. I was 9 in 1974 when I realized what a gift he was. We stayed in touch until that fateful day. I miss him so very much. Thank you for being a spark of light and possibility, Larry. I loved you and still do.
Thank you Team Spice and aka Scarlet Risen
TS: if you would like to share those photos on my blog, I would be happy to do so if you include a couple stories to go with them... It would be a "Guest Post" which I do from time to time.
Send email to ennyman (at) northlc.com
Thanks for the note here.
e.
How do I post a photo?
Herzl Camp photo was taken by my brother, Mark Alpert.
Sheila Alpert, St. Paul
Oh my starz, I just found this by accident.
Larry literally just popped into my head, almost as though he was talking to me. I knew Larry through work and he was one of the most loving, kindest, brilliant people I have ever met in my life. Larry lived life and experienced things that most people don't accomplish in 3 lifetimes.
I loved how he would say that work communication and his raspy voice.
Larry I still think of you often and I miss you, you weren't just my friend, in my heart you were family. And when you passed, I mourned for family.
I miss you big guy...…..
Diana
Thank you for this, Diana. Yes, Larry has been missed by many.
My dad composed "More to give" for him. He Just found out he recorded the song.
My dad composed "More to give" for him. He Just found out he recorded the song.
Missing Larry very much as I listened to old recordings in our home with me crawling up in his wheelchair, giving him a smoke (joint, I had no idea). He had a helper, Zeke, who gave me a porcelain dog from he and Larry. I still have it. I used to strap the harmonica/harp frame around his neck so he could play. He was a good person to me and my family. Just thinking of him today, and that's a wonderful day, just with that...
How do I post a photo? I still want to do that, but can't see how it's done here.
Team Spice: Sorry for delay getting back to you.
There is no way to post a foto I believe but you can email it to me and I will post within the blog if you like.
ennyman3@gmail.com
Post a Comment