Page 1 of 1

RIP Fred Smith

PostPosted: Sat Aug 12, 2017 12:28 pm
by version sound
Apparently Fred "The Freak" Smith has passed away. Rest in power.

Re: RIP Fred Smith

PostPosted: Sat Aug 12, 2017 2:50 pm
by version sound

Re: RIP Fred Smith

PostPosted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 6:44 am
by danny
such a tragedy. poor fred. this is very difficult to process.

Re: RIP Fred Smith

PostPosted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:33 pm
by JGJR
That's horrific.

Re: RIP Fred Smith

PostPosted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 7:29 pm
by earthdog70
Very sad. I think it is being incorrectly reported that he was homeless however, Apparently he just went to that park almost daily. :(

Re: RIP Fred Smith

PostPosted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 8:31 am
by danny
earthdog70 wrote:Very sad. I think it is being incorrectly reported that he was homeless however, Apparently he just went to that park almost daily. :(


No - he has been homeless for quite some time. I saw him about 6 years ago and he was 'living' on the public bus system. Basically sleeping on the buses at night - showering at the Y - using the public library for internet access. He would occasionally get lodging from friends. And he had his bands and the occasional job. But he has been living al fresco, off and on, for at least 7 years. The odd thing is, he seemed quite happy with his lifestyle choice. He could have come back east at any time - but had cut ties with his family. That said, I'm guessing Delores sent him money periodically. I gave him some when I was out there (Santa Monica). If you are going to be homeless (somewhat by choice) then there are worse places to be. Santa Monica, like Seattle and other cities on the west coast, have a large population of young homeless punx. But the thing with Fred is you never knew just how bad or good his situation was - because he was the consummate...er...story teller. He would often contradict himself on his accounts in the same stream-off-consciousness diatribe. But that is part of what made him endearing. Or infuriating. I remember going through the ordeal of putting together a concert at Black Cat that was based around a party for Fred a few years ago. Somehow, he managed to raise enough money to fly back here and make a go of it. More or less.

Anyway - he definitely deserved a better fate. I loved Fred, warts n all.

Re: RIP Fred Smith

PostPosted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 7:02 pm
by earthdog70
Sorry for your loss Danny. :cry:

Re: RIP Fred Smith

PostPosted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 9:40 am
by JGJR
earthdog70 wrote:Sorry for your loss Danny. :cry:


This.

Re: RIP Fred Smith

PostPosted: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:05 pm
by earthdog70
Just a quick addition. I met Fred a handful of times in the early 1990's. I think it was mainly at the long gone 15 Minutes club in DC. I can't remember if he worked there or just went there often. At any rate, he was always encouraging about my band at the time when he played there. Which didn't have too often with others. :)

Re: RIP Fred Smith

PostPosted: Thu Aug 17, 2017 8:28 pm
by SamDBL
I met him when he was bouncing at the Troubador in the 90s. Such a cool guy. And want a great player. As bizarre as they were, Beefeater were so groundbreaking. How big did the funk metal thing get about a decade after they were already doing it?

Re: RIP Fred Smith

PostPosted: Fri Aug 18, 2017 9:08 am
by JGJR
SamDBL wrote:I met him when he was bouncing at the Troubador in the 90s. Such a cool guy. And want a great player. As bizarre as they were, Beefeater were so groundbreaking. How big did the funk metal thing get about a decade after they were already doing it?


They were kind of like DC's answer to The Minutemen or Big Boys, but a bit more metallic than either (which I think is part of why it took me longer to "get" them).

Re: RIP Fred Smith

PostPosted: Mon Aug 21, 2017 7:15 am
by danny
there will be a formal service in dc once the body is brought back. not an easy thing - especially given that there is a police report, autopsy, etc. and it ain't cheap. there will also be some sort of gathering at a well-known club in dc - though the nuts and bolts of that are still being worked out. as for the 15 minutes question - his cousin worked there so he was there a lot. he might have worked there a bit...but i'm not sure. his main haunt was poseurs...but he was ubiquitously present at so many places in dc...if it served alcohol and played alternative music, you can bet he had an open bar tab there (back alley, the vault, dc space, 9:30, 15 minutes, etc.).

Re: RIP Fred Smith

PostPosted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 5:05 am
by fiestaware
Behold Fred in all his glory:

Beefeater - Sept 26, 1986

http://www.dc-85.com/beefeater-1986-09-26/

Re: RIP Fred Smith

PostPosted: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:46 am
by Dinko