Our Man in Europe, dave delacroix... Tribute to Roger Armstrong

Our Man in Europe, dave delacroix... Tribute to Roger Armstrong.


dedicato. Mutual Friend, Patricia Calhoun



..When Roger A. arrived at my Denver, Capitol Hill Villa with a trunk filled with Cases of Guinness, stacked on the patio, I fell at his feet, swore the usual Camel-Beduoin affiliations and we both went into paroxide laughter. We weren-t Jasmine or Domino. HE was USA-Hawaian and I, Brit-white-boy, but we HAD a mutual Afro-Philiadelphian friend famous for appearing on a Philli Illegal Parking Tele-vised BUST!..Mucho-chuckles. ROG, Roger, avec les Guinness-cannisters, had just completed his Management tenure at Denver-s 17th St. Mosque-Tabanacle, directed to CLEAR the place out!..Guinness going to a good home. We YAKKED, a weekly thing, both being in Show Biz, L.A. Dweams, name-dropping Stephanie 2-Rivers at the Denver Film Inst., Patricia Calhourn, Editor of Westword, Johanthan Sayles, Film Director whose recent City Movie Shoot, BLAH, usual stuff, S-WOTS to DO in Denver when U Dead or just marooned...this was a weekly Club thing. Sometimes, late-great Jazz Legend Ed Battle, James Brown-s Guitar Tsar Damon Wood or Rat-Pack afficionado Steven St. James would be in attendance.. Aperitivoes and booze. I guess, in retrospect, Roger was the STAR. Everyone ELSE gigged out. And though it was MY Salon, Roger was its apex. LIFE, DEATH, Broken Hearts, how to slide on your Taxes, but mostly, just Roger and Moi....AT this time Roger was thriving at Festival Organisations including a Wine Fest in UTAH...a perk was an all=paid  Canoe-ing trip in the MOAB with a bunch of Lesbians. He invited me but I got distracted. Anyhow, whilst I was losing my Music Investors Shirt recording in L.A. Roger had taken over Management of the East Colfax Historic Civic Denver artery and was prepping to manage the COLLOSUS of Denver-s Capitol Hill Peoples Festival! But ROGER had a Smile. Whinsome. Old friends can spot this. WHASS-Up! Dave I just bought 6 potted plants for my Patio. So... There was a Birds Nest in one. Cut to the quick, Roger immediately bought Eggs, a Squeezy thingy, micro-milk container and was massaging birds nest chicklets to robust health! True story folks! For ONE WEEK prior to COLLOSAL MUSIC FEST both my Gal and I asked the Health of Rogers adoptees and aparently, their progress was Tutte-Boogaloo! They flew! Roger then proceeded to his Professional endeavours and the rest is Rock N Roll-Civic History.
I lost touch with Roger on account of being Deported from the USA on account of Over-staying my Visitors Visa by a matter of 25 years. No doubt a Clerical error on Uncle Sam-s part. But when I finally recovered Roger-s direct phoneline, calling from Sicily,  we CAUGHT UP and he advised me of his Cancer-situation, how it WAS advanced but his weight-loss situ had stabilized and he was optimistic! We were to follow up a week or so later but by then he had passed on... leaving a CRATER in my heart. And yet, a SMILEY here for I too have just undergone TWO sucessful Cancerous procedures surrounded by a COVID-19 Pandemic. And not a doubt in my mind! I caught Roger-s Kharma to stare Tomorrow in its Face! Let-s FLY!!!


c.2020. davedelacroix,truro, cornwall, u.k.