Jcub
New Member
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2023
- Messages
- 97
My friend and drummer, Gary Venable, passed away recently after a long illness. He was an unwaveringly positive person with a passion for music, drumming, his friends, and family. I met Gary when I joined the bands Zapotec and Archaic Revival in the late 90s. These bands were led by guitarist Bill Curtis, along with Mike Galway on bass and Anna Koropchak on violin.
Over the years, we formed a strong musical bond and deep friendship. When Bill left for Peru in the mid-2000s, the remaining four members formed Apothecary. When Anna left for Nashville, we continued as Apothecary with guitarist Alan Gramley. We practiced at Gary’s house with the kind permission of his brother Rick, who had to endure our weekly racket.
We recorded albums, wrote songs, rehearsed, played gigs, and simply had fun being together and playing music. Gary would check in with me during band downtimes and also when the hard and challenging events of life occurred. He battled illness over the past few years with optimism and grace, he remained a positive force in the world. He will be deeply missed.
Over the years, we formed a strong musical bond and deep friendship. When Bill left for Peru in the mid-2000s, the remaining four members formed Apothecary. When Anna left for Nashville, we continued as Apothecary with guitarist Alan Gramley. We practiced at Gary’s house with the kind permission of his brother Rick, who had to endure our weekly racket.
We recorded albums, wrote songs, rehearsed, played gigs, and simply had fun being together and playing music. Gary would check in with me during band downtimes and also when the hard and challenging events of life occurred. He battled illness over the past few years with optimism and grace, he remained a positive force in the world. He will be deeply missed.
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