On Thursday, May 5, 2011 Buffalo, NY lost one of its most prominent
music advocates. Michael Meldrum passed away at age 60 following a long
battle with liver disease. Michael spent his years nurturing the Buffalo
singer/songwriter community, with the longest running open mike night
at Nietzsche’s, yearly tribute concerts, teaching guitar, bringing
spectacular talent to our fair city, and, of course, writing and
performing his own beautiful songs.
Righteous Babe is proud to have released Michael’s one and only collection of songs, Open Ended Question,
in 2006 featuring some of the best performers from the Buffalo area,
exemplifying his ability to inspire and enhance the music community he
so loved. The same year Meldrum was inducted into the Buffalo Music
Hall of Fame.
Ani has long credited Meldrum for starting her career, below is the
eulogy she wrote for Michael, delivered by her manager and Meldrum
family friend Scot Fisher at the services last week:
“My friend Michael was many things. A loving husband and devoted
father, as well as a dynamic and creative Buffalonian with many public
faces. To me he was songwriter and folk singer first, and he taught me
everything I needed to know about doing that job. Then there was Michael
the organizer, the promoter, the host, and of course Michael the
teacher, the fanner-of-flames.
“Let it be said that he spent his life connecting and nurturing
people. Introducing this one to that one, showing this one around,
getting that one started with this. He would spin community from his
heels as he walked around the city in a dapper ensemble culled from
thrift stores and seasoned by nights of arguing some point over a bar
with a drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other.
“He was by far the most interesting person I’d ever met when our
paths crossed in 1979 and he remains one of the most compelling figures
in my life. When it came to music he had a way of putting a song into
the world that was simple and without pretense. He made it look easy. He
invited the world in. And with sly humor he coaxed the shy and scared
out of themselves and into the light of each other’s attention. He
showed us we can all offer something to the circle.
“Whenever someone took the brave step of opening themselves up,
putting themselves out there, Michael was there to say yes. And he was
the most inspiring of mentors because he was not all-knowing and
infallible; he was raw and reachable, imperfect and human.
“And yes he had an ear, not for marketable ‘talent,’ but for the
sound of someone freeing themselves through music — art doing its job.
Of that, he was the master.
“We will have to work hard in Buffalo New York to pick up the slack
left by Michael Meldrum’s passing. We will have to get out there and see
each other more — show up — drop by. We will need to carry instruments
around and launch into song at the dinner table, because we can. Because
we are alive, and singing is a celebration of that. Oh Michael, we
celebrate you!”
In addition to the countless musicians who will feel the absence of
his presence in their daily life, Michael is survived by his wife, Diane
Gall-Meldrum; a son, Alexander; and a daughter, Julia.
