Cheap Trick was onstage at Summerfest when it happened. I was in the midst of a workshop with a client when Terri texted me the news.
Kirk (Wheel) Dyer had passed.
The Road Manager for Cheap Trick. The Event Manager of the Taste of Madison. And, a friend with who I had sadly lost contact over the years.
As our friend Tom Tueber posted, Kirk was the inspiration for the character they call "The Wheel" in the movie "Almost Famous."
You want a sense of the man, it's so worth a watch.
But, he's likely best known as the booming voice that kicks off Cheap Trick's "Live at Budokan" album.
Larger than life and caring as could be.
The gentle giant is, at long last, at peace after a lengthy, valiant battle with cancer.
On this Music Friday, we offer up an audio track that I'm guessing only a handful of friends have ever heard. Trick was working on a track called "Rock and Roll Tonight" that ended up on the "Busted" album. As they worked to perfect it, they let Wheel take the mic.
The result is pretty cool...and a wonderful tribute to the man. And, I love that he biffs the last verse. Always makes me smile.
Thanks for the memories, my friend. Stir things up in heaven, ehh?
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