Whether you have one song that reminds you of Tommy or many songs, please share the names of the songs. If there is a memory to go with it, we’d all love to hear it!
Please come back to this discussion & reply whenever memories of Tommy’s favorite music comes to you. Sometimes you can’t *think* of a musical memory. It just comes to you out of the blue.
My first memory of a song Tommy LOVED was “Broken Wings” by Mr. Mister. I think this was 1985 / 1986. I remember him telling me on the phone that he had gone out on the roof from the upstairs window to listen to the song over and over again on his walkman while he looked at the stars. As I recall, he did this many nights. He was obsessed with listening to that song over and over again on his walkman.
Eventually, he taught himself to play it on the piano. To this day, I always associate “Broken Wings” with Tommy looking at the stars late at night.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKhN1t_7PEY
“Take these broken wings
You’ve got to learn to fly, learn to live, love so free
When we hear the voices sing
The book of love will open up and let us in”
Growing up your whole life with the greatest musician you have ever known had amazing moments. Some sublime, some surreal, and others unbelievably funny. Those of you who knew Tom not only knew his musical brilliance but also that he loved to “mess” with music. The one example a friend and I were discussing the other day was Tom’s version of the “Peanuts Gallery” theme. He learned it perfectly but started dropping the bass note a half step when he played it. You can imagine the cacophony that would roll down the hallway. He would often do this when someone was in the house for the first time. It is still one of the funniest things I have ever heard. If you want to bring Tom’s spirit to you quickly and you can play piano – learn this song and drop the bass a half step when you play it. It’s him. You can hear it. The playfulness, the mischief. (and if you mess up while practicing – bang the piano quickly as Tom would. Another characteristic he had). So many songs but this one for now says it all.
I LOVED his version of the Peanuts theme. I’m 99% sure I have a recording of it somewhere, although it would be while we were just hanging out, so we were likely talking or laughing over it. I wish I’d done a more professional recording of it too. When I get around to recording off audio some day, I will absolutely post it.
Thank God you explained it though because I have poor music theory skills, so I would have had to try to sing it to explain it, which I was trying to do to myself just now, and it doesn’t work for what Tommy did with this song.
By the way, Tommy and I were in the same music theory class and sat by each other every day in that class. That’s probably why I learned so little – we were totally distracted making jokes. Bill Phillips was a fantastic teacher, one of the best of my school years. Steve told me you & he were in the same music theory class, so it was pretty cool that Tommy & I got to be in the same class together as our older brothers. But, poor Bill Phillips had to put up with the “younger sibling” version of you two because Tommy & I had a hard time keeping our mouths shut. In most other classes in high school, I was pretty & quiet, but that one brought out the “terrible twos” in Tommy & me, and we couldn’t resist making jokes to each other.
Tommy had such a strong musical background with the piano, also the French horn / mellophone, that he picked up music theory easily anyway, but my only background was the sax in band. So, after Tommy finished his semester-long project, he helped me finish mine the day before it was due. I used to sing this stupid song I made up while rotating the lazy suzan at the kitchen table at my family’s house. It used to make Tommy laugh. Then, we put a box of graham crackers in the middle of the lazy susan and slowly rotated it around while I was singing this dumb song, and we would both started laughing really hard. I don’t know why it was so hysterical to us. When I think about it, maybe it was like a scene from a 70’s or 80’s educational film we’d watch at school – maybe something where they show how how an object works and play music behind it – the kind of music that doesn’t belong anywhere else but in a film like that.
Anyway, Tommy loved it with the lazy susan & called it The Graham Cracker song. When I was desperately trying to figure out what I would do for my semester project for Bill Phillips, Tommy insisted I do The Graham Cracker Song. He helped me write out the sheet music for it – God bless him. We knew it was a totally ridiculous song So, when I turned in my sheet music to Bill Phillips, I knew I was probably going to lose any credibility I had with him.
I’m sure he wondered why in the world someone my age, who listened to the kind of music I listened to, would turn in something like that sounded like THAT. I don’t think he commented on the music we turned in for our end-of-semester projects, but just graded it solely based on our understanding of music theory.
Bill Phillips was such a cool, calm guy though, with a fantastic sense of humor, so even if he though the song was awful, he must’ve known that I came up with that while hanging out with Tommy. I’m still grateful even now for Tommy helping me write it on sheet music. Years later, he’d sing that song out of nowhere just for laughs.
Dave, Bill Phillips remembered both you and Steve, and seemed to have much respect for you both. I remember Tommy and Bill Phillips would both talk about you together from time to time. Tommy would make him laugh at times too.
Bill Phillips seemed to really understand how to work with teenagers. Even though Tommy and I joked around in class too much, We tried really hard not to cross the line or be disrespectful because we actually really respected Bill Phillips. He was the type of teacher that you would never want to let down. We had true respect for him as a teacher and a person.
I remember Tommy going up to the front of the class and playing the keyboard at times. I think Bill Phillips was always amazed that this kid who would act totally goofy in class could then go sit at a keyboard and sound like a musical genius.
Oh Yes – I absolutely remember when Tommy would bang the piano quickly when he would mess up a song. There are so many albums Tom could have had. One of them could’ve been an album where each song ended that way – with a quick bang.
Wayne Dyer said, “Don’t die with your music still inside you.” I’ve thought about that a lot since I first heard him say it several years ago, and what that means to my own life. I thought about it again Sunday, but this time, about Tommy. I wondered to myself how it applied to Tom. I thought “Tommy did not die with his music still in him. He made music throughout his life. ….. But, he still had music to make.”
I understand Wayne Dyer’s point – that we should act on our passions and make the most of our gifts while we’re here. I think Tommy did that. But, Tommy had so much music in him that there was still music to be made. Tommy would have still had music left to make even at the age of 100. 🎼
Bill Phillips could fill volumes with his quotes alone. I’m sure he loved you and Tom in his class because he had that odd respect for people who knew what they were doing. He just let them be. Would love to have seen how he reacted to you two. If you ever find an audio copy of the peanuts theme played by Tom, please post it. Audio quality be damned. It would be joyful to hear any version of it that exists.
Will do! And anything else I can find of Tommy music / audio!
It’s a shame that home digital wasn’t around for us when we were younger because we would have likely recorded a ton more. When I wrote about “Broken Wings”, I even thought to myself “Tommy had to wait for the song to rewind in those days. You had to really love a song a LOT to want to rewind it over and over again.” The song was rewind-worthy.
If you ever remember any Bill Phillips quotes, feel free to post those too. Tommy used to laugh at him a lot, so I know Tommy would love it too. I used to look Bill Phillips up on the internet from time to time over the years because I wanted to write him to thank him for being such a great teacher. No matter what keywords I tried – Denton, Dallas, Plano, music theory teacher, etc. I could never find him because his name was so common. Sadly, one day a couple years ago, I found him, and it was his obituary.
If Bill Phillips’ family ever looks him up and finds this some day, just know that his students loved him, respected him, and never forgot him. Tommy didn’t either. A musical discussion about Tommy has to involve Bill Phillips. He was a positive influence to Tommy and to us too. Right now I wish we could all go back in time and sit around and talk.
Bill’s comments to Tom’s class and ours:
“Don’t blow your hat.”
” A piece of music without harmonic analysis is like a day without sunshine” (Always in response to “do we really have to do the harmonic analysis?)
“Walk this way” (then he would walk oddly in the hall and we mimed it.)
“Don’t leave” (told to students jumping up before bell)
“It goes without saying, so there’s no need to say it”
“Well……no” (Told to students who would ask “can I just do this instead?” If he saw you understood the silliness of his phrasing he would laugh with you.
Dave,
I could literally hear Bill Phillips’ voice saying these as I read.
Wow – your memory is excellent too, like Tommy’s!
That pause on the last one: “Well….no” I can see Bill Phillips’ face on that one during the pause, between “well” and “no”.
Man, no wonder we all liked him so much!
My brother, Steve, reminded me many years ago that Mr. Philips used to talk about how he loved to enjoy Blue Bell Ice Cream on his front porch. Steve probably remembers exactly what Bill said about that. To this day, when I walk through the grocery store, if I see Blue Bell Ice Cream, I think of Bill Phillips relaxing on his front porch, enjoying his ice cream.
I never heard any of Bill Phillips’ own music though. I wish I had. I’m actually not sure what type of music he listened to.
This isn’t about a song but when I met Tommy and James they always talked about Saint Etienne, or maybe it was just Tommy. Mary, you were a heavy part of these convos. That must have been you and Tommy’s thing? Next up was 808 State…
Nyre,
Thank you for letting me know I was a heavy part of those conversations. That means a lot to me.
Did you meet James through Tommy?
I’ll ask James some time if he remembers talking about Saint Etienne, 808 State & other music with you and Tom.
I remember Tommy singing this Saint Etienne song for a while when his mind was hooked on this song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIDXF0ggLds
Lately my mind has been getting lots of Tommy’s favorites in my head – they just pop in out of nowhere when I’m walking through the house, not even trying to think about it. It just pops up in my head as if someone just hit play mid-song.
This one popped in my head the other day – I could suddenly hear the voice singing a foreign melody, and I thought “Oh my gosh! Tommy used to LOVE that song!!! What IS the name of that song?!?” So, just now I had to look it up based on the few lyrics it has. It was hard to find, but I found it. It’s Massif by Ramjac https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85qs1b42ytM
He had the 12″ record, which he recorded onto a tape of other dance music he loved at the time, and he used to listen to this in the car or dance to it at home in his room and in the clubs. This really is a cool song. My husband was listening to it while I was listening just now and also thought it sounded cool.
Tommy used to have a crate of such a variety of dance music – from the most obscure songs you’d only hear at a late night club to mixes of “Baby Baby” by Amy Grant. I think at some point he told me he lost that crate at a storage unit. He really loved those records. I remember him trying to find his old favorites again in NYC over time, but the obscure ones were really hard to find.
As Tom’s family and friends knew, Tom had absolute pitch. Very rare and he was born with it (meaning – if you knocked on a piece of wood, he could tell you the actual notes that you heard). For any musician including myself – this created a lot of envy. One of the results of his gift was the ability to mimic any piece of music down to the last instrument. One of the songs he chose to replicate into his keyboard was the “Factory music” you hear in Looney Tunes (if you aren’t sure what song this is, a slow version can be heard in the Looney Tunes episode Flockeed Eggcraft Factory – but he mimed the fast version). He had the horns, bass, and everything down to perfection. The piece itself is insane, and he let it play on an endless loop. Standing there listening to it with him, you would both get a smile, then the little bass would repeat and the horns crash in again, then both of you are laughing hysterically because it would never end. Brilliant.
Wow Dave – this is AWESOME! I watched the Flockeed Eggcraft Factory video on YouTube just now & was smiling the whole time imagining Tommy doing that. I can just imagine the glee he felt. So funny! I can picture his face showing it to you… that look when he KNOWS it’s funny repeating. And he knows you’ll think it’s funny too! And he was always right on that! When he knew he created something awesome, he was right about it!
Did you ever hear what he did with the song “La Vie En Rose” by Edith Piaf? He called me and kept playing the chorus over and over again. What he had done with it, was speeded up parts & slowed down parts of it so that it sounded like a warped record at times, but also like something one would hear on a crazy carousel. I can’t explain it, but he kept replaying it while laughing, and I was laughing too, and together, combined with Edith Piaf singing warped, it felt like we were on the boat scene in “Willie Wonka” only more like we were spinning around in circles going mad.
His musical ear was amazing, as was his musical sense of humor.
Now I just listened to the chorus of La Vie en Rose on YouTube and had this weird emotion of nearly laughing and crying at the same time.
I dated Dave since 2013 and that is how I was drawn into the life of the extraordinary and bigger than life, Tom Kirby. I only had the pleasure of meeting Tom once though we spoke many times. The only song I can associate with my friendship with Tommy is Bette Midler’s, The Rose. This song is special to his mother Liz. I sang it for her several times in the past and she had wanted Tom to play while I sang. He sat down at the piano in his mothers back room, figured it out and then we did an impromptu performance. That is a great memory for me. I only wished that Dave could have been there to join in on guitar.
While he was here, we went to karaoke together and had a great time of singing show tunes, and acting crazy. I will always remember this time with him.
Stephanie,
That is so touching that he learned The Rose so he could play it for you to sing and perform for his Mother together. Awwww. I’m really glad you both were able to do that for her. I’m sure that meant so much to her.
Karaoke, show tunes and acting crazy – I’m sure Tommy loved that you were wiling to be fun and free with him! As outgoing as Tommy was, even Tommy couldn’t always convince everyone to join him in letting their hair down and have fun. But, he always loved when someone was really willing to put themselves out there and be carefree with him.
Mary,
I regret that I only had the one opportunity to “by crazy” with Tommy. The little time we had together was a blast!
I will always associate the song “Eternal Flame” (The Bangles) with Tommy. When we were in 9th grade at Clark High School, we were learning CPR in Health class. Tommy’s class was gathered near the gym, practicing CPR on the dummies. I was walking by when I heard my name. It was Tommy. When I looked over, he started doing chest compressions on the dummy and singing the line “Can you feel my heart beating?” Still makes me laugh to this day.
Courtney,
Your story made me laugh! That is soooo Tommy! 🙂
I can totally picture that!
Coincidentally, Tommy & I used to sing that song together in the 9th grade, and I can still hear his voice singing the harmony.
He used to play the keyboard part to the song. But, I never got to hear him do the CPR version! 😉
I couldn’t come back to this site for a while because the waves of grief became too much, but I really do love the idea of a place to go online where we can still feel connected to him in some way. And, I do believe that he would love that the people he knew and loved feel connected with each other because of him too.
Your story really warmed my heart and made me laugh.
I look forward to hearing more stories!
Stephanie, I know it would mean so much to him that even though you only had one opportunity to be crazy with him, you remember it fondly! Means a lot to me too!