Lonnie Lavern Brown

Lonnie Brown

Lonnie passed away "unexpectedly" on the first of the month, at age 58 - at this juncture, I dont know much more than this about his death, but I know a great deal about his life, because he was one of my oldest and closest friends, the Best Man for my first marriage, and the Godfather of my younger daughter. Many of my most pleasant teenage memories are of "cruising" in Lons redorangewhatever Cougar (a $250 car with an $800 tape player!), listening to wonderful, raunchy, authentic ROCK & ROLL like Slade, Mott the Hoople, the Stones - you get the picture - which Lon adored all of his life. The first time I got drunk, at age 12 or so, my first thought was to head downtown to Delmos Pizza Palace, because I knew Lonnied be there - I desperately wanted to let him know that Id "graduated," so to speak, because (a) it was, after all, The Sixties, and (b) Lon had beautiful Brown hair (sorry!) halfway down to his heinie, and thus I thought he was perhaps the coolest person in the explored universe. ...and frankly, I dont know that Ive ever changed that particular opinion. Because of the generation into which we were born, plus a healthy dose of genetic predisposition, Lon and I both ended up in the same place. Ive been in recovery (okay, "more or less") since 1980, but Ill be the first to say that Lons struggle with sobriety was a lot more difficult and complicated than mine, and it cost him a LOT more. And I mean a LOT. Hence, even though I dont yet know all of the details of HOW Lon died, Im pretty sure I know WHY, and will write more here as this information reaches me. For now, all I can say is that I loved Lonnie Lavern Brown, loved him as the older brother I never had, loved him as a soul mate, as a fellow dyed-in-the-wool rocker, and as a deeply close friend. Im so sorry I couldnt help, Lon, more sorry than anyone will ever imagine. I did try, but that doesnt matter a helluvalot now, does it? I do know youre finally! at peace now, and knowing that gives me comfort. Im not suicidal or anything (you know me better than that!), but I honestly look forward to the time when Ill see you again. I have a vision that comes quite easily, of you and me (with hair down to our butts, of course!), lounging around in Adirondack chairs, drinking Manny Schotzenbeerz (you remember Manny, dontcha?) with your Dad, Lavern, who is sporting a crisp, fresh Crew-Cut, of course, grinning and giving us both a hard time about our hair and "that goddam noise" we listen to. Im sure you and your Dad have already started, Lon, but dont worry, Im sure Ill be along soon enough. Until then, though, Ill miss you, my old friend, my running mate, my brother... and Ive got "Mott the Hoople LIVE!" playing for you right now: "Well, I bought an e-lectric guitar Just to show them But now Im a rock n roll star I dont want to know them! Boyz, Im one of the boyz We dont know much, but we make a great noize And you know it...!" Love, Scott