Jump to content
Hamer Fan Club Message Center

Bloozguy


hikarateboy

Recommended Posts

I had the pleasure of traveling with Ray to a few concerts and HFC events when I lived in Minneapolis.  He was always enthusiastic about a current interest, be it a guitar, performance or work.  Ray taught me everything I know about 3D copying technology on a drive to the Zoo to see Los Lobos.

This is very sad news, we hadn't spoken in a while, but I feel lucky to have known Ray.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just seeing this.  Ray was a fantastic person, always loved chatting with him.  My heart goes out to Sue & his family.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow, I totally missed this. Very tragic and very sad. I bought an amp from Ray and we spoke on the phone several times regarding it. Ray was very nice, outgoing and very friendly. Again, wow. One of my favorite novels contains this phrase: "Rats get fat and good men die".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 weeks later...
  • 6 months later...

And here's the first photos I have of Ray in action at the 4-3-2-1 Club (drinking isn't really action, is it?), taken on November 10, 2007. My memory is foggy, but I must have sold him the orange Newport in June, 2007, I'm thinking. He showed up to the first party, and most of the parties thereafter, until he couldn't any more. I miss Ray, and more broadly, I'm now missing ALL my HFC friends. We most certainly have missed an HFC Jam this spring, and who knows when the next one will be?

 

20071110-BillRayShredm.jpg

20071110-RayShredm.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 10 months later...

I reached out to Ray's daughter earlier this morning, hoping to talk to Ray's wife, Sue. I tried to contact Sue soon after Ray's passing, but she never returned my calls.  Here is the response I received:

Hi Bruce! I miss him everyday, it’s so nice to have a few of his connections on Facebook so I can think of him when I see your names. Unfortunately Sue passed away last May.. she was really struggling without my dad.

Rest in peace, Sue. You were a dear, sweet woman and a wonderful complement to Ray.

Here's a pic I took of her on one of her first visits to the 4-3-2-1 Club.  This was March 1, 2008, so there was a chill in the basement.  I had loaned Sue my smoking jacket from the HerBavor collection, and she wore it well!  She was always a little self-conscious as one of the few women in attendance, but she warmed up to the guys and was very much a regular at the 4-3-2-1.  I miss Ray and Sue both. She was a dear friend.


 

20080301-Sue.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is heartbreaking, but thank you for sharing. I still think of Ray, he was the only person that would just cold call me out of the blue from time to time. We would talk guitars, manufacturing, music. 

Oh, and lets not forget daughters. LOL Once I had my first he would say, "Just wait" and follow it with a chuckle. He was right. LOL 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, BruceM said:

This was March 1, 2008, so there was a chill in the basement. 

Yeah, no shit.
Late February, 2018 "in the basement."

image.png

 

By the way, if this isn't the perfect expression of every woman at her SO's guitar get-together...

image.png "Is this just about over?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, kizanski said:

Yeah, no shit.
Late February, 2018 "in the basement."

Technically, you're "above the basement" in this photo, but yeah.  As Poe would say:  ROTFLMFAO

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, BruceM said:

Technically, you're "above the basement" in this photo, but yeah.  As Poe would say:  ROTFLMFAO

Both points correct. That's not the basement (oops) and @edgar_allan_poe is an idiot (I'm just quoting his wife).

Here we go.  Same day, actually in the basement this time. Same late winter chill.

image.png

BTW: Speaking of "chill"...  @hikarateboy rockin' the cardigan in this pic. I could never pull off that look.
He looks warm and chill at the same time. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
  • 5 months later...

Today is Ray's birthday.  I didn't normally celebrate birthdays with him, but I was reminded today by FB.  It's been almost 2 years since the last official 4-3-2-1 Club HFC gathering. It's almost time, don't you think?  Frozen Jam 2022, perhaps.

This is pic is from 2013, of Ray, myself and Ted.  Sure would be good to see Ray again.  I wish.

2013-RayBruceTed at the 4321.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/12/2021 at 7:00 PM, BruceM said:

Just because.

20100521-RayMiller.jpg

right-clicked and saved... now the story

Ray called me one day and asked me if I was anywhere near Providence, RI and if I could make a run for him.  He had paid for the guitar, and I checked it out on his behalf and brought it home when he determined he was cool with it.  I took the guitar out to the factory and apparently Jol was blasting it and terrorizing everyone (there was a photo of Jol with it).  I eventually boxed it up and shipped it him, but asked him if he ever wanted to sell I was interested because "that bridge pickup sounded like bacon frying" to me.  Some years later he called me and gave me a chance, and it still resides here and I can't pick it up without thinking how good a guy he was.  There are a more than a few good folks I've met through this board, and he was certainly one of them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Took Ray on A tour of Dean when he was in Tampa Bay area. Ended up dropping a huge chunk of money on the V/SG looking block of Korina. Ray was no help in stopping me when we walked in the custom shop with no parts on it. 😵💫 Ray also talked me in to doing a body swap on a pair of T-51s. I wanted a Natural finish with a black guard and maple neck. I had the neck and guard. Ray had the body. He wanted a Creamy White body with a Rosewood neck and Tortoise guard. He had the neck and the guard. I had the body. 😈We miss ya Ray. FA1D78C7-7228-4E60-9E2E-B6689299ECE1.webp4B3F60CE-FABC-4113-B901-FC8A4CA23A3A.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...