"When The Lights Went Out In New York City” - Buddy Cage - 2020
He was gifted, a few prominent musicians played as well but none would ever play better than Buddy Cage. During the infamous Train Tour of Canada in 1970, Buddy was involved with Ian & Sylvia and was completely flawless while performing. Jerry Garcia was playing with The Grateful Dead but on occasion with New Riders of the Purple Sage with his friend from the embryonic days in San Francisco folklore.
Jerry was soon to be on tour with The Grateful Dead and was mesmerized by Buddy’s ability so it was his train of thought that would eventually see Buddy take Jerry's place in New Riders. The alchemy with David Nelson, Dave Tolbert and Spencer Dryden would see the band transcend into a veritable "Rock n Roll” machine with a plethora of melodic arrangements and subsequent tunes. New Riders were catalyst for the “rock-country genre although frequently unappreciated by the masses.
All of that is now somewhat passe’ while Buddy crosses his chosen River Styx. Years ago he called and ask if I would write a eulogy for his resent loss of Skip Battin who I vaguely knew from his brief tenure with the Byrds. Buddy was always thinking of others, a trait not exactly running rampant in a genre now saturated with greed and internal complications with integrity and trust.
Buddy was a charm, quiet but not inhibited, a prototype “hippie” who circumvented the garish demeanors of his peers. The scarcity of these admirable souls is sweeping the genre in the last few years and inclusive of Sam Andrew, Paul Kantner, Marty Balin, Robert Hunter amidst others and now the untimely demise of another “Royalty of Rock”.
There is a paucity that defines these musical warriors and we seem to be on the brink of extinction of those similar to Monsieur Buddy Cage. His stage charisma was “colored” with passion for music, a majestic contributor to the music that defined an entire generation and his astute demeanor to avoid a blemish of those storied days that could demean what we stood for in reference to music that could be the cure for universal peace.
When in the midst of any crowd, his dexterity on a pedal steel was visually intoxicating, one of our chosen Gods that could always make the heart smile. The idolatry of your gift remains, a reverence for “Music that mattered” for those of us who were lucky enough to know you. We now seem laden with regret for not seeing you again before you left this realm. I can only speak for myself, i will wear my NRPS shirt for as long as I can walk this planet, retain the memories of a Golden Soul” and asure you that i will not allow you to be forgotten....
Rage on "Crazy Diamond”, Sam, PK, Marty and Robert await your arrival.
Much love from horse country, will see you down the road....say hello to Tipsy for me & my Mom & Dad.........As the axiom of yesteryear comes from the recesses of this menial mind, “You were a keeper ”.........
