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MOST RECENT POSTINGS
Remembering Bobby Short
Bobby Short was scheduled to receive the Illinois
Arts Legend Award in Chicago on April 15, 2005 and, the following day, was to be honored with a
tribute
in his hometown of Danville, Illinois. Sadly, he died of leukemia
at age 80 on March 21, 2005, just weeks before he could attend these events.
It was my pleasure to meet Bobby Short on two
occasions: during his 2001 visit to
Danville, when he was recognized for his
work with the Danville Community Public School Foundation; and in June
2003 at the Ravinia Festival outside Chicago, when I finally saw him
perform. He was gracious and kind each time, and his memory was excellent: on our second meeting he remembered everything my wife and I had
told him about ourselves two years earlier.
Record producer Nesuhi
Ertegun once noted: "If the Library of Congress is
interested in American culture, Bobby Short should be asked to
record his entire repertoire; this would constitute a
unique document and would be listened to for centuries to
come." Indeed, Bobby's career spanned almost 70 years and his catalog consisted
of hundreds of songs. Fortunately he left us with a large body of recorded
music that will be enjoyed and appreciated for many years. And in
Danville, Bobby Short will be remembered just as much for his philanthropic work
and hometown pride.
Mike Boedicker
Webmaster & Fan
News Articles on the Death of Bobby Short
NOTE: Many
of the links below are to New York Times articles. The Times website
requires registration, which is free, but also charges fees for certain archived
articles.
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