Russell Bassman

Remember the 1995 American tour?  Remember the 1996 European tour?  Russ Bassman was Epic’s drummer for the former, and bass player for the latter.  He was a tremendously talented, wonderful, loving man, and he loved Epic dearly, and they were close, and I know Russ was devastated when Epic died.

Russell was my husband.  He died friday morning July 4 2008 at home of a very sudden and unexpected heart attack.  I’m still in shock, and not really comprehending or believing right now.  But I want to think he is with Epic right now.  I really want that more than anything.  (Maybe they are even hanging out with Carl Wilson, wouldn’t that just be great?)

I am completely … I don’t even have words for this, it’s as unfair and untimely and so damn cruel as Epic’s sudden death was.  How? Why? People keep asking me.  I don’t know the answer, except that we had no previous indication that Russell had any heart problems, and it was so very sudden, so fast, that he never knew what happened.  He was gone so fast he did not suffer, and I thank god I was there to call 911 immediately, even though it did no good in the end.

I know a lot of you who read this website knew Russell, or knew of him, and cared about him.  Please feel free to email me at any time at christy.bassman@gmail.com.  Russell was my true love, and my best friend, and my soul mate, and the one who understood everything.  And I know that for a lot of you, he was a true and wonderful friend, a special guy who rarely let anybody close.  If you were close, you were close for a reason.  You were special.  Please know that, and as much as I am grieving right now, I give you all my condolences too, from the bottom of my heart.  I met Russell through this website many, many, many years back.  He and I both thought it as important to keep it going, even though there is little to report these days other than:  Epic’s music will always be relevant, and important, and beautiful, and is constantly playing in our minds and hearts!  He loved Epic, and I pray that now they can see each other again, I want that more than anything.

I apologize for rambling, my thoughts are very stream-of-conscious right now, and not organized.  But I send my love out to all of you, and please put your arms around a loved one today and look them in the eye and tell them what they mean to you.  Russell Bassman was 43 years old.  I wanted a lifetime with him, and this is so sadly too soon and too much to process.  As Epic would introduce him onstage, “He’s the bass-man.”  But he was also so much more than that, on guitar, on pedal steel, on piano, and such a talented and thoughtful and feeling composer.  And that’s something that all of Epic’s fans can appreciate, I think.

love to you all … be good.