Too much of this going on of late; losing those people who, in one way or another, touched lives. Eric Lowen, half the well-loved duo of Lowen & Navarro passed away yesterday, ending a long struggle with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease).
I didn't know Eric very well, only in passing. Dan has been one of my dearest friends, going back long before his career took off, back as a struggling Music Major at UCLA. I always knew Dan had an abundance of talent - there are those people you run into in your life that don't have to say or do anything and you know they're destined for great things. Dan was (and still is) one of those people.
Dan and Eric were the perfect combination - a great team who brought out the best in each other as writers and performers. And after the dozen or so albums and countless live appearances together, along with a catalog of songs they've written that have been performed by a virtual who's who in music, they're still reaching out to new fans and new people discovering their work. And that's the happy part of the story. The sad part is that it won't be as a team. And even though everyone knew it was coming there is still a sadness that words don't do justice. And all that's left is the music and keeping the light alive.
Tonight as a tribute, it's a track off their 2004 album All The Time In The World and one of my favorite songs Raining In My Eyes.
You are probably more familiar with their work than you imagine. But in the event you haven't discovered them before, I would urge you to check out the Lowen & Navarro site that Dan is taking very good care of. All their albums are available and a lot of new stuff, including some of their live concerts.
Rest in Peace Eric - you've given many people joy and your legacy is in good hands.