Al Morris III (Iron Man)

[Erik Blutaxt]

W.T.F.!!!??!!

It is with profound and immeasurable sadness that we let you know that Alfred Morris III passed away this morning. There are no other words at this time.

Scheiße...



[youtube][/youtube]

[Erik Blutaxt]

A legend was lost today. A father. A friend. A consummate professional, a true gentleman and gentle soul.

When Al expressed an interest in my joining Iron Man, I was hopeful, but didn’t let myself get too excited. “Snowball’s chance in hell” was what was soaring through my mind, and when I went to the audition, I just decided to have fun and relished the fact that I was getting to jam with Al Morris for an evening. After a set of Iron Man songs, as well as an impromptu jam of JP’s “Victim of Changes,” I was offered the gig. It was the beginning of something very, very cool.

There are many, many stories I could share about Al, but this one comes to mind: In May of 2013 we did a one-off road show; just a couple of hours out, but we did crash there for the night. Al was on fire that night, it was a show that goes down as one of my favorites we ever played. After the show, he gathered us around and told us that his wife had died that morning. We were stunned, and I asked him “why the hell are we here?” He said that she would’ve wanted him to play, and that in doing the show, he was honoring her memory. That was strength beyond strength, and if there is any consolation to be pulled from the tears today, it’s the knowledge that Alfred and Audrey Morris are now reunited.

Al was a fiercely private man. There was never any kind of "official" announcement regarding his wife's passing. He had been very ill for some time, and was not comfortable with the news of his illness being shared. In honor of his memory, I will not go into any further details. I will say this: every time I visited Al, our talks always made their way around to the future of Iron Man. New songs, new album, you name it. While I could see the writing on the wall, and suspect that he did as well, Al’s love of music, this band, and the fans never wavered. NEVER. Now, with that writing on the wall etched in stone, in my mind’s eye I see Al and Audrey walking off, arm in arm, with their free hands waving to their daughter Alana; but I also see Al slipping a look over his shoulder to give a wink to all of the rest of us, whose lives he touched so deeply.

Without Al, none of the creative endeavors I’m currently taking part in would have been possible. He put me on a larger stage, made me recognizable, and supported and encouraged the things I did outside of Iron Man. I can say without hesitation or shame that my solo career would never have grown the legs it has if Al hadn’t tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to sing for his band. For that, I am eternally grateful.

As a musician, I was blessed to have Al as a bandmate. It was pure joy for the fan in me to stand on that stage and hear that monstrous tone roaring over my left shoulder. As a person, I was even more blessed to have Al as a friend. I will cherish the time we spent discussing life as much as I will cherish the great music we made together.

Al, rest easy my dear friend. I love, miss, and thank you so damn much.

[Erik Blutaxt]

grad recherchiert bekommen, wann ich den herrn das letzte mal vor die linse bekommen hab. hammer of doom 4...