RIP, our Ledgie friend Bruce (rbs3676)

[Livia]

Though he hasn't posted here much lately, he has been "the constant in my life" for 28 years. He is the one responsible for me being a mega fan of FM and Stevie. When we first met, he gave me many Stevie mix tapes, interviews and bootlegs. I still have all of them.

Apparently, Bruce passed peacefully in his sleep. I was given the news Tuesday morning (after having several voicemails and text messages left for me between 2 AM and 8:30 AM yesterday).

I know many of you were fortunate to have met Bruce in person, so you know what a sweet and funny person he was, an absolute joy to be around.

I am beyond devastated...

[GODDESS6]

that's so sad, i'm sorry for your loss~

godspeed bruce
RIP:angel:

[MacMan]

Sorry for your loss Livia...

[MissLadyLoki]

I'm so sorry about your loss Livia :angel:

[holidayroad]

I'm so sorry to hear this. My blessings go out to his family.

[GypsySorcerer]

I'm sorry to hear of Bruce's passing. My sympathies to his family, and to you, Livia. I didn't know him well, but I remember his posting years ago.

RIP

[Silver Springs]

I'm sorry about Bruce. I never spoke to him personally but he seemed really nice and genuine.

[estranged4life]

Livia, my friend.

At this time of year I even hate reading about how a friend of a friend has passed. :(

[BTFLCHLD]

RIP Bruce
goodtimes we had here.....
I'm so sorry how this happened.

(((((Livia)))))

[gretchen]

Just a tragedy. :distress:
I am so sorry for your loss.

[gldstwmn]

Oh my...this is quite a shock. Although I only met him once he was the kind of person who made an impression on you. And I enjoyed talking with him here on the boards.
I am so sorry for your (and our) loss.

[Livia]

Thanks, everyone.

I haven't listened to any music at all yesterday or today...but Stevie's lyrics keep running through my mind. I'm going to miss him terribly. Who else am I going to have silly e-mails with, interspersed with Stevie, FM and every other artists' lyrics that only he and I could understand? I feel like I'm missing a limb or something, he was such an important part of my daily life.

I've cried a flood of tears... I'm still crying now...

[jannieC]

Oh Livia, how awful. I'm so sorry to hear this. You will be in my thoughts and prayers. Love and strength to you.

[Torri]

{{{Livia}}}

[Meowi]

Very sorry to hear the news Livia,

[daniellaaarisen]

It sounds like The Ledge lost a very special person.

[msLinds]

I am very sorry Livia to hear about your friend Bruce, Our fellow Ledgie Fleetwood Mac fan passing away.My condolences and prayers I am sending out to for Bruce and you and his family etc.RIP Bruce

[michelle2677]

:(


what a loss to our community and his family/friends. i'll be thinking of you, livia, and his family as well.

i mean, not to be nosey (i'm sure they're on top of it) but he was pretty young, no? how did he just "pass away in his sleep"?

[WelshWitchPMD]

Oh Livia I am so sorry. Big hugs to you. May he rest in peace.

[LukeA]

I am very sorry, Livia. My condolences.

[Betsy]

Oh Livia, I am so sorry to hear about Bruce's passing. You have been such a kind person to me, that any friend of yours, must have been special. I know that you are going to miss him terribly.

[Livia]

Thanks, everyone. Here's the obituary link:

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sanantonio/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=146132145

[Lee]

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear this. I don't really remember him, but I'm really sorry to hear about his passing. My condolences to the family & friends...

Lee :(

[Nikolaj]

I am wondering if close friends of rbs, or moderators would think this is a good idea or not: I'd be very interested to see a new thread of selected writings of rbs collected in one place here for us to remember him through his words in the wake of his passing. I think it might have appealed to him to know there were archived words of his others could enjoy at this sad time. To those who never knew him, they may understand who he was during his too-short time with us. It's also nice to remember people by what they enjoyed, and I think he enjoyed writing in these forums and in others.
I am a little unsure, but I seem to remember pleasant back and forth with him on the old AOL music message boards in the late 1990s. If I'm correct that's where I first remember him from, there likely is no archive of those old AOL boards, but I seem to recall we had some similar musical influences, specifically Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac, but some other performers, as well.
I will do a search on The Ledge, because I'm sure there must be some messages here from him.
It would be a nice memorial; I think, to remember someone as they were in life, all gathered in one thread, after they're gone, to help soothe the horrible loss Livia is feeling.
We have the ability to still 'hear' him exactly in his own words, as he wanted to say it at the time.
My condolences to Livia and to his friends and family. RIP, rbs. (Kolya)

[DavidMn]

Livia, sorry I am getting to this thread late, but I am truly sorry for your loss.:distress: I never had the pleasure of meeting Bruce, but I know of him from here, and like I said in the other thread, we are all friends and family in this fan community.:angel:

[sparky]

There aren't that many people around on this forum who were posting in the glory days when Bruce was a prominent and frequent fixture. I don't post anymore myself, but feel it important to express my sadness at the loss of such a great guy. Anyone who did not know him missed a great experience.

Bruce was thoughtful, funny, intelligent and kind. His sense of humor was contagious and his taste in music was world class. He always had something to add to any exchange and he had an innate sense of how to make people feel important and valued. That is one of the many reasons he was a great friend. Because he had been a Stevie fan from the very beginning, it was impossible to toss an arcane and ridiculous Stevie quote at him and not have it understood. He heard all the Innerviews back in the the day, and sat rapt and hypnotized like we all did by our radios at midnight, hanging on her every word. But since he was such a long time fan, he also realized how silly she could be and would always get the joke. You could make a crack about drownding in the sea or needing to tell Jim Ladd to cut the tape so you could cut out another rail while on the phone with him and he would just howl with laughter. There aren't many people in the world who share those kinds of things.

Beyond simply understanding the long time Stevie knowledge, Bruce was sensitive and understanding about much deeper things and a conversation with him could run the gamut. I spent quite a few late nights on the phone with him rambling on and on about concert experiences, bad dates, the silliness of the ledge, and whatever else was going on in life at the time. It doesn't matter that I was never lucky enough to meet him in person. We had a great connection and I felt like I knew him for much longer than I did.

Many of us luck out with making great friendships that started out just because of a mutual interest in Stevie. You run across a lot of crazy, but you can also discover some people that you feel like you have known forever. Bruce was one of those people for me. I can hardly believe he is gone. For so many reasons. Like anyone you care about and lose, there seems so much left unsaid. So many things left undone. I had always planned on making a trip to San Antonio, seeing a show together, or getting him to come to LA for a weekend Stevie fest. It rattles my sense of reality to know that these things will never happen.

Anyone who knew Bruce was very lucky. He brought a lot to this world.
It is a darker place without him.

[darklinensuit]

Very sorry to hear this.

- Jake

[DrummerDeanna]

Very sorry to hear this.

- Jake

As am I. How very sad. Livia - I am very sorry for your loss.

[skcin]

I'm sorry to hear this, Livia. Very sorry for you & Bruce's family & friends.

[Gypsy-Rhiannon]

Gosh...I've only just seen this! So sorry to hear of Bruce's passing...RIP

[cliffdweller]

Livia, I'm so sorry. I remember meeting Bruce years ago at a show, can't remember if it was Stevie or the Mac. So, so sorry for your loss. I hope you're doing okay.

[Sahara]

This is really sad news. Livia, yourself and Bruce's friends and family are in my prayers. :xoxo: