Comments on: Come Raise a Glass to the Great Kate McGarrigle – if you happen to be in NYC.

By: Barrie

Barrie — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 10:38:05 +0000

I felt instantly sad when I read this news in the latest Brick literary magazine.
I felt like crying, I don’t know why I felt so strongly about Kate’s dying, perhaps it was remembering her strong presence in our house years ago when we listened to her and Anna’s songs, I’m so sorry that she’s gone.

To her family and friends – be close to each other, hold her close.

I still can’t believe it.

Best wishes from Australia

By: Sympathy

Sympathy — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 14:20:49 +0000

This is a little late but I thought that should share my condolences. Their music was great and they will remembered for it forever.

By: Joe Kerchen

Joe Kerchen — Wed, 12 May 2010 15:43:18 +0000

Corrected Version

This started for me last year when my wife bought a copy of Leonard Cohen’s “I’m Your Man”
video. She thought I would like it and wanted me to watch it with her, but Leonard’s songs have always had a very special and maybe privately magical place in my heart, and I refused to listen to anyone else singing them (except of course Judy Collins’ “Suzanne” ).

We had some friends over later who, along with me, reluctantly agreed to watch the video.
Not particularly impressed until I saw Rufus singing “Everybody Knows, and Chelsea Hotel”.
Who is that kid!!! he is amazing! I’m going on and on etc. So then on comes Martha to sing her “not-of- this-world” version of “Traitor” bringing tears to my eyes watching her become the song itself – I don’t think I ever have seen anything like it before (I did fall in love with her immediately – but don’t worry – my wife knows!)I had no idea who Martha was until my wife said “oh she is Rufas’s sister – what!!!

And finally there is Kate and Anna McGarrigle and I think maybe Martha too, singing “Winter Lady” while my wife Lisa is reading credits on the video telling me the McGarrigle’s are mother and aunt to Martha and Rufas! How can that be?

By this time I am wondering where I have been for the last 40 years (born in 1944 )that I am
so musically naive or mostly ignorant, not to be aware of the magic of this family.

The next few days I download Martha’s “Bloody F***A**” and “I Know You’re Married” albums and was able to listen to her music so private and poetic – I am touched with the bare honesty of her singing every time I listen . She is alive.

Then it was only a matter of time that I found out that Loudon Wainwright was Rufas and Martha’s father. I knew of him, but not much about him, by the late sixties, as I was buried in the vast sea of musical feelings that prevailed in those days.

Finally I discovered “The McGarrigle Hour” on Itunes, and presently it is my most listened to music. Then like many others – I heard of Kate’s passing just as I was finding out how very much I did like her.

I only wish more of us could have been so lucky to have belonged to such a family as yours. The love does show.
thanks,
Joe

By: Joe Kerchen

Joe Kerchen — Wed, 12 May 2010 15:27:59 +0000

By this time I am wondering where I have been for the last 40 years (born in 1944 )that I am
so musically naive or mostly ignorant, not to be aware of the magic of this family.

I only wish more of us could have been so lucky to have belonged to such a family as yours. The love does show.
thanks,
Joe

By: Amy

Amy — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 02:12:11 +0000

I only found out last night that Kate has passed away. I have many fond memories of tour with Kate and Anna in Europe back in the 70s. They were part of my self education as a tour manager. I looked at the U tube Old Grey Whistle site to remind me of the lovely music they made. Thanks Kate.

By: Peter Morrison

Peter Morrison — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 17:04:16 +0000

This is a very late tribute and I apologies. Those unique voices of Kate and Anna are never far from my ears. I saw them in concert in London 1976ish. \Talk To Me Of Mendicino\ never fails make tears.I know all my friends who heard Kate and Anna were touched by their magic and recently watching video’s of The Transatlantic Sessions shows they are so well respected buy the Celtic fraternity. Thanks for those wonderful songs Kate.

By: Laurie Small

Laurie Small — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:33:12 +0000

By: Peter Sharp

Peter Sharp — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:11:31 +0000

My sincere condolences to Anna, Jane, Rufus, Martha and the whole family on the loss of Kate. A fan since the 70′s I only got to experience a short Kate and Anna live performance in Glasgow a few years ago when Rufus was appearing (Martha too). A magical and memorable night. I couldn’t hold back the tears when Sara Watkins, Mollie O’Brien, Cara Dillon, Eddi Reader and Karen Matheson sang a beautiful tribute to Kate (Talk to me of Mendocino) at the Transatlantic Sessions on the last night of Glasgow’s Celtic Connections festival last week.

Thanks for the beautiful music Kate, and for giving us Rufus and Martha.

Peter

By: George Rothenberger

George Rothenberger — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:54:25 +0000

Jane and Anna and the rest of the family,
so sorry for you loss. I’ve seen you a couple of times, at Winnipeg Folk Festival when Rufus and Martha were small, and more recently at Cedar Cultural Center here in Minneapolis, MN which was a more intimate venue and a lovely time. I’ve loved your work for decades, ever since the 1975 debut, and am heartbroken at Kate’s passing. Oh how I wish I could join you in New York. I am a musician and songwriter myself and Kate’s (and your) body of work means a lot to me, it is woven into my musical fabric and soul. Maybe that’s why Kate’s loss means so much to me. My wife said the other day, ‘It’s not like you knew her’ to which I had to offer in a fit of black humor ‘she never writes, she never calls.’ A fan of any artist will feel they know the aritist, but to me it’s more than that. She shaped us, spoke to us, we were part of that folk scare together and I still play that material. I play at a picnic/rally every year and ocassionally with another multi-instrumentalist who like me remembers the old union songs, and folk songs and what have-you, and I know it’s part of the milieu you came from too. Funny, I had just emailed that friend to enquire about doing a tribute get-together for Kate here in Minneapolis. I feel a need to reach out and share the joy and sorrow and express my appreciation and sadness as I do here. Because she did write and she did call.
Thank you Anna and thank you, Jane.
Rest in Peace dear Kate.
George Rothenberger – Mn

By: Denise Goudreau

Denise Goudreau — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 05:22:24 +0000

My deepest condolences to Anna,Jane,Rufus,Martha and your families on the loss of your dear Kate. As a fan, I was moved and humbled to be able to attend the service for Kate at Montreal’s Notre Dame Basilica yesterday, Feb. 1. It was truly a beautiful tribute to her. Your words and music echoed with haunting resonnance in the halls of that most beautiful basilica and was an experience
I will cherish in my heart.

I look forward to more of the music her legacy has inspired.
Rest in Peace, dear Kate.

Sincerely,
Denise ( Montreal fan )