Nick was my personal friend and musical mentor while I was a member of The Kingston Trio. When I first joined the group I had only superficially learned the vocal parts and I was playing 6-string guitar. Over the years I began to carefully study the group's early recordings and I honed in on Nick's vocals and guitar playing. As I learned to emulate Nick's style I switched over to tenor guitar (standard guitar tuning capoed up the neck) and cultivated Nick's flailing-right-hand-with-a-felt-pick style of playing. I could never sing like Nick, but I did my best to imitate his parts. Ah, Nick - we're gonna miss ya, buddy.
"Well, I'm a-going away. I'm a-goin' to stay, never coming home.
You're gonna miss me ,honey, in the days to come
When the winter winds begin to blow, the ground is covered up
And when you think of the way, you're gonna wish me back, your lovin' man,
You're gonna miss me, honey, in the day they say's to come."
- Chorus from "You're Gonna Miss Me" - the opening cut on The Kingston Trio's 1961 LP release, "Goin' Places."
Here's the official announcement posted at the Kingston Trio website:
We have lost one of the finest singers and entertainers the world has ever known. Nick Reynolds passed away Wednesday, Oct. 1st at 10:05 p.m. A dear friend, a wonderful man, father, husband...there will never be another like Nick.
Nick had been in the hospital in the ICU for several weeks, and tonight the family made the decison to take him off life support.
Bob Shane says that from the day he met Nick in college in 1954, they were brothers, and Nick will be with him for the rest of his life.
Our heartfelt feelings go out to all of Nick's family and many friends and fans.
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