Rob was your trusting friend, as if your presence brought a smile to him. I remember high school summer days pulling into a packed driveway at his home to meet friends and watch band practice. It was a great place to catch up on the news of the day. Burst of Silence was our high school band we supported because they were our friends. The band had a few different members during the years but it was Rob that kept the heart of the band at its’ center. He was an artist and person that enjoyed tradition and values. He wrote and covered songs about love, hope, and peace. He cared about you and your thoughts. One afternoon before the band showed up Rob and I were chatting about U2, music, soccer, and friendship. Without asking, he simply reached for his black and white Stratocaster and played a few unplugged minutes of a new song he was writing. It felt like he wrote the song for me, and was simply asking the children of the 80’s to slow down a little, get to know your neighbor, because maybe you’ll find a new friend to share this moment with. In a year that took many of our musical hero’s into the recording studio in the sky, Rob was our Bowie, Prince, Frey, Michael, and more. Just as he placed others before himself on this earth, he’s writing songs for all of us to play when we show up for band practice.
