When I was 12, I heard rock being played on the other side of the spring branch in Timonium. I walked over to find Robbie Belanger and his friends rehearsing in a garage. It was my first real up close rock experience. He invited me to come over whenever they rehearsed. It was the first time I saw artists of my contemporary create and perform. Burst of Silence was their band. When I reached High School, I would get them hired to play most of... our as well as our sister schools' dances. My favorite creation of theirs was a rendition of Earth Angel as a reggae song. In time Robbie went from big brother to friend. When I went to Easter Mass at the time of my father's passing, I heard a familiar voice coming from the choir. It was Robbie. We hugged and talked about his own struggle with his father's as well as his own cancer. I was fortunate to see Rob again at Easter this year. We talked about being a Catholic and an Artist living in Baltimore. Today we lost Robbie Belanger after a long struggle with prostate cancer. I will miss him dearly. He was always a port in the storm.

- Bernd Linhart

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