Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan has posted a tribute to The Cars icon Ric Ocasek, who died on Sunday. Ocasek’s emotional final family photos have surfaced.
“Devastated to hear of the passing on this man, Ric Ocasek. It has brightened my spirit to see how many have posted about Ric, praising his originality, flair, and brilliance. I was blessed to have known him, through friendship and work (his solo album Troubilizing was one I produced).
It’s hard to share the measure of a man in so few words, because, despite his greatness, Ric was open and down to earth in a way that surprised me. And in that allowed our private conversations to flow and float over 100’s of topics (I was mostly interested in what he loved): the Cars, of course, his children and marriage to an eastern siren whom the world (he was aware) didn’t think he deserved (he did, and she him), his guitars, Andy Warhol the person and not the myth, Boston (the city), new wave, deco art, NYC living, producing Weezer, being an A + R man, why he got out of the rat race of making hit records, Mutt Lange, grunge, and on and on and on. He’s opine easy and I’d listen (for a change).”
Corgan recently revealed that he is ready to tour with Alice In Chains. He added in his tribute post, “Such pleasurable times I didn’t fully appreciate until decades later. Lastly, two things: Ric did me a great honor when he recorded a song I’d written just for him, questioning none of it except it’s quirky title (I’d gone quirky as a wry tribute). And a small memory I’ll share: we were in Ric’s basement, where he had a small, ad hoc studio for writing. And I was asking him a 1000th question on The Cars; in this case, the sound of the keyboard solos. He pointed at a relic. ‘Well, that’s it’ he said. ‘THE keyboard’, said I? It was, and ironically at that moment Greg Hawkes stopped by and he demonstrated all those great sounds! But then I went for broke.
I wanted Ric to show me how to play ‘Best Friend’s Girlfriend’. He picked up a guitar, played it perfectly (he was an ace guitarist) and handed it over. The sound, I noted, was exact. It was the pink Fender pictured above, and I dutifully played the opening riff as he’d showed. So what was the guitar, I asked? Ric pointed at the flamingo in my hands. My jaw dropped. It was THE guitar! Love you Ric! Gonna miss you forever.” Corgan reacted to big new Soundgarden album news a few weeks ago.
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