Tuba Man

In case you haven't heard, Seattle lost its beloved Tuba man (just google "tuba man" in google news) who played in front of sports and arts venues for decades. Here's a song for him:

A long long time ago
I can still remember
How that guy used to make us laugh
I can't remember if I cried
When I read about his cruel attack

But something touched me deep inside
The day the Tuba Man died.....

** change of key, with harmonica and tuba ***

Its one o' clock on a sunday
The seahawks crowd shuffles in
There's an young man standing next to me
And he's brought his wife and his kids.

He says, son, can you play a tune for me?
But he's not not really sure how it goes
So he puffs My Sharona and everyone is in stiches
as he wears Seahawks on his hat and his clothes

La la la, de de daLa la, de de da da da

Chorus:
Play us a song,
you're the Tuba Man
Play us a song tonight!
Well we're all in the mood for your melodies
and you're the greatest fan in our sight

Now Ed McMichael was a friend of mine
They'd invite him and get his tickets for free
He could left town for the symphony
But this was where he'd rather be.

Oh, la la la, de de daLa la, de de da da da

Chorus
Play us a song, you're the Tuba Man
Play us a song tonight!
Well we're all in the mood for your melodies
and you're the greatest fan in our sight

It was a pretty good crowd after game at the Key
And the passers by give him a smile
And they stood from afar, and put bread in his jar
And asked, man, what are you doin here?

But one fateful night, those kids knocked him down
They patched him up and sent him home
He quietly went, and he didn't get up
And we pondered, who was this great man!

McCaw Hall sounded like a Carnival
At Quest field they all gave a cheer
As the Husky Band spelled out "Tuba Man!"
We'll never forget when you were here.

Play us a song, you're the Tuba Man
Play us a song tonight!
Well we're all in the mood for your melodies
and you're the greatest fan in our sight

Ding, Dong, the Bergeson is Gone

Thanks to all of us who bitched and complained the past 15 yearsabout the WASL, VICTORY! Next the rest of the ed reform program that Dorn help to create... I'm going to ask Randy if he can hire me as the or an assessment expert person, and I'd appreciate anyrecommendation letters to that effect, I'm sure where's the math has people they'd like to put in charge of math.

We still need to repeal 1209.

Seattle Times: Washington voters elect new schools chief State schools chief Terry Bergeson says she has conceded. Randy Dornis Wahington's new superintendent of public instruction.SEATTLE —State schools chief Terry Bergeson says she has conceded. Randy Dornis Wahington's new superintendent of public instruction.Bergeson told The Associated Press she called Dorn on Thursdayafternoon to congratulate him. She made her decision after seeing thelatest vote count from King County.As of Thursday afternoon, with some votes still to be counted, Dornwas leading Bergeson 51 percent to 49 percent of the statewide vote.Dorn has promised to replace the Washington Assessment of StudentLearning with another achievement test.

Edward McMichael the Tuba Man (Seattle Youth Symphony) dies after assault

In the P.I. and KOMO 1000 today, Ed the Tuba guy died after he was assaulted near the Seattle Center waiting for the bus. Thousands in Seattle knew the guy from playing outside of stadiums and arts events, but my family knew him from the Seattle Youth Symphony and Marrowstone Music Festival music camp in the mid 1970s, and I introduced my kids to him when we walked by outside the coliseum, though they say they don't remember him. With so many in the seattle arts community from the SYSO that knew him, they should have no problem putting together an orchestra or a tuba group for his funeral, sorry to see him go this way.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008Last updated 2:17 p.m. PT
Violence takes iconic Tuba Man
By ROBERT L. JAMIESON JR.P-I COLUMNIST
OLD-TIMERS who have seen it all say this is the worst year for Seattle sports.
To this list I pass along another loss, perhaps the saddest: Seattle's most visible, beloved and melodic sports fan -- Tuba Man -- is dead.
Seattle knew Edward McMichael by sight or sound, the bespectacled guy with the wispy beard and floppy Uncle Sam and Dr. Seuss hats. For decades he breathed life into his shiny brass instrument, outside city sports venues.