It's November, and I just now learned of Sean's death on the 15th of April. It's stunning, shocking, unsettling, and hugely disappointing.
Several years ago, in Savannah GA's City Market, my wife and I and two friends were strolling after dinner and poked our head into a small downstairs club in a courtyard. Sean was leading a group of older players (including an organ, ohhh that organ with Sean's guitar ... just wow.. It was just an absolutely outrageous and delicious "find" for us. One of my favorite serendipity nights ever. We had stumbled onto a treasure.
Saw him again years later in Savannah at the Roundhouse Blues and Barbeque Festival, and also made a trip to Hilton Head to catch him in a club there. Kept an eye on his global itinerary, just in case I might be able to hear him again, whenever.
Then came the announcement of March 26 , Savannah Music Festival with Eric Culbertson, and I scheduled a needed trip to Savannah, from Wisconsin, especially to see that show. A couple of weeks later, my wife suffered a terrible accident and my life changed --- kind of oblivious to the outside world for months as she recovered. No doubt that's why I just now learned that basically 3 weeks after his SMF show that I was lucky to see before our own family trauma happened --- he left us. "Going home to be with God", as he sang on his recent CD release.
Of course, I didn't really "discover" Sean --- others had already. But I will not forget that night in Savannah when I first was drawn into his fandom, early in his career. One of those with us that night was a New Yorker, Manhattan type, working in TV. She was incredulous that she had come to the quiet, slower, out-of-the-way Savannah on a weeknight and found a talent like his with a few dozen people listening.
I never wanted to own a collection of CDs of "all of Sean Costello"; I just wanted to start building it and have my children and grandchildren get the rest of his things after I die (I am 66 now). To now realize that his music is complete, that I have all of his recordings ever made --- is just too very sad.
My family has fought with the mind's demons over generations. It is so very tough to understand, and when anyone that you know succumbs, accidentally or not, coping is terribly hard. May the ache eventually subside and give way to the realization that this fine man in his 29 years touched SO many in so many ways, bringing joy and amazement. That's something that few of us are able to do no matter how long our time on Earth. To say that Sean was special is to grossly understate. He was superbly gifted, sensitve, and incredible in the nicest ways. He brought genuine feelings to us through the music he made and delivered in his inimitable way.
Discovering Sean; a treasure then and now
Terry Ott (Nov 28, 2008)
Several years ago, in Savannah GA's City Market, my wife and I and two friends were strolling after dinner and poked our head into a small downstairs club in a courtyard. Sean was leading a group of older players (including an organ, ohhh that organ with Sean's guitar ... just wow.. It was just an absolutely outrageous and delicious "find" for us. One of my favorite serendipity nights ever. We had stumbled onto a treasure.
Saw him again years later in Savannah at the Roundhouse Blues and Barbeque Festival, and also made a trip to Hilton Head to catch him in a club there. Kept an eye on his global itinerary, just in case I might be able to hear him again, whenever.
Then came the announcement of March 26 , Savannah Music Festival with Eric Culbertson, and I scheduled a needed trip to Savannah, from Wisconsin, especially to see that show. A couple of weeks later, my wife suffered a terrible accident and my life changed --- kind of oblivious to the outside world for months as she recovered. No doubt that's why I just now learned that basically 3 weeks after his SMF show that I was lucky to see before our own family trauma happened --- he left us. "Going home to be with God", as he sang on his recent CD release.
Of course, I didn't really "discover" Sean --- others had already. But I will not forget that night in Savannah when I first was drawn into his fandom, early in his career. One of those with us that night was a New Yorker, Manhattan type, working in TV. She was incredulous that she had come to the quiet, slower, out-of-the-way Savannah on a weeknight and found a talent like his with a few dozen people listening.
I never wanted to own a collection of CDs of "all of Sean Costello"; I just wanted to start building it and have my children and grandchildren get the rest of his things after I die (I am 66 now). To now realize that his music is complete, that I have all of his recordings ever made --- is just too very sad.
My family has fought with the mind's demons over generations. It is so very tough to understand, and when anyone that you know succumbs, accidentally or not, coping is terribly hard. May the ache eventually subside and give way to the realization that this fine man in his 29 years touched SO many in so many ways, bringing joy and amazement. That's something that few of us are able to do no matter how long our time on Earth. To say that Sean was special is to grossly understate. He was superbly gifted, sensitve, and incredible in the nicest ways. He brought genuine feelings to us through the music he made and delivered in his inimitable way.