Well, there’s no way around saying it…This past week has been a very sad one for me and for many people from the Philadelphia Music Community. Early Saturday Morning, August 22, we lost our dear friend, drummer and percussionist, Bobby Wolter. Bobby played with lots of bands over the years, most recently The Weeds and REDFORD and before that Shooting Ropes, Steph Hayes and the Good Problems, Love Syndicate and others.

I had become very close to Bobby over the past few years as he and I share something in common: we both struggle with a terrible disease called Cystic Fibrosis. Bobby and I were introduced by our Nurse Practitioner Marianne Ferrin from the Adult CF Clinic where we both receive our care. Marianne knew Bobby and I were musicians and that we may have common friends and other interests as well.

She gave him my e-mail address in 2004. It turns out that people with CF shouldn’t interact physically, as we all carry around bacterial infections that could compromise our health. Furthermore, Bobby had the “mack-daddy” of all the infections, b. cepacia, and he assured me I did NOT want that. We corresponded sporadically through e-mail for several years until early this year when Bobby’s health was becoming a more and more serious matter. It was at this point that our messages started to become deeper and more involved, and Bobby became one of the most important people in my life.

By June, we decided to publish our emails to one another in a blog called Brian and Bobby Speak (http://brianandbobbyspeak.com). We were both delighted by the feedback we received. There were easily 50, sometimes 100 people who’d read it every day. I’ve worked much harder for many things far less successful. By July, we were talking about expanding the spirit and mission of the blog by producing a video series as well, and establishing the company to make this happen, Brian and Bobby Films.

Sadly, this week CF took Bobby’s life. It was completely out of nowhere for me. Now, I didn’t SEE Bobby every day, but we e-mailed each other almost every day, and toward the end we were video chatting as well. Bobby’s imagination was afire with creative plans for the future. Though on paper he was sick, very sick, I know Bobby was alive.

I met Bobby’s family and friends Wednesday at his Memorial Service in Paoli. I certainly wish I could have met them under better circumstances, but I was honored to be welcomed and received so warmly by them.

The Philadelphia community lost a great one this weekend. Bobby was a great drummer, but far above and beyond that, at 28 years old, Bobby was a great kid. He had endured enough physical pain and hardship to be an 80-year-old man, but somehow through all that he maintained the smile, the laugh, the voice and sense of humor of an innocent kid.

I love you, Bobby. I’ll miss you forever.

The family of Bobby Wolter ask donations be made in his name to:

The Research Fund for Cystic Fibrosis

Attention: Dr. Holsclaw, MD

Penn Presbyterian Hospital

51 North 39^th Street

Philadelphia PA, 19104

To read Brian and Bobby Speak, go to http://brianandbobbyspeak.com.

-- Brian McTear is a musician, producer and engineer, the owner of Miner Street Recordings in Philadelphia, and founder of Weathervane Music Organization. Information, including pictures of the Weathervane Project Series sessions, can be found at http://weathervanemusic.org. To make a donation, go to http://weathervanemusic.org/donate

For more information on Miner Street Recordings, http://myspace.com/minerstreetrecordings. Espers - http://www.myspace.com/espers