A Message From Jan and Calvin Cavagnaro

Jan and Calvin have been receiving the kind words and support of so many people, and asked that those of us who have some sort of public outlet to repost her words of appreciation and how she’s feeling to that outlet so people could read them. I’m happy to oblige.

There are a couple of funds setup for Jan and Calvin, the particulars of which you can find at the Buddhahood’s MySpace blog, here. Those wishing to contribute donations, funny stories, audio and video can please contact Tony@thebuddhahood.com ~ Ed.

Hi everyone,

It’s hard to know what to say at a time like this. Tony always had the best lines anyway, and I can hear him saying “Dude, no way!” upon hearing news like this.

He was a great man. So magical. And I’m so glad he got to live the way he wanted to live. He was an incredible dad to an amazing boy, sharing his beautiful music with more and more of the world, making the impossible things possible and fun, being a loving husband, a loyal friend, a great pet-dad. He would often report to me “I just loved up the pooches.” They’re gonna miss him, too! He taught so many more musicians how to find their voices. I am so glad that his legacy will live on through generations of bands to come. Please, everyone, make sure to pass on some Tony wisdom to the kids coming up behind you!

There’s so much more I could say. All of the years he spent on the music scene, all of the crazy ventures he cooked up. It would mean so much to Calvin and I if everyone who has a great Tony story would share it with us in some form whether email, CD, video, sculpture, sketch, My Space post — whatever. I’ve been reading everything folks have shared online so far and it’s just wonderful to know that Tony was treasured by so many and to read the stories folks choose to share. Thanks so very much.

We’d also love it if folks could share any recordings and pictures they might have. The band will help coordinate that — hopefully we’ll have a plan down soon, but if you have a chance to make any duplications and you’re planning to come to any of the services or events, please bring them along. I’d especially like a copy of his Malcolm Bliss demo tape. Like the generous man he always was, he lent out his copy and we never got it back.

The last time I saw Tony, he was standing in our front yard out here in the middle of nowhere, soaped up from head to toe, taking an outdoor shower. We shared a rushed bubbly kiss and some sweet goodbyes as Calvin and I headed out to do errands and he got ready to go to his show. It’s such a testament to Tony’s magic that he actually managed to make the fact that we have no indoor plumbing and have take outdoor showers a blessing. We used to take family showers, splashing each other and laughing away the stress of the day. I had actually requested that we install a real outdoor shower spigot when our house was built. If it strikes your fancy, I’d love to hear that folks are out there taking backyard showers in his honor.

I know everyone is thinking about Calvin. It’s tough, but he’s doing okay. I think Tony filled both of us up with so much good stuff that it really helps ease the pain. And Tony’s ability to find the humor in the worst situations is definitely coming through in his son. We were doing some tidying up last night and Calvin passed a little noisy gas. “I tooted!” he laughed. Then he asked, “Will the spirits help Daddy toot?”

Friends and family have been so great, and I am so happy that Tony will be a big presence in Calvin’s life through the amazing network of folks that were part of Tony’s life.

I have so much more I could say, but I think those are the biggies. Please love up your families, friends and pets and do what you can to share the amazing beauty you all have with the rest of us.

With love,

Jan and Calvin Cavagnaro

By Tommy Belknap

Owner, developer, editor of DragonFlyEye.Net, Tom Belknap is also a freelance journalist for The 585 lifestyle magazine. He lives in the Rochester area with his wife and son.