Richard Francis ~ 1948 - 2009

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Richard Francis ~ 1948 - 2009

(NOTE: I originally posted this on my personal blog last week and intended it for those who might not necessarily be familiar with KBOO or its programming, hence the  preamble that might seem superflous (and perhaps inaccurate - Sorry!) to those closer to the subject.)

As I started writing this, Richard Francis, host of A Different Nature, was in a medically-induced coma after suffering a heart attack on the eve of his last show. He didn't show up before the broadcast, which alarmed those that knew him well; Richard was a meticulous planner and was always early for his shows, often polishing up the details to the last minute. When he failed to show up - most of the show being pre-prepared by other participants, no one had to be told that the show must go on while a friend traced his route back to his apartment and finally calling area emergency rooms. Her worst fears were realized when she learned that he was indeed in Emmanuel Hospital's ICU, having collapsed in a market. As of this writing, he's unresponsive to any stimuli and shows no brain activity. The plan was to slowly take him out of the coma to assess the damage while his family descended on Portland from the Midwest.

Richard is KBOO's Dean of Avant-garde and Surrealism. He's hosted his program of adventurous music since the early Eighties and each program is carefully planned like a class curriculum. I've been fortunate to have listened to it since I've been in High School, which is to say well over 20 years. I feel like I've gotten quite an education from Professor Francis. He turned lucky and brave listeners onto Musique Concrète, historical Dada recordings and writings, early electronic music, environmental recordings and so much more. I remember what an epiphany it was hearing Lucier's I Am Sitting In A Room on Richard's show all those years ago and him explaining what it was about and why it was important. It changed my view of art and music forever. He also curated the 2001 Dada Fest marathon and was Field Marshall for its five-day revival in 2008. Richard fearlessly led us into much mayhem on that hot summer and I was fortunate to have participated in a few of those events. The atmosphere of surreal creativity was most contagious. He's also largely responsible for the considerable collection of Avant-Gard music - both historic and modern - in KBOO's labyrinthian library. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of strange and experimental music, which he loved sharing with people. When he flies away, it'll be as if a giant museum burned to the ground. I can't imagine KBOO without him. And so it goes... I just received the news from Daniel Flessas that his family and the doctors thought it was in the best interests of Richard's wishes - given his situation - that he be taken off of life support:

"At about 4 pm today, the family has decided to take Richard off the respirator, and it will be just a matter of time then how long his body will stay alive. The neurologist and others have decided that that the higher function areas of his brain, which made Richard "Richard", his ability to think, to know, to communicate, what made up his very identity, seems to be not coming back. There is a question of how much time his brain was without oxygen, unconscious at the convenience store, before the response team arrived. But he has not been responsive since then (Monday late afternoon).(...) But Richard is having some new experience without us, has moved into it now, and has left this one, whether we're ready or not."

I'm not and am not sure when I will be. I can only say thank you, Richard, for one hell of an education and for showing me how to bravely plow forward for art.

Peace.

Rich

This was originally posted at Kill Ugly Radio.

There's a nice write up over at Luke Lefler's blog as well.

Here's a link to a nearly complete episode of A Different Nature from 2006.

 

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Comments

Yugenfardan's picture

<P>Yeah... I'm intrigued by your arrival at the front door, signaled by your&nbsp;visual on the security camera. I look up from the operator's chair, to ring you in, this&nbsp;being only the five-thousand/th time.&nbsp;And in you come,&nbsp;with little or nothing in tow. You proceed just as you have&nbsp; multiple times before,&nbsp;to&nbsp;a&nbsp;&nbsp;production room/studio. Earphones planted on the lobe, face and mouth affixed in front of mike, I never heard&nbsp;the sounds nor glimpsed the images you created in your aural space.&nbsp;Yet we maintained a curious connection, a shared status as 'dinasaurs.&nbsp;Through the glass we exchang an occassional nod of approval that says. "We've shared this space, walked these halls,&nbsp;now approaching 3 decades. We've peered into each others' creative space, always with admiration. Also held in this glance is&nbsp;a knowing&nbsp;how long the two of us have resided in this cavern of&nbsp;the place called KBOO,&nbsp;the mutuality we&nbsp;&nbsp;share with a shrinking number of&nbsp;programmers of&nbsp;endangered species status,&nbsp;guided by&nbsp;an increasing sense of responsibility to share and connect.</P>
<P>Yeah.. we have grown long in the tooth here, spending and spinning, pushing and pulling, cutting and splicing, humming and honing, growing and glowing - A dramatic, eposodic journey of the&nbsp;dinasaur with a narrative characterized by survival, stress, and release.&nbsp;</P>
<P>My friend Richard is in full release&nbsp; Rest in peace, Da-Da.</P>
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<P>Yugen</P>
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Marc de Giere's picture

<p>&nbsp;Richard and KBOO are officially <a href="http://urdb.org/Content/RecordDetail.aspx?id=1046&amp;attempt=2006">in the record books</a> for the Dada fest! &nbsp;Thanks for the opportunity to experience!</p>

So very sad. As much the voice as the music selection.

I just received my Kboo listeners guide, and i'm so appreciative that the cover honors Richard Francis. Thanks to Conch, John and Kathy for doing this. From so far away, I continue to be struck, at odd and unexpected times, by his passing, much the same way I would be struck at odd and unexpected times by the beauty and richness of his show. He had a tremendously quiet yet deeply profound impact. His was the second show I ever heard on Kboo that had me rapt and refusing to miss another (the first I happened to tune into was the Jacques Treatment.) I worked on the first Dada special in 2001, and his leadership was elegant and admirable. I really wanted to do well by him. I hope his legacy lives on in A Different Nature, whoever hosts. He brought such stellar music to challenge the ears of Kboo's listeners with such a gentle force. Thanks Richard. You'll certainly be missed.~ deborah