Charles Gocher of the Sun City Girls

A real freeform genius, no longer with us. From the Sun City Girls' site:
With deep regret, we must announce that Charles Gocher passed away yesterday in Seattle due to a long battle with cancer at the age of 54. He is survived by the two of us who adopted him as a brother 25 years ago and his many friends around the world. He will be missed more than most could ever know. Our thanks to everyone for their support and encouragement during the past three, very difficult years. Many of you were not aware that Charles was ill and that’s because he wanted it that way. Details of a memorial in his honor will be announced soon. - Alan and Richard Bishop

Time to pull out Dante's Disneyland Inferno, and watch this, because it speaks volumes. Also, a performance of "The Bearded Hermes" (Real Audio), on William Berger's show in 1990 and found on WFMU live compilation They Came, They Played, They Blocked the Driveway. I'm sure I'm not alone saying we here at the station will miss Charlie's presence on earth terribly.

Comments

[craig]

always preferred charlie's sun-fried visions to the ethnotheft of the bishops... i felt the earlier, stranger records were best.

but i'd bet i'm just starting some sort of 'well, actually, PAUL wrote all the good songs'sorta dustup, so i'll just leave you with an epitath from his father:

"After he's passed through this form, the department will take his body, remove the skeleton, and hollow out the bone marrow. They will be used as instruments for a thirteen-piece orchestra. The eight bones that comprised his arms and legs will have trumpet mouthpieces attached to one end, and will be used as horns. The five remaining bone sections -- the rib cage, the hip bone, the shoulder bone, the back bone, and the skull -- will be used as the percussion instruments, with the hands and the feet serving as the beaters. The musicians will be instructed in the methods taken from his writings pertaining to improvisational music. During the orchestra's performance -- delivered annually on November 12, his birthday -- his internal organs, preserved in a canopic jar sitting on the stage front, will be guarded by a young Nepalese milkmaiden who, during the course of each ceremony, will fall into an ecstatic possession trance, and invoke his spirit in the same manner as he is invoking mine right now. Listen to his song. Let me leave you with one last thought: If his idea seems too preposterous, and if you don't believe in the reincarnation of the soul, how do you know that we're not all dead already? "

[Krys O.]

The Sun City Girls were scheduled to headline the Kraak Festival in Belgium next week. Dang. This is sad news.

[WmMBerger]

Completely shocked here. I had no idea Charles was ill. The SCGs stayed at my apartment for a week or so in 1990. They had, even by then, had such an amazing journey as a band and told such incredible stories, and Charles was the most entrancing storyteller of them all.

Time to commit the full 1990 appearance on my show to CD, after years of dicking around. Goodbye Charles....

[Chris R.]

Back when I was in high school (mid-late 80s) I had an ill-fated attempt at starting a zine. I sent out a lot of mail asking for material, and The Sun City Girls sent me a copy of Horse Cock Phepner to review. It was quite a mindblower for a 16 yr old who mostly just heard 2 chord thrash to that point. I wish I knew where that record is today... Long story short, interesting guys, nice people, sad to see one go so soon. RIP, Charles!

[lee]

all the best to his folks. i'll never forget seeing E. Chadbourne at the old knit, when he finished, these three guys got on stage and said ''we're gonna play if you all wanna stay''. no introduction, they started playing. it took months before i figured out who fried my synapses. the Sun City Girls were incredible. i was happy when i found out who i saw. top notch all around. sorry to see him suffer and die.