[Dixielandjazz] Vale Harry Callaghan

[Allan Brown]

Dear listmates, I too am saddened to hear that Harry is no longer with us. Although many of you will have known Harry a lot better and a lot longer than I, even in my short time on the DJML Harry proved to be a most generous and open acquaintance. We had several very amusing off-list correspondences and as Beth said, Harry's posts (both on and off list), often resulted in my laughing out loud. I wish I knew more about him. 

In memory of Harry I'd like to share one mystery that may have perplexed others on this list as it did me. Harry always signed off his posts with the enigmatic "Tides - Harry". He once took me to task about my signing off an email with "Warm Regards" and I ribbed him back that whilst mine was like a big hairy bear hug of a sign off, his went up and down. This is what he wrote in reply - and true to my word I kept his secret - until the end. 

"Congratulations.....you have broken the code.
 
A few have asked me about the meaning of my sign-off , but I have preferred to have it remain a mystery,, like who was "Deep Throat", who helped Woodward & Bernstein bust Watergate..................or better yet, who was Carly Simon writing about in "You're So Vain".
 
Well, even though Woodward, Bernstein and Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee were sworn to secrecy, "Deep Throat" revealed his identity shortly before his death.
 
As to Carly's composition, while many have guessed Mick Jagger, Warren Beatty and possibly a few others, I will confide in you at this time..........she really wrote it about me.
 
Regarding "tides".  It's really kinda silly, but awhile back, when I was only on the Tradjazz list, I noticed several subscribers or listmates were always signing off with "Cheers".
 
Corny as it may sound, since Cheer is a nationally known detergent, I adopted Tide hoping that someone would ask why.  My response would have been that I thought Rinso or Oxydol would have sounded dumb.
 
No one ever did and then "tides" evolved into being an expression of my ever-changing moods, like the tides flowing and ebbing.
 
I have only revealed this to one other person and he is involved in the Federal Witness Protection Program so you must treat this the same way one would the secret identities of Superman, Batman &Robin and the Green Hornet
 
Speaking of "Deep Throat", shortly after I moved down here to Houston, I was talking with my former neighbor, close friend and lawyer Fred Ziems.
 
I asked Fred what was new up in the LI area that I had just moved from.and he told me "Lee Dennison rented out his cottage this summer to Linda Lovelace"
 
Knowing the rather stuffy little incorporated village in which Dennison lived, I inquired as to the reaction of the natives.
 
Fred told me "Well, initially it was a bit of a blow to the community"
 
Enough of this nonsense..I've got work to do."

'Warm Regards' - Allan Brown
 

> Dear listmates,
> I'm in shock.
> Like so many others it seems, Harry and I corresponded regularly off list regarding all sorts of things, including jazz and film.
> He obviously had a remarkable background but, unfortunately, we only caught glimpses of it.
> My dear friend Nancie Beaven introduced us years ago and we 'hit it off' immediately.
> A loveable curmudgeon.
> I'd already missed him recently, following his last very brief email to me on 2 August.
> Assuming he was just a little unwell I waited, then finally sent a concerned "where are you" email on 3 September.
> No reply.
> Now this very sad news.
> He certainly left his mark on many of us.
> And we were all the better for it.
> Very kind regards,
> Bill