Vale Paul Hester.

Pic: René Jonas / www.finnatics.de/Crowded_ House/

Update 8:30pm. I first read about this in the paper this morning. It didn’t quite sink in until later. It’s one thing when a musician much older than you passes away… it’s another matter when it’s one who is almost your own generation, and at only 46.

I never saw Paul or Crowded House play live, but I did see him some years ago, laughing and smiling, at the Elwood Beach House Cafe, which I think he co-owned with some other musician friends. I assume he lived around there; it was quite close to where he had gone to walk his dogs, and was later found, in Elsternwick Park.

To the slight indifference of my offspring, I dug out some Crowded House CDs and videos this afternoon to play them. The cover picture of their first album caught my eye, in the circumstances.

He will be missed.

• ABC 7:30 Report: Fans mourn death of Paul Hester
• BBC: Crowded House drummer found dead
• Age gallery: Paul Hester’s life
• CNN: Crowded House drummer found dead
• Google News: Paul Hester

Here are my keys. Well, all of them except those numerous unknown keys sitting in jars, their uses long forgotten.

Post a picture of your keys… Link in the Trackbacks or comments.

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