Paul Reitz

Missing you my good buddy and anchor of the DB pyramid. The best wingman ever for introducing me to Nancy on new year's day 1969. "In heaven there is no beer, that's why we drink beer here . . ." I'm drinking to you.

Skip, good seeing you at the SMS tour. When I got home I realized I have a CD made from a tape of one of our Rubber Band rehearsals. If you want, message me through the message center with your address and I'll send you a copy. Rock on!

Posted on: Oct 21, 2019 at 6:01 PM

Good seeing you at the reunion. I looked at sophomore yearbook and remembered we used fake names. I went with Irving and you used Gilbert (unless that was your name) . Who else was in on that plan? My mom was so pissed, she crossed it out and wrote Paul on the yearbook page. Also remembered you were our kicker. That was a tough job. Take care.

I was at that Canned Heat concert. Can't remember who played with them, but lead guitarist Henry Vestine had a wall of Fender cabinets. They were loud and Bob Hite bounced around the stage. I guess you could say he was boogieing. Al Wilson was still alive. Goin up the Country.

Ray was a really solid friend. 51 years ago 9/21/68 we entered a car rally called Confucious Says. Very complicated trick questions necessary to find clues to the directions. I think we started near Independence about 3 and drove all over KCMO till late at night. Ray was the navigator and was doing most of the work. At one point he's leaning out the back of my TR3 and looking at a billboard of Len Dawson selling something, an important clue. Trouble was we were going the wrong way on a one way highway. We finally got to the party destination in South Missouri to find Paul Long and Skip Coons playing pool and drinking 5% beer. Somehow we took 2nd place and got a nice trophy (see attached). He let me keep it even though he did most of the work. Another fond memory was double dating to the Starlight to see John Davidson in Camelot or something. He with my coworker Susie from Zales Ward Parkway and me with his coworker Susan from Ranchmart. Wish he could be here. A great guy and fellow Drinking Buddy.

Rob and I played in a couple bands together. The Rubber Band with Guy Johnson on bass and Marc Dubois on guitar. I think we made $25 at a church social one time. The Spirit Vine with Howard Lapid on rhythm guitar had a gig at a military base in Herrington, Dec. 1967 (think Spinal Tap but sold out). On the way we had a flat tire and had to unload all Rob's drums from the trunk to get to the spare. Stayed in somebody's house for about 50 cents and had a Right Guard deoderant fight in the room.

Spirit Vine - top: Howard Lapid, Rob, me (keyboards and vocals), bottom Jim Huber, Keith and Elden? From SMN.

Rob and his brothers were into Golden Gloves boxing. They just about destroyed my parents house at a drunken party one night. Johnny Rasmussen and I had to nail the kitchen table back together. I boxed Rob one time, he was left handed and just kept hitting my right arm so hard I couldn't lift it. 

9th grade Rob and Dave Honza  destroyed our Broadmoor YMCA football team by running off tackle slants. The  only year we didn't win the championship.

So sorry to hear he died like Grey's Anatomy gone bad.