Colin Carter Dies

[57Gregy]

From FB Ray Bennett wrote:

My old bandmate, on and off for the last 50 or so years, Colin Carter, died on Friday 10th January 2025 at around 7am his family told me. After a year or so of being ill due to complications from hepatitis and lately in hospital, he finally decided he wanted to go home. His family were there with him at his passing, or transition, or death. I never know what to call it. It’s a mystery. We all know nothing of how this works or what it means. We guess, or hope, or have a religious notion. What we do know is our daily lives and what we treasure and love. And what is most important to us. One of the things that I know is that Colin was of great importance in my life. Our first meeting in the late summer of 1971 was a major turning point. For me, and for him.

I should note that I had no idea he was ill, We hadn’t spoken much recently and emailed only occasionally over the last few years. Colin lived alone in Southern Oregon in a rural area that he loved, surrounded by nature. He always had a tendency to take his own private road through life and to carefully guard that privacy.

In Las Vegas, where I live, you would for sure say that he always played his cards close to his chest.

Colin professed to be an atheist, but as the old saying goes: no-one is an atheist in a fox-hole. So I wonder how Colin was feeling about this in those last days.

His wish was that the news of his departure should be told only to his friends and with no public announcement or fuss. The family said, in addition, they would like the news to be held back until all members of Colin’s family, spread around the US and back in the UK, can be informed.

This is why I haven’t said anything publicly until now for our fans, friends, and for the historical record. I prefer to stick to facts, the truth, respect for others wishes, and hopefully arrive at the best moral high-ground in that way.

About Colin: When we took up the Flash cause again in the early 2000’s, Colin said he wanted to avoid something he was intensely uncomfortable with in the old Flash days. Which were those long periods onstage where the rest of the band, me, Pete Banks, Mike Hough, would play long instrumental parts, or jam, or otherwise go off on a spontaneous spree. He felt like he was a loose end doing nothing. Just banging a tambourine and looking serious, trying to be relevant. Now in our new Flash formation he said he wanted to play guitar more, if not all the time, which is what he did. Having lost Pete in 2013 and Mike Hough having simply bowed out of a Flash reunion, we were truly faced with a remaking of the idea of Flash music. This is why I felt it most important to tell Colin how much he was relevant in the old band. I did just that, and more than once in this new version of Flash as we worked on new ideas. I told him how I felt about those long periods on gigs where he said he felt useless, and in rehearsal rooms where I can easily now picture him sitting on a chair tipped back to the wall with his arms crossed, staring at the floor, and listening intently to whatever fracas we were up to, good or bad. That he was the witness that we were well aware of, the delicate critic, the diplomat to the proceedings. Whatever slant you put on that, his presence made a difference. I always felt it. He was a part of the process that made it what it was.

I’m not sure I could have ever expressed those thoughts adequately back in the old days. But I know I felt it back then. So, I hoped that now, as mature men, he took that to heart. I’m not sure he got what I meant, I hope so.

The last Flash reunion lasted until 2010,11,12 or so when we had a full band, a good band worthy of the name, some gigs done, and a new album which was released in 2013. But in the early 2000’s Colin and I also had a chance to play together as a duo, which was quite a remarkable experience. Something we never planned for, or ever had a desire to do in the past. It turned out well. We were both surprised at how much fun it was and I believe that same Flash magic was there. That same chemistry.

Again …..whatever “chemistry" means. The universe knows what it is, we don’t need to worry about it. Just grab it when you can. Life moves on constantly. Never stops. Everything changes.

The world is diminished with Colin’s departure. A bright, intelligent, very witty and funny guy. He took great care working out melodies. I’ll miss that unique voice of his.

From Shakespeare’s Hamlet :

……. “Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest”.

Ray Bennett. January 12th 2025.

Edited Wednesday at 12:21 AM by 57Gregy
Clarity.

[henkejs]

Thoughtful tribute, Greg. RIP Colin.

[User 905133]

As noted previously, I got to see Flash a few decades ago with 3 other bands--all stellar performances from excellent musicians with amazing material [Savoy Brown, Flash, Tower of Power, and Rory Gallagher]. I can still remember being there and recognizing the quality performances at the time.

RIP

 

 

[pwalpwal]

rip col

[craigb]

Sorry for your loss Greg!  RIP

[57Gregy]

8 hours ago, henkejs said:

Thoughtful tribute, Greg. RIP Colin.

 

3 hours ago, craigb said:

Sorry for your loss Greg!  RIP

Well, I was quoting Ray Bennett, his old band mate.

[57Gregy]

I became aware of Flash when the brother of a schoolmate became their keyboardist ~2010. There were a few videos posted online that I watched and thought it was pretty cool music, as well as seeing Rich Daugherty play again after not seeing him since he was 16-17 years old in high school.
Of course, I remember seeing their album in the bin when I was 14. All teenage boys remember album covers with scantily clad women on them.