This just in: There will be a Memoriam for David at the Mercury Café in Denver THIS Sunday, December 3rd. See the Calendar. | David Booker, a/k/a David Bowker, had an interesting life – starting in England and ending in Denver on Sunday, November 19th. He was the father of three beautiful, young daughters – Athena, Jazzy and Violet – and was a gifted guitarist and vocalist. Mr. Booker was kind enough to come and speak at a COMBO meeting and we wish he would have had more time as we really wanted to hear “Part II”. Below are some of the tributes posted to Facebook. Out of the tons of photos posted of Mr. Booker, we used a photo that Marty Jones posted on his page as it shows the humor Mr. Booker possessed. Ben Makinen was also kind enough to post a link to a video of Mr. Booker. Link below.
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From Bill McClintock: It is with great sadness and pain that I say goodbye to my great friend David Booker in his passing this Sunday, November 19, 2023. I visited David just yesterday. I’m sure he knew I was there but wasn’t awake. He opened his eyes briefly and looked at me. David was a kind and loving man. Tremendous musician for decades. Dear friend of many. Loving father. With his daughters (in photo 2) after receiving the Colorado Blues Society Lifetime Achievement Award. Bottom right photo playing at his own benefit at The Oriental Theater. Packed with fans, friends, and Denver’s finest legends playing tribute to him and with him. I jammed at his jams many times and he always hugged me and greeted me with great warmth. We both had the same heart surgeon 6 years ago and didn’t know until after. My surgery was 3 months after David’s. We were grateful to have survived. One night at the jam at El Chapultepec David called us twins and said: “Let’s show the crowd our identical scars”. So we did onstage, and he explained we had the same surgeon! He wanted to let the audience know we were both grateful our lives were saved. He did that three different nights there. The bravest man I ever knew. Fought his health battle with pure courage. Often would gig right after treatments and kept gigging until he couldn’t anymore. I’m sure he was waiting until he rebounded again so he could book another gig. My deep condolences and love to Danielle and his daughters Athena, Jasmine, and Violet.
I’ll miss you forever David but will keep you in my best thoughts always.
Rest In Peace my friend.
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From Chris Daniels: I don’t have words that are strong enough to express the sadness so many feel now that David Booker is gone. Over the last few difficult months, I’ve spent time with him. We listened to music. We talked about music and guitars and musicians and we laughed. Through all the hell of fighting cancer he was always David – teaching and talking about the jazz and blues he loved. Sharing his health battle and politics with friends and fans on FaceBook. He was an inspiration. Playing gigs until his body just would not let him do what he loved so much. And most of all being a great dad to his girls. One evening Violet got a ride after school to the hospital and she sat in the chair next to David’s bed talking about school and her assignments. David just beamed. You could see his love for her and his smile was as big as the State of Colorado… He did that for all his daughters. And anybody that was lucky enough to play with Booker found themselves in a seminar. With his watch on backwards and his straw-pork-pie hat, he knew more about American roots music, jazz and especially blues than any person I’ve ever known. He could play a Johnny Cash song and then a Slim Harpo song back-to-back and make it work with his wonderful resonate voice and a twinkle in his eye. And he had the most direct and funny English sense of humor. It was right there with him all the way to the end.
I first met him back in the days of “The Captain” in the 1980s. We were playing some of the same clubs and even rivals for some of the same gigs. But like two kids on a playground that get into a tousell and then become good friends, David became my mentor, collaborator, fellow band leader and pal. He was fountain of information, a source of inspiration, and a wealth of knowledge that all of us loved. And his writings for the Holler were great reads. I was lucky enough to play a benefit for him in 2017 with Freddi and again in February this year. At both, David could not just watch, he had to get up and play – and boy, oh boy, he did!
I was also lucky enough to be there when the Colorado Blues Society honored him with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Standing on stage with his girls smiling – it was the best. I met so many people because of David. He was a ‘connector’ – putting people together simply by their knowing him and loving his music. And he was so respected and loved by everybody in the music community. A few weeks back we were sitting in the hospital listening to The Saturday Night R & B show on KUVO hosted by Rolando Garcia and I sent him an email saying that David was listening and digging the show – and – as always – explaining the background of all the artists being played. And lo and behold, the fine Mr. Garcia played one of Booker’s records and then sent out a dedication to him and a ‘hope you feel better’ shout out. In true David fashion he said, “Was that for me? How’d he known we were listening?” Then he chuckled and said “It’s a pretty good program tonight!”
I think anybody that knew Booker found that he touched their lives in one way or other. So, David, here’s to you, mate. There will never be another like you. A complete original. You will be missed.
We are all sending love to Danielle and the girls. And if we can help in any way, the whole music community will pitch in. Big hugs to all. Life is so short. Enjoy every moment you get. I know David did. He made a difference in so many lives in the short time he was here. CD
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Dan Treanor: A good friend of mine wrote a song many years ago – “Friends are Few and Far Between”, how true that is. In this trek through life you are going to come across a lot of people – good, bad and in between. On a rare occasion you meet an individual who enhances your life’s journey in a positive way. You find a connection, mutual ground, that grows into love and respect. I got lucky and made that connection.
When I moved to Denver, way back in the early 80s, I knew no one. Ellie and I had decided to strike out to the big city and see where fate would take us. I turned on the radio one day and I heard this voice. He had an English accent and he was talking about the Blues. That got my attention. He mentioned a blues jam at this club called ‘Brendans’, I had to check it out. I did and that is where I saw David Booker for the first time. He looked the part, played the part and delivered the goods. I knew at some point in time him and I were going to connect. We did and my life was the better for it.
We became friends and more. He was a fountain of information about something we both loved dearly – American Roots Music. He had this awesome little dog, Mojo. He loved that little mutt. When you went to his house it was like going to a Blues Museum. Awesome posters on the wall, pictures of the greats, heaps of CDs and tapes. A musical storehouse.
Over the years we shared the stage many times. It was always a pleasure and adventure. David’s quick wit could bring a smile to the face of the grouchest of folks. So many laughs. His musicianship was stellar. His stage presence, classic.
David was so much more than a musician. We shared a mutual love of history. He knew his stuff. I dragged him off to Rockies games, the shooting range, he was always up for it. Then there was his family. He loved his girls so much. We use to do Blues In The Schools together and he would bring Athena and Jazzy along. Violet came later.
It doesn’t surprise me one bit at how hard David fought his illness. He approached it the same way he did most obstacles in his life – head on, no backing down. The man was full of courage and resolve, that hard headed Brit mentality.
I’m going to miss my friend. I’m going to miss making music with him, but more so just being around him. “Friends are Few and Far Between”. Ain’t that the truth. Sail on mate, I love you.
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Video from Ben Makinen: Never before seen concert footage of Booker at the Pec. . .
https://youtu.be/7MoGThdSvxY | http://www.facebook.com/ben.makinen.90
Photo: David Booker (from Marty Jones’ Facebook page)
Had many good times with david at El Chapultapec