I don't really know what to say or how to say it. Last night at the karaoke bar my husband and I like to go to, we had to hear about the loss of a great friend and fellow singer. Raheem was a tough guy with a large heart, always smiling and always with a kind word for people. The silence in the bar when we heard this was saddening, and everyone cried and hugged everyone else. Raheem was a regular at karaoke, and he had a huge, awesome voice.
Because it's been on my mind, I wanted to share the two things about him that always stood out to me.
If I could summarize Raheem in one word, it would be "expressive". My first day at the karaoke bar around June of last year, I met Raheem, a large black man with fang implants, tattoos, torn-sleeved T-shirt, spiked wristbands, wide eyes and powerful voice. He certainly did pass as an "intimidating figure" to some people, but I had been eagerly awaiting my meeting with him because my husband (then boyfriend) Kerry had told me how awesome he was. He happened to be sitting next to me at the bar, waiting for a drink when one person went up on stage to sing. The music blared so loudly and so suddenly that I jumped a tiny bit. Not so with Raheem. He leaped like a startled cat, dropped behind his bar stool, gripping it for dear life, trying to catch his breath and threw out several curse words while looking over his shoulder in bewilderment at the singer on stage. I couldn't help laughing out loud at this scene.
If you were to ever meet Raheem, the next thing you would learn about him is how deeply he loved his daughter. His Facebook page is strewn with photographs of him with his daughter, who lives in Oregon (I believe; I'll come back to correct this if I'm wrong). He would sometimes sing a song dedicated to his daughter. Everyone who knew him knew what a loving father he was, and he was always excited to tell people when he would be able to visit her.
I think those are the two things I will miss the most about him. He was a rare person whom I wish I had the chance to know a little better. My only meetings with him were at the karaoke bar. I will certainly miss hearing him sing. (Even if I did feel the need to sneak out and listen to him from outside... did I mention how powerful his voice was?)
I love you and miss you, Raheem, and so does everyone else at the Playground karaoke bar. Rock on with the angels, buddy.
Because it's been on my mind, I wanted to share the two things about him that always stood out to me.
If I could summarize Raheem in one word, it would be "expressive". My first day at the karaoke bar around June of last year, I met Raheem, a large black man with fang implants, tattoos, torn-sleeved T-shirt, spiked wristbands, wide eyes and powerful voice. He certainly did pass as an "intimidating figure" to some people, but I had been eagerly awaiting my meeting with him because my husband (then boyfriend) Kerry had told me how awesome he was. He happened to be sitting next to me at the bar, waiting for a drink when one person went up on stage to sing. The music blared so loudly and so suddenly that I jumped a tiny bit. Not so with Raheem. He leaped like a startled cat, dropped behind his bar stool, gripping it for dear life, trying to catch his breath and threw out several curse words while looking over his shoulder in bewilderment at the singer on stage. I couldn't help laughing out loud at this scene.
If you were to ever meet Raheem, the next thing you would learn about him is how deeply he loved his daughter. His Facebook page is strewn with photographs of him with his daughter, who lives in Oregon (I believe; I'll come back to correct this if I'm wrong). He would sometimes sing a song dedicated to his daughter. Everyone who knew him knew what a loving father he was, and he was always excited to tell people when he would be able to visit her.
I think those are the two things I will miss the most about him. He was a rare person whom I wish I had the chance to know a little better. My only meetings with him were at the karaoke bar. I will certainly miss hearing him sing. (Even if I did feel the need to sneak out and listen to him from outside... did I mention how powerful his voice was?)
I love you and miss you, Raheem, and so does everyone else at the Playground karaoke bar. Rock on with the angels, buddy.
