It’s been about 4 hours since Andy died.
He didn’t really speak today, and I’m not sure he ever opened his eyes.
His sisters Debby and Brewster and his friend Alison visited and were able to spend time with him; so did Bob Merlis and his son Alex.
Brian Wilson called (or at least, Brian’s friend Gloria called and put Brian on the phone) and I swear I saw Andy try to smile when Brian kept saying his name.
Jackson and Charlie each got some alone time with Andy and were able to talk to him and share whatever they wanted to share with him.
Towards the end – though we did not yet know that’s what it would be – Lenny Kay arrived.
I called Lenny last night and told him that that doctor recommended people visit sooner rather than later. Lenny was planning to drive up Sunday, but he switched plans and drove up today.
Lenny and Andy have been friends since Andy was 15 year old; Andy was a high school dropout working in records stores and sometimes sleeping on Lenny’s couch.
Lenny produced the album for Andy’s first band (The Sidewinders); Andy and Lenny toured together with the Patti Smith band; and they were about to collaborate on a song with lyrics written by Lenny’s uncle, Larry Kucic (known for writing the lyrics to “Speak Softly Love” from the Godfather).
Lenny got his guitar out earlier tonight and sang the song he had planned to record with Andy (titled “I Will”) and “Rendezvous” (which Andy wrote, and which was on the Sidewinders album and on the Paley Brothers album).
A couple hours later, Andy’s breathing slowed. I called in the boys to be with him. And then it got even slower so I called in the hospice nurse to ask her to check on him, and she listened to him breathe, and then she told us, “these are last breaths.”
We played music we knew he’d like: the instrumental version of “Snowflakes,” from the SpongeBob Christmas album (written by Andy), with the lead vocal line played on harmonica by Tommy Morgan; “In My Moondreams,” written by Andy and Brian Wilson; and finally, a recording of “Clouds Are Rolling Away” that was performed by Mandy Barnett at our wedding, and also written by Andy. The other day he told me that “Clouds Are Rolling Away” is his favorite song he wrote, and that’s what he was listening to when he left us.
He was surrounded by Gruber, Jake, Violet, Lenny, Jackson, Charlie and me. I hope we gave him the sendoff he deserved.
I am numb. They keep his body for 12 hours here at the hospice; tomorrow morning a funeral home will be coming to get his body and cremate it.
I don’t know which part is going to be harder – the part I just got through, or the part that comes after.
I will find out soon enough.
