The Crooks Annual Second Line

January 30, 2020

Lea





Dan

The Crooks Annual Second Line

One of the cooler recent additions to the Key West Calendar year is the annual Crooks Second Line March fundraiser for the Bahama Village Music Program. This event now in its fifth year of existence is a wonderful celebration of the lives of those recently passed on. The party and procession, celebrates the lives of musicians, community leaders, and friends loved and lost with a three-tiered event that began with a Hog’s Breath Saloon parking lot party at noon, a parade down Duval led by Grand Marshal Bill Blue at 2:00pm, and a Jazz Jam tribute at The Green Parrot Bar to close the afternoon.







The original procession and party honored world-class drummer Richard Crooks, who was sent off in style with a traditional New Orleans second line procession attended by hundreds of family, friends, and fans. The parade and fundraiser is Richard Crooks’ legacy to the Key West community and continues to be held in his honor each year.











The event has grown in scope and magnitude as the Bahama Village Music Program creates and sells large placards bearing the images of lost loved ones, celebrities and even pets to loved ones who participate as a way to both honor those lost and support a great cause as placard proceeds support the Richard Crooks’ scholarship fund, the Wayne Hammond scholarship fund, and the Nancy R. Robinson scholarship fund, which send two Bahama Village Music Program students to the prestigious Berklee College of Music’s 5-week Summer Performance program.





Bela and Layla

The event is at once somber and celebratory as the party kicks off with a party in the parking lot of the Hog’s Breath Saloon as people gather, collect their signs and celebrate those loved ones who have passed. This year was especially tough on me as I was made aware of three friends that I had no idea had died this past year. It is pretty shocking to realize that a friend who you just assumed is alive and well is suddenly presented on hand held poster honoring their memory.









It threw me for a loop to learn the news this way, but the positive spirit and overall good vibe of the event helped me get through it. It really is a wonderful way to celebrate and honor those missing friends and is such a nice experience to be around. The love and kindness of those involved is awesome and more time is spent sharing stories of those being remembered in a positive light than anything. There is a wonderful band of local musicians who obviously support local music programs and Richard Crooks, who was a beloved, well-known and well respected drummer who played with just about everyone in the music industry over his long and illustrious career.











At 2 PM the group gathered and marched up Duval Street to Southard, led by the band and cheered on by the Duval Street crowds before turning and heading a block over to the Green Parrot Bar where a street party ensued that lasted into the early evening and featured entertainment by the parade Grand Marshall Bill Blue, a revered Key West musician. It was a really good day and hopefully a successful event for our friends at the BVMP.

Scott









Sadly as I was biking home from the event, I got text that Kobe Bryant and his daughter were among nine dead in a horrible helicopter crash. Though I was never much of a Kobe fan, blaming him for almost single handedly beating my beloved Indiana Pacers in their only NBA Finals appearance, I nonetheless had a tremendous amount of respect for him. His talent and accomplishments are obvious of course, but even more in the way he led his life in the aftermath of those horrible rape charges that were made against him as a young man.





Bill Blue

While never judged or found guilty of anything, the mere suggestion that something happened may have derailed a lesser man, and whatever happened, all evidence since that alleged incident have shown him to be a man of honor and distinction, a good family man and loving father. Isn’t that what we ask of people even if they make mistakes, to change and become a better person?  Anyway his loss hit me, especially coming so soon after I had learned of the passing of three other friends and it made me realize once again how wonderful and fleeting this life is and how we all need to honor life by being the best that we possibly can be.





Trish