Buzz Clifford 10/8/1941-1/26/2018

On January 26, 2018, David's life-long friend and on-and-off-again musical partner, Reese "Buzz" Clifford, passed away due to complications from the flu. David was recovering from his own health issues and was unable to attend the memorial. This is a copy of the message read at the service on David's behalf:

I very sorry I can’t be there with you today to celebrate Buzz’s life and music but I am at home recovering from surgery. I wish I could be there to see the boys give their dad a proper send off, but I know they’ll make him proud.

The first time I met Buzz was about 50 years ago. Danny Moore was producing a session down the hall from where Matt and I were recording. I popped in to see Danny when I heard this incredible voice coming from inside a dark studio. In the middle of a take, the voice stops and yells, “Fuck!”. When the light came on, Buzz was in there bare-naked, rubbing his stomach. I asked Danny, “Who is this guy?” I was intrigued.

A few days later Buzz and I went out for some chicken. Afterwards, he dropped me off at my session in his old Ford, which of course, broke down. Buzz proceeded to get out of the car and promptly beat the shit out of it. He was punching it, kicking it, swearing at it. You can all imagine, right? However, I knew right then and there - as I watched a grown man fight a car on the side of the road - that Buzz and I would be friends for life. And we were.

I have 50 year’s worth of stories just like that: but for every story about him punching something, there are an equal number of stories about Buzz being late for a gig because he was rescuing a muddy dog from the side of a bridge in a torrential rain storm. I remember going over to see him one day and he’s sitting in his recliner rocking a wounded bird wrapped in a towel like it was a baby.

But that was the thing that made Buzz so unique. His Libra scales were equally balanced between the hot-head who put the pedal to the floor with the emergency brake on, and the guy who could write a beautiful love song capable of melting the coldest heart. He was a complex guy: smart and passionate…sensitive, with rough edges. And, true to his sign, he always rooted for the underdog. I believe that’s how he saw me. He saw through my self-destructive behavior and was one of only a handful of people who stood by me when I was at my worst. He was a true brother to me. I miss him, and I miss knowing that light is over there shining.

To delve into Buzz's catalog, check out his YouTube channel and iTunes.