2024 – The Eric Leefe Documentary
……………………………………………..(ignore April 30, 2017 publish date – this was published on June 24, 2024)
Spoiler alert: At the end of the documentary, Eric says that he just wants somebody to tell him that, “Your life wasn’t for nothing”.
Nobody makes documentaries about people whose lives meant nothing, so I think you’re safe there, bud.
If you’ve followed my blog, you know that I posted my own blogumentary about Eric in December, 2022: https://iaintjustmusic.bobleafe.com/?p=17617. That post provided a link to the Andrew Rosario video that ultimately became the documentary he created:
“Eric Leefe: Moving Through God’s Canvas On Wheels”
The doc: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQPXGtolWa8
(and you can substitute the word “Life” for “God’s Canvas” if you’re spiritually-challenged)
Most of what you saw in the video is in the doc, whose first 2 minutes might contain a little TMI for some people, but Eric is just being honest about his situation.
Heavily outweighing that, however, are some nice surprises in the doc.
At the 29-minute mark, Tommy James talks about Eric and his father. The Dad part really got my attention……….just listen to it and you’ll understand why.
That was immediately followed by another nice surprise: Eric singing the Tommy James hit, “Draggin’ The Line” in the studio, backed by the excellent Nashville musicians.
If you didn’t see the video (or even if you did), you’ll love what’s next: Eric’s great Mott The Hoople story from when he was 11 years old.
Next up was my favorite part of the doc because it was a complete surprise to me (and so well-done with those great musicians).
No spoilers this time, but I’ll give you a hint: it was a cover of a powerful song by a band with the initials K.C. (and “Sunshine” is NOT in their name).
Last-minute addition: you won’t find this info in the doc, but there’s a scene toward the end that shows Eric and a young man at a piano. Eric’s mom is there too. I asked him who the young man was. “That’s my nephew Lathan- my sister’s son, who’s 13 (the other nephew – not shown – is Rowan, who’s 15). Both boys are very musically-oriented.”
Well, they’ve got a good teacher to look up to.
OK – time for me to shut up. Go watch (and enjoy) the whole thing.
BUT…….before you go, I have to stick my photographic two cents in here for a proper ending.
Any Creem magazine fans out there who recall rock stars posing on the last page each month with cans of Boy Howdy! beer? (“Boy Howdy!” was Creem’s symbol……..and there was no such beer.)
Well, I used to be one of their photographers and I always had Boy Howdy! stickers in my camera bag to wrap around a soda can backstage after a show (never taking the backing off so I could use them over and over).
Back in 2015, I took this rock star’s picture in his previous residence in Hawthorne, NJ……………and here it is on the last page of this blog post:
Your life was (and still is) something, man!
I had to go to the laundromat today so I decided to watch this as the suds went round and round. What an interesting life! Good for Eric! Your life IS something!!!!