Belmar native Terry Magovern
A lovely tribute from Backstreets.com:
"It is with great sadness that we report that longtime Springsteen associate and close friend Terry Magovern, 67, passed away in his sleep on Monday night. For the last 20 years, Magovern could be seen regularly at Springsteen's side. An imposing figure, seemingly the walking embodiment of "You better be good for goodness sake" wherever he accompanied Springsteen, Magovern had a kind and gracious nature, one pleasantly at odds with his professional image. Magovern began working for Springsteen in 1987, but the two had already known each other for decades by that point. They met at the Upstage in Asbury Park in the late '60s; "Right from the first time I heard [Bruce] play," Magovern told journalist Robert Santelli, "I believed in him and his music." In 1971, as manager of the Captain's Garter in Neptune, Magovern hired the Bruce Springsteen Band to play.
In the years that followed, Magovern managed a number of Shore clubs, including Clarence Clemons' Big Man's West in Red Bank. By the time he went on the road with Springsteen for the Tunnel of Love Express Tour in 1988, he had a wealth of experience in the music business. He has been an intergral part of Springsteen's work life ever since.
It would be hard to overestimate the impact Magovern's loss will have on those with whom he worked, just as it's hard to pin down what his job actually was. Magovern was "Road Manager" on the Tom Joad tour, "Personal Assistant" on the Rising tour... but just as often his official role was no more (and no less) than being himself, as in the multiple tourbooks that list the credit, "Terry Magovern: Terry Magovern." Personal aide, liaison, researcher, reconnaissance man, right-hand man, right arm... Magovern played a larger role than we can probably know in helping Springsteen navigate the demands of his profession and get his music to the masses. And he touched many other lives along the way. Our hearts go out to all those who knew and loved him.
Magovern's death follows that of his fiance, Joan Dancy, from ALS in 2005; after Dancy passed away, Magovern established an organization in her honor to help others who suffer from ALS. Donations, in lieu of flowers, will help that group's continuing work: The Joan Dancy & PALS Support Group, Riverview Medical Center, 1 Riverview Plaza, Red Bank, NJ 07701.
Watch for a tribute in Backstreets #87.
-August 1, 2007"
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5 comments:
I have known Terry Magovern just over 23 years. We met in Sydney Australia at the Sebel Townhouse where he and Bruce were staying. Naturally we met in the bar and shared a couple of cold shots of Stoley...Then we discussed th Born in the USA tour and I told Terry I had missed out as all the tickets were sold out. Terry in his gruff manner said "Well I can take care of that". Just show up at the will call window tomorrow night and you're in". Ha ha ha I thought. Fat chance of that happening. But I am an adventerous woman so I showed up with a couple of friends and low and behold, waiting for my signature were 4 awesome front row seats with back stage passes to boot! Terry Magovern, what a guy....From that evening on, a friendship/romance was born. Sadly for me however, because of Terry's hectic schedule, our long distance romance fizzled, but we remained friends. I spoke with Terry shortly after his fiancee passed away, promising to visit one day soon but alas that day will never be...
I am greieved deeply for this awesome man. Terry Magovern was "one of a kind". Hard on the outside with a heart as soft as peanut butter on a hot summer day.. I will miss you "T"
Oh and I saved all the back stage passes, letters and the silly birthday card you sent me and I will cherish the memories... I love you bud....
Julie Taylor
I am a Belmar native currently living in NYC and I only became aware of Terry McGovern's passing when my friend showed me the Magic album he purchased and I was reading the credits and such and saw that Terry had passed away. I felt so sad on so many levels. My only experiences with Terry directly were funny - him not letting even "Belmar locals" anywhere near Bruce! I would like to extend my sincere condolences to his family and friends. Terry was clearly a legend - my personal response to his passing inspired me to write this as I didn't even know him but I was so deeply saddened by the end of an era.
my name is william pierce i am from Belmar my father and terry where friends. i had to be 13 years oldl when i started to work for him helping my brother muggs cleaning the captains garter in neptune nj. terry ran the barthen the bar burned down and he started to run the riptide in point pleasant/ in 1973 he use to come to my high school and tell the school he was my father so i could go clean the bar before the township inspector came to look at the bar he was like my father. i use to see bruce a lot with terry.he loved bruce and i knew he would work for him thats all he talked about he always knew where bruce would be. i use to think of bruce when i thought of terry now when i hear of bruce i think of terry i cold write a book on him but like he always told me .keep it in your sock i was at his veiwing though u couldnt get in that had to be the best veiwing in the world and i know he planned it like that. he was a great friend and he will be missed .can you get me in terry
one time when i was 15 or 16 terry took me to a bruce show in philly he had to pick up a girl named obie i think she worked for southside or the east street band we had some stuff in the trunk for the east street band i never really looked .we get to the backstage and they only let obie in we went and sat in the seats we some how got in. the show is about to start and i thought i heard bruce say over the mic come on back terry i said to terry what did he say and terry told me to relax and watch the show , after the show they let us go back stage and we looked around for about 15 minetes when bruce came out of his dressing room ,we waited about another 10 minetes and terry said lets go willy ,i said hes right there terry, he said hes busy lets go we started to leave and as we are bruce runs up and says hey terry how are you ,it was some night ,these memorys are like giant welds on steel only time will destroy them,and thats along time my friend,
Is Terry the Terry Bruce is referring to in "Backstreets"?
Chief
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