In Memory of Hiram Bullock
A dear friend of the Fab Faux, one known
to many longtime fans, passed from this earth on July 25th. Hiram Bullock was 52.
Will's association with Hiram goes back many, many years. Hiram and Will are pictured with the 24th Street
Band in NYC, circa (?). Both Will and Hiram were there for the early days of "The World's Most Dangerous Band" on the older Letterman show.
"The FF happened because of Hiram hiring Rich, who I had never heard of, for a small European tour," Will recalls. "He was also the
first guy invited to come up and jam with us. ... It's hard to put into words what my friendship with Hiram Bullock
has meant, but to so many people he was a mentor, inspiration and friend."
Hiram Bullock will be celebrated at a Memorial next week --
Tuesday, August 5th, 6 p.m.
SGI Buddhist Cultural Center
7 East 15th Street (right off Union Square)
New York City
In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to organizations that help protect nature, esp. the Polar Bear
(i.e.; World Wildlife Fund, The Great Bear Foundation, etc.).
 Hiram Bullock European Tour '97
I had the incredible opportunity to play with both Hiram and Will (who at the time, I had just met) in France and Germany 11 years ago.
Hiram knocked me out as a guitar player, especially his deep-pocket rhythm playing which is not easy to find in a fantastic lead player.
The temperature seemed like 100 degrees every night mainly from Hiram (and Will) creating a perpetual rave up groovefest -- a jam like
I had never experienced.
Yet, besides his playing and energy, he was a fun person to be with, humorously anecdotal, iron-clad opinions with a comfortingly warm soul. When we would meet on the street in New York, we would always talk about a new or old record that we were currently digging, then realizing that we were suddenly very late for something.
It goes without saying that had it not been for this tour, there may not have been a Fab Faux since it was here that Will and
I became locked in the clutches of Abbey Road-ism -- while Hiram rolled his eyes, asking us to get back to the issues at hand.
You will be missed. - Rich
Secret Sound Studio
My first experience working in NY City was as an intern for Secret Sound Studio where the 24th Street Band recorded.
Hiram was working on his solo album at the time and I was lucky to be around for the tail end of some of the recordings and mixes.
I remember thinking his playing was the most innovative since Jimi Hendrix. That made a lasting impression on me ...
very sad to see him go at such a young age. - Jack
Coolness and Confidence
Very few musical geniuses (or is it genii ?) exude coolness and confidence in attitude, style, musicianship and all-around hipness
in stage presence like Hiram did. I include Miles, Jimi, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington in that club. It was all there, fully blown
when I first saw him with Will and Steve and Clifford in the 24th Street Band. It was there when I saw him with Sanborn and Gil Evans.
I wanted to do everything he was doing ... after all, he created the in-your-face late-night TV guitar player image I'm still trying
to live up to! I'll never catch up ... even though he's gone he's still with me everyday ... I even adopted his "sitting on the stool cool"
on-camera style. Getting Hiram's approval was always so important to me. When he gave me the nod or wink I felt 10 feet tall ... when
he didn't I felt ... well ... after all, he is still Hiram and he is my friend ... major validation. I'll miss him and always hold
his standard dear to my musical endeavors.
- jimmy v (52nd St. NYC)
University Days
Hiram gave a great account several years ago of his freshman year at The University of Miami (Will's dad was the Dean of Music
there at the time) in an interview for Guitar Player magazine. A young Pat Metheny had the job of auditioning incoming guitarists
and placing them in the various ensembles according to their development. Hiram recounted that he felt he wasn't going to
place high because there were a lot of hotshot players, ace readers, etc., competing for spots. Hiram jammed with Metheny for
a little while, Pat leading him through various styles (Soul-Jazz, etc.) and Hiram expressed his apprehension about his
development when they were finished. "Nonsense," Metheny replied. "I'm putting you in the first band -- you have something
they don't have." - Frank
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