Many thanks to the reader who forwarded to me an article in the Express-Times about Lonny Heckman (read it here). The reader explained that she graduated with Lonny from Nazareth in 1987 and their recent reunion coupled with his passing on Tuesday and this article had her wondering about what we do with the time we have and to what extent we are each able to live our dreams.
Lonny died on Tuesday at age 38, following a lifelong battle with diabetes (his obituary is available here).
He was recognized by Howard Stern because Lonny wrote a song for Stern and his fiance titled, "When I See Beth Smiling" that has been recorded by several bands (sidebar from Express-Times here) including Shaw/Blades who perform tonight at Crocodile Rock in Allentown.
The Express-Times also has an article that includes excerpts from an email Heckman sent to the paper on Tuesday evening (read it here).
Learning of Heckman's passing, Howard Stern eulogized Lonny with kind words, sadness, and surprise not having known of Heckman's medical condition, only the song Lonny had written. Even in an interview Stern did with Lonny, the condition was not discussed.
On Heckman's myspace page (view it here) you can read how Lonny's act of chasing a dream has impact in many unintended ways. Fans of Howard Stern appreciated and respected Lonny's effort to write the song, but then as they were made aware of his passing and the reason why, it extended to those who shared his passion for song-writing, his medical condition, and more.
It would appear that Lonny's ability to chase a dream not only provided a personal achievement, but his positive impact on others has reached much further than anyone will probably ever know and that is quite a legacy to leave.
Again my thanks to Suzanne for bringing this story to my attention.
2 comments:
I listen to Howard evey morning. And I was very sad to hear this news yesterday. But I am very glad that Lonny got to experience all of this recognition and excitement before he passed. I understand he was a longtime Howard Stern and Styx fan so this must have been a great thrill for him.
I knew he was from the Valley but did not know of his connection to Nazareth. R.I.P, Lonny.
the first time howard heard lonny's song, he said he was going to play it at his wedding as a goof. it was a joke. but then when the covers started pouring in, it became more sentimental. lonny was a good sport about it the whole time. and now that he has passed, the song really takes on a whole new meaning. it's witty and sweet. it's no longer a joke. howard says he will play it at his wedding -- for real this time -- and really it has morphed into a song that touches all of us. rest in peace lonny.
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