From Ed Ward at Milwaukee Irish Fest

Hello friends


- it's a sad day today as Irish music has lost its most passionate and
ardent advocate. Tommy Makem passed away tonight at 7 p.m. after what I
would have to call a heroic struggle to maintain his life style, love of
music and performing, and contact with his many admirers and friends. He
battled his cancer in his own way and fought it bravely and without
complaints. "Ever onward and upward' he would say.

I spoke to him about 2 weeks ago the day after he returned from Ireland. We
talked for about a half an hour about his trip, how wonderful it was to see
the parade of people who came to visit him in the hotel, relatives, old
friends, the archbishop. He said he was very sad when he boarded a plane to
leave Ireland - clearly knowing he would not see it again. He desperately
wanted to make it to Milwaukee this year so we discussed plans on what we
would do as it was evident he would not be able to perform. But he planned
to be there anyway.

We are going ahead with these plans and Tommy's slots will be billed as
"REMEMBERING TOMMY MAKEM" and will be led by his nephews Tom and Jimmy
Sweeney, Brian Doherty, Kevin Evans and Eugene Byrne and other close
friends. The Makem and Spain Brothers will also be in Milwaukee so it
should be a special celebration of Toomy's life and love for the music of
Ireland.

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