Tommie Wix R.I.P. Tue Dec 26, 2006 - Adriaan Strum - sturma@bellsouth.net I received the sad news of Tommie's death a couple of days ago. Thanks to her and her late husband Harold music fans around the world were able to hear the great musical talent of Ray Smith once again in the seventies. Ray at the time was living and playing in Canada and when Tommie found him in 1978 and convinced him to record some good old Rock & Roll music. Once in the studio Ray did not want to play the piano but thanks to Tommie's persistence Ray did agree to play the ivories on the album "I'm Gonna Rock Some More" (WIX 1000). Review: http://members.aol.com/Zeeuw2/SmithR.htm. All tracks from the album as well as all the two Wix singles released at the time were re-issued some twenty years later on the CD "The Complete Wix Sessions of ... Ray Smith" (WCD 1006). Review: http://members.aol.com/Zeeuw2/SmithR2.htm. Ray's second release on Wix Records was a 1962 Live concert simply titled "Live in '62" and featuring an actual live tape of a concert Ray played that year. Tommie was also instrumental in Wayne Worley's return to the recording studio when Wix Records recorded and released "Red Headed Woman" (WIX 1001) by Wayne Worley and The Worley Birds. As editor of the Rockville-International magazine at the time I exchanged many letters with her and we soon became friends. Over the years the number of letters decreased but around 2000 we wrote some more and as I found out she had become very good friends with Sonny Burgess, Billy Lee Riley and James Van Eaton. Unfortunately she was struck by Alzheimer's and no longer was able to correspond with her music friends. I have missed her letters and phone calls for quite some time and although her passing saddens me I am also happy for her because she is at peace now with Harold and her "Rockin' Little Angel" Ray. Adriaan Back to the "Take Note" Main Page