I was stunned when I heard the news. Oddly, I got it the way I’m sure a few people get some news items like this nowadays – via word of mouth from Facebook. The fan page of one of my favorite artists, Ledisi, had a post mentioning the passing of Wayman Tisdale. As soon as I saw it, then found news reports confirming it – news like this makes you do a double take no matter who you get it from – I was at a loss for words.
Many basketball fans and people connected with the game who are around my age remember Tisdale from his days in the NBA, and some a little older remember his college days well. College basketball saw one of its all-time greats leave us on Friday, but the world lost much more than just a basketball star.
Tisdale’s basketball accomplishments are well-known. He was a three-time first-team All-American at Oklahoma, including his freshman year. That year, he was the first freshman selected for the honor since freshman ineligibility was ended about a decade earlier. Even after just three seasons, he still holds the school’s all-time records for scoring and rebounding. He went on to a solid career in the NBA, averaging over 15 points per game, and in 1984 was part of the U.S. team that won the gold medal in the Olympics. Last month, he was chosen for induction into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
In about the last 15 years or so, there have been many connections forged between the worlds of sports and music. Nowadays, you can’t go to a sporting event and not have music playing during timeouts or other slow periods of play, and some teams have had theme songs of sorts. Numerous athletes have also tried their hand in music, with the most noteworthy example in the NBA being Shaq. But while many of those athletes went into rap, Tisdale found his home in jazz, and came to be beloved by jazz fans in much the same way he was by basketball fans as a player.
Tisdale’s NBA career gave him instant name recognition, but once fans got to hear his music, they knew he didn’t need it. Famously upbeat, even after he began the battle with cancer that would ultimately take his life, Tisdale’s concerts were always fun and full of energy in addition to great music. Fans loved him as much for his infectious personality as his music. In a genre that doesn’t have great market share but has fiercely loyal fans, he developed a huge following and a fan base that came to know him for adding an old school touch to a lot of his music.
Tisdale could play the bass with many of the best, and he had a string of successful CDs, releasing eight and making guest appearances on several others. He was accessible to fans, and was scheduled to be part of the Smooth Jazz Cruise next January, an event where the performers often spend a lot of time with fans. Right up to about the time he passed, he constantly played to sellout crowds.
The old school was certainly visible in his music, and he did a number of great covers over the years. While my personal favorites are the Norman Connors hit Starship and Earth, Wind & Fire’s Can’t Hide Love (the latter of which has also been covered by a number of other artists over the years), he also covered hits like Summer Breeze, Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now and Get Down On It. And anyone who knows what he went through has to think that a song like Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now was an anthem of sorts for him toward the end of his life.
My first experience with his music was when he joined saxophonist Everette Harp for the title track of Harp’s CD Better Days, and I knew right there that I would have to buy a CD of his one day. I currently own two, but have long planned to add more.
I had the pleasure of meeting Tisdale briefly at the 2001 Capital Jazz Fest in Virginia. At that time, he was known much more for basketball, although he had already made some inroads as a jazz artist. He opened up on Sunday at the annual weekend-long event, and after he performed was more than happy to sign CDs and posters for a long line of fans that gathered. He was friendly and engaging, and it’s not a surprise that people from all over who knew the man have raved about him. I still have that signed poster in my possession.
Tisdale performed at last year’s Capital Jazz Fest, and I remember watching him entertain the always captive audience as if it was yesterday. As always, he brought plenty of the old school spirit with him while putting on a stellar show. Little did I know it would be the last time I would ever see him.
It’s not just the world of basketball that lost someone close to us today. For that matter, it’s not just the world of jazz, either. While those of us who are fans of both basketball and jazz were hit doubly hard by this news, the truth is that all of us lost someone with Wayman Tisdale’s passing. My thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time.
