YouTube - Paint It Black, For Heath Bowen
When I met Heath, when I first
saw his luminous brown eyes, it felt as though I'd known him my entire life. I
invited Heath to a show I was scheduled to play the next night. The very next
night I played a small show at a coffeehouse in Kansas City, and Heath came in
the door, as I was singing, "Paint It Black".
Months later, Heath told me, "Corinna, I'll never forget that moment. You were
singing Paint It Black..."
That (Paint It Black) became our song. Heath bought the Monterey Pop Festival
DVD and we watched the Animals' cover of the song together. It was our song.
Heath was the love of my life, and the sweetness in my life. Heath talked me out
of suicide one night, and he saved my life that night, he was always there for
me, so close. He was the only person who could make me laugh, and he would do so
at all costs...
One morning when we were walking down a sidewalk in Kansas City, Heath saw how
down I was, and he wanted to cheer me up. He saw a toaster someone had left in
the street, and he grabbed it, and dragged it along by its' cord...as if he were
walking a dog! I had to laugh in spite of myself. Heath had a great sense of
humor. In my car, he turned to me, out of the blue and said, "How do I look?"
I burst out laughing, because Heath was wearing a pair of my mothers' reading
glasses!
I am a recovering self injurer. Heath knew it, and I was a active "cutter" then.
Heath knew...we were so close, he knew the secrets of my heart and mind, and he
never judged me once. Well, I found out some mutual aquaintances of ours had
found out I was a "cutter" and were mocking me, and being cruel about it,
calling me, "Crazy".
That night I just broke down and cried and Heath just held me in his arms, and
tried to soothe me. Heath had alot of pain in his own heart, but he was so
generous in spirit, he tried to soothe my heart. He said, "Who cares what they
say? Who cares if they say you're "crazy"? They're fucking cruel. Look at Jim
Morrison, man. Look at Janis Joplin. When they were onstage, people would say,
"Oh, man, look at the, those fuckers are crazy...But they were artists...and
that's what you are Corinna..."
Music was something Heath took extremely seriously. Heath was a master at the
keyboard, and a tight drummer. Not only could Heath play multiple instruments,
but he could also write, arrange, and compose his own material, music, and
lyrics. Heath was an artistic genius and I truly believe if people had been
exposed to Heath's music and poetry that they would have loved it, and it would
have been a phenomenon. Heath Bowen could very well have been the next Jim
Morrison.
Heath's favorite bands included The Jefferson Airplane, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix,
and Janis Joplin.
In the summer I went to New York to play a concert at the Bitter End. When I was
there I bought Heath a bootleg of The Doors, featuring Jim Morrison singing
"Summertime". Heath really loved that CD.
Heath was warm, smart, funny, wild, genius, beautiful, musical, and
unforgettable.
My memories of Heath and me together keep me alive.
When Heath passed away my screams could have been heard for miles, I am sure.
Today, somehow I take comfort feeling I am not alone, I feel Heath is with me,
holding my hand, by my side, protecting me, and helping me with my music. Heath
inspires me, every day, he inspires music, and he inspires me to just get out of
bed in the morning.
I will always love Heath with all my spirit and heart.
"Where love exists life exists"- Gandhi
-Corinna Fugate