"BREAK A LEG," I TOLD MR. WONDERFUL

Bob Marier’s life echoes with music. From singing in barber shop quartets and the fabulous Colby Eight, at family weddings (“Love Me Tender”) and funerals (“Danny Boy”), his baritone voice has wowed us through the years. He’s even recorded two CDs showcasing his best. 

But when local music impresario (and pal) Mark Gunter suggested having a concert of Bob’s music at Trinity Chapel in Kennebunk Beach, he was hesitant. “My voice — it’s not like it used to be,” he moaned. Those moans became more audible when Mark said he’d also lined up Lisa Mills (southern Maine’s most popular chanteuse) and gifted guitarist Don Wessels, plus the inimitable Hal Hannaford on percussion. 

“I’m not sure I’m up to this,” Mr. W told me. For the last two months, he’s practiced every song he’s ever written for hours on end, sometimes strumming uke, guitar or banjo, other times hitting the high notes on harmonica. I doubt Mick Jagger EVER put in as much pre-concert practice time.

Last Monday night at 5 PM, about 85 people gathered on the lawn outside the beach chapel for a wine and cheese reception. (And promptly depleted every bottle of wine in half an hour, I may add!)  At 6 PM sharp, church bells chimed, the happy crowd settled into wooden pews and the  “Bob Marier and Friends in Concert!” began.

Mr. Wonderful was in Carnegie Hall form. He opened the gig with the local anthem, “KENNEbunk Beach, KenneBUNK Beach, KENNEBUNK BEACH,” a song he wrote more than 40 years ago about local characters and their haunts. During the hour-long hootenanny, each member of the band soloed one or two of Bob’s songs, but the Headliner carried the evening, dropping historical tidbits and explanations of what induced him to write that particular song. He nailed every note!

And the crowd? They loved it! I heard cheers, saw tears, and kept thinking, what an incredibly wonderful evening this is for everyone. It felt as if the whole community had become one happy family. And then …. 

Most of the audience had left the chapel when Bob walked across the stage to talk with Mark, then tripped and fell into the side of the keyboard. As we say in our family, he went “down like the Hindenburg.”

Six hours later we were still in the Emergency Room of Southern Maine Medical Center, awaiting results of a CT scan and X-rays. After an unGodly wait, we learned Bob had four fractured ribs and a hemothorax (internal bleeding) — not good at any age, definitely not at 86. 

The sun hadn’t yet risen when an ambulance transported him to the Trauma Unit at Maine Medical Center in Portland where he stayed several nights, eyeballing the pretty nurses and detesting the ice-cold morning coffee. Even the staff concurred when Bob told them, “The food here is awful!” 

But the nursing care was exceptional.

Mr. Wonderful is now home, spending nights in his big blue leather recliner, talking short walks around the house, petting Sunshine, and puffing away on his spirometer to ward off pneumonia. He’s uncomfortable, “things really hurt,” but his spirits are sky-high, especially when he watches video tapes of himself and friends in concert. A night to remember!

But …. in a nanosecond, the positive joy and exhilarating elation of Monday night turned to pain and fear. Just one misstep resulted in a long slow recuperation. I keep reminding myself of the Latin phrase “carpe diem” because you never know what’s around the bend.  

 It’ll be at least a month or so until Mr. W can pick up a 5-iron. But this morning I sensed good things when I brought him up a bowl of cherries. He was standing in front of his gigantic TV holding a putter.  And he didn’t look at all guilty! There’s no stopping Mr. Wonderful.

And many thanks to the talented Bob Dennis who photographed the concert!