RIP Mary Weiss

 I shall call her Mary...

Mary Weiss commanded an awe and respect for all of us that loved the music of the 1960s. She was, and will always be the woman that sang about your heartache, of love, of walking in the sand, or running out in the streets.

Seeing Mary Weiss return to the stage at SXSW 2007 was literally a dream come true. I took a ton of photos, but all of my friends kept asking, "What was the setlist?" I was having so much fun, I didn't even think about keeping notes on that. "Everything but Leader Of The Pack" was the best answer I could give.

In March of 2011, I went to New York City for the Left Banke's first shows in 42 years. Mary Weiss came backstage to say hello to her old friends. It took me half the evening to work up the nerve to say hello to her. After I mentioned that I was from North Carolina, she said, "I've been looking at real estate in North Carolina. What's Charlotte like? What's Raleigh like?" Suddenly, I found myself in a ten-minute conversation with the leader of the Shangri-Las, discussing the pros of moving to North Carolina. As a wayward New Yorker, I knew that she might never make that move, but it was a wonderfully surreal moment. Mary also helped me coax a smile out of the Left Banke's Tom Finn for a photograph. Even Tom understood the power of Miss Mary.

Thank you, Mary. For a lifetime of moments that will live forever, and you will always be there, singing of life's joy and pain.

Until I hear you, and photograph you again, someday....

-Daniel

January 19, 2024