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Death stuns music lovers
Popular keyboardist succumbs to illness at 39, but cause reamins a mystery
Thursday, June 05, 2008
By LAWRENCE SPECKER
Entertainment Reporter
Mobile's music community grappled Wednesday with the unexpected loss of one of its own ? popular 39-year-old keyboardist Bo Roberts, who died Tuesday evening after a brief illness.
The scope of the loss was rapidly evident at
www.myspace.com/borobertsmusic, where postings from fans and fellow musicians expressed shock, love and remembrance.
"We are promised that we will see the ones we love again," wrote one visitor to the site. "Until then Bo leaves a big ol' piano-shaped hole in this world."
As the tributes poured in, the cause of Roberts' death remained a mystery. Numerous e-mails and comments from Roberts' colleagues
indicated that he had recently gone out of the country on vacation, and either by the time of his return or shortly thereafter had developed a persistent fever.
Kristy Lee, an area songwriter who had performed with Roberts on numerous occasions, said that family members were not yet ready to speak publicly about the death, but had allowed her to speak on their behalf. The family confirmed that Roberts had recently been to Mexico with his wife, parents and friends, Lee said, but they did not want to discuss other details of the trip.
Lee said that a couple of visits to doctors failed to stop the fever, and Roberts was admitted to an area hospital early last week. He was still lucid and moving under his own power at that point, she said, but rapidly took a turn for the worse, with his failing respiratory system being the main focus of concern. He spent his last days in a coma and died about 6 p.m. Tuesday, she said.
"They haven't ruled anything out," Lee said. "Nobody could get to the bottom of it."
Roberts had been in good health before the illness set in, Lee said. She said doctors plan an autopsy.
"Everybody is just absolutely on their toes to hear what they find out," she said.
Lee said Roberts had a prominent place in the area music scene.
"He is the hired gun that everybody wants to have," she said. "Bands through the years have played tug-of-war trying to keep him."
He also was widely liked, she said.
"He never had an ego problem," she said. "A lot of people get ego problems, particularly at the level of talent Bo was at."
Bandleader Hank Becker said Roberts had an immediate impact when he moved to the area from Enterprise, about 10 years ago. Mobile and Baldwin counties already had some gifted piano and organ players, but the supply was smaller than the demand.
"Right away, I got the feeling he was painting with the right colors," Becker said.
Becker quickly recruited Roberts to his Boogie Chillin group, whose 2000 album "Chillin at Play" was a regional hit. He remained a friend as Roberts continued to develop his talents in following years. Roberts played with numerous ensembles, including the Port City Allstars.
Drummer Karl Langley described Roberts as "one of those genuine guys."
"In some of the dark places we play, it was always good to have a piece of light like Bo," he said. Langley added that Roberts was also known for his soulful voice and songwriting.
"No matter where he was, he was always writing on something," agreed Lee.
"It's such a strange case. It was so sudden," Becker said. "I suspect he did not know how many people truly loved him."
"He never had a mean bone in his body. He was a kind, sweet, gentle person," Becker said. "We're definitely going to have a memorial jam session and it's going to be everybody from every where."
Lee said a major memorial benefit concert would be held starting at 6 p.m. June 17 at the BlueGill Restaurant on Battleship Causeway.
Details on that event, as well as funeral arrangements, will be posted at
www.myspace.com/borobertsmusic, Lee said.
Roberts is survived by his wife, Kellie Marie Roberts; sisters Theresa Boykin and Kelly Sorrells of Birmingham; and his parents, Dr. Wayne Roberts and Mary Hart Roberts of Enterprise.