Studio8 - Uniting the Arts

Clay January aka Lightning Rod
November 29, 1948 – February 6. 2013

Visit the In Memoriam section of Studio8 to post your tributes and remembrances to Lightning Rod's memorial forum. Click here:
http://studioeight.tv/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=164

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After a long battle with cancer, Clay January (aka Lightning Rod) left us on February 6, 2013 to go play music with his eternal band. He called the band his Pips and every time one of his musician friends died, he would say that one day he'd be joining them. Lightning Rod was native of Dallas, Texas, and has been a well respected musician and spoken word poet there for many years. His work extends back over 45 years. He was an accomplished songwriter and musician (flute, keyboard & sax, among other instruments), as well as a social commentator, humorist, and spoken word poet.

Lightning Rod was a founding member of Studio Eight. He worked diligently with me to create the Studio Eight forums. He was instrumental in helping to develop this website. Many of the forums here and the structure of the site incorporate Clay's creative ideas.

He also worked with me to create a live stage show performed several times in Washington, DC. Several of the Studio Eight forum members have performed in the Cabaradio show.

Clay is survived by 2 sisters, several children and grandchildren, along with many musicians, songwriters, poets and friends who respected him greatly and often collaborated with him.

I was honored to have spent 5 years as his creative partner. He taught me more than I can ever put in words about music, poetry, philosophy, love and life itself. Lightning Rod will be sorely missed by a great number of people whose lives his generous spirit has touched and whose talents he has influenced.

For those of you who are interested, here are some links to his work:

Lightning Rod - Poetry
http://lrod11.wordpress.com/

Lightning Rod - The Poet's Eye - Social Commentary

http://thepoetseye.wordpress.com/

Lightning Rod - Soundcloud - Music & Spoken Word

https://soundcloud.com/lrod11

Lightning Rod Books
http://www.cafepress.com/lrod

Yes very interested, thank you for the links.

Excellent biography.

I know it sounds like a cliche, but it takes time to mourn, I think writing is therapeutic. thank you for writing.

I don't know how long it will take. I don't understand death or mourning.

I'm working on setting this up so people can write their tributes or memories if they want and also I will be moving some his work posted on the site in other places to this forum to honor him.

Thank you, Jack!

another cliche you don't know what you got till . . .
I been appreciating his work now more than ever

I feel like I grew up on the net with you and clay and a few others here, many others actually.

eleven or 12 years now
it has been an honor to be here with you all

I feel lucky to have met you all if only as disembodied voices in the night

I don't understand death either, but I got a grip on mourning and melancholia

hey, l-rod I´ll light a candle for you today despite I have the sensation that you don´t need that really (don´t worry I´m sometimes a master in doing things that really are not at all necessary ... ). Just saying hola! .

I miss not being able to jam with him, but even so I try to imagine what he would say to something I read today on the internet about politics. Clay had such a beautiful eye for politics, sometimes I would get so angry at him I would get the adrenalin shakes, but I was always interested in what he had to say, I guess it was just a line in a Hollywood movie about Frieda "I would rather have an intelligent enemy than a stupid friend"

I wanted to ask him what he thought about this article from counter punch. wonder what he would say about the Politics of Elizabeth Warren a woman who has more strength of character and integrity than Hillary but will probably never have the money to run against her...sorry for the ramble, Counterpunch kind of my go to website when I want to try and get my head out of mass market ass here in America.

Thought about Vultures and Debts today, thought about Argentina

I wonder if I can still buy Clay's books somewhere on the net. I would like to read another one, I am glad we keep his memory going


missing links>>


Wall Street’s nightmare: President Elizabeth Warren
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/11/w ... 99697.html

this is a counterpunch article about the website above
Can Politico Sink Any Lower
http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/01/20/ ... any-lower/