KUOW’s devoting the Swing Years and Beyond to the late Cynthia Doyon this evening; they also added a page with a selection of what are apparently considerable numbers of notes of condolence and shock.
bluejack has a little note expressing surprise; and the Little City Journal noted her passing, pointing to the P-I obit. Anita linked to me about this as well.
I’m actually surprised that there aren’t more blogland expressions of loss out there – I suppose blogger demographics don’t overlap with Saturday night public radio listeners very much.
Over the past few days, I haven’t really been able to shake brooding about this – I feel like I’ve lost a friend, as illusory as that is. In the comments on my original entry, at least one person expressed similar sentiments.
UPDATE: In January, 2004, the Seattle Weekly published a piece on suicide and led with Ms. Doyon’s last moments. There’s a lovely phptp of her accompanying the article, and that photo is also the magazine’s cover for the issue.
A Mecca for Moderns. Mike: Leeann and I got so much joy from her show, whether spending a quiet night at home, or driving home from a late shift. I am still incredulous at the news…
I just found out it was a suicide. I listened to Doyon’s show and baked pies as an aid to get me through graduate school (damn, I still have six months to go) and buffer the fact that I’m too busy or retarded or something to have a “committed” romantic relationship (or whatever you want to call it). Cynthia was one unmarried chick playing music for me, one divorced chick. Her music went out, my pies are given away…This whole thing reminds me of the singer Susannah McCorkle who jumped from her 14th story window in NY a few years back. I had seen her perform in the Oak Room at the Algonquin and spoke with her afterward, telling her what a fan I am and that she ought to come to Seattle and perform! (She’d never been.) Another incredibly personable woman with an encyclopedic knowledge of her love/subject, popular song. Another beautiful, too-young woman who actually felt too alone to make it through the depression stuff (if it gets too much of a grip, all bets are off). It’s us loners and thinkers, we depressives who’d better watch out! Tell a talented person who from the outside SEEMS like they have it all together how much you appreciate them today. Too long for a bumpersticker. I think it’s interesting how Doyon’s surf sounds of water on her show was sort of a foreshadowing of her own death near the water. Very noir.
Please respond:
new dj for SWAB.
what about all the fans—
I, like so many out there, have been stunned with the whole situation about Cynthia. The day after it happened, I phoned KUOW’s program manager to find out what they were doing with the show. Audition? Play old shows-I like that thought the best..but, I realize we must move on. I then emailed them, with no response from either. First, I asked if there was any plan for the many, many who loved her to do some sort of grieving?? And then, would they audition new hosts to get talent.
personally, I feel somehow if we were to communicate to each other, or have a big funeral party for her, or something to acknowledge who and what she did for so many of us, I would feel better. Selfish, yes, but as I read all the emails, I realize how many of us really, truly were touched. Why hadn’t she called out for help over the air? How could we have helped, etc. Just to air our thoughts.
I mean, was I the only one who cried off and on for the week.
There is something wrong with this picture. Something was wrong at the station, she had very deep feelings that she wasn’t appreciated. I spoke to one person at the station who said, “I really don’t think Cynthia would want any kind words or ‘memorials associated with KUOW.”
I also feel like, are we all just going to drop the love of true, great swing AND jazz?? There are other dj’s-on KSER/KBCS–but the woman on there now–she pains my rememberances of Ms. Doyon. I wanted to give it a few weeks of listening to check whether she has any skill with this genre. Nix. Any thoughts?
I was stunned too Maria, even though I hadn’t heard her show for at least a year. But I used to listen a whole lot when I was writing my dissertation late into the night. I was astounded by how much the news affected me and I was in a funk about it for quite a while, even though I’m not one who normally imprints on celebrities.
I too have felt that something is kind of wrong with the picture. It’s easy to believe that she was becoming something of a dinosaur at KUOW, as they increasingly load the schedule with canned syndicated shows. I thought KUOW’s tribute show was very poorly executed, and the guy who hosted it was basically reading from a script. Why not some personal heartfelt comments in real time? How hard is that? Maybe those who appreciated her were too choked up, but I wonder.
I’ve listened to her temporary replacement, Amanda Wilde, on KEXP a lot so her voice is pretty familiar. Tonight she seems to have done a good job on the research and seems to be warming up to the position a bit.
I feel a lot of people are in fact grieving and need some sort of outlet. Cynthia did say no memorials, but that sentiment is part of the whole suicide thing, and I don’t agree with it any more than I agree that she should have killed herself. It also punishes us by making it harder to grieve, and I don’t think she intended that.