Friday, April 15, 2016
Hi, I had to share a few thoughts with Armand's passing ! It's impossible to share all the memories, but I knew Armand since he was a little boy, having grown up in the same town, same street, about 4 doors away. It was obvioius early on that Armand was talented, intelligent .. and a wee bit theatrical. I always thought of Armand as a musical mentor, having taught me to sing somewhat properly, which later benefited me in several ways. Armand could be very philosophical and we shared hundred's of conversations over the years about everything under the sun ! In the early 60's, Armand was one of a regular group of us young folks who'd sit around the table at Houghaboom's little family nursing home on Main St., sip gallons of coffee, in clouds of cigarette smoke, and work out all the issues of the universe. Armand loved pianos and organs, for their musical and historical value, and would sometimes travel great distances to pursue a lead if he felt he could find a special one, if even just to look at it. I recall once in the late 60's traveling from Milton to central NH. just to look at a special piano .. and ended up meeting a man who once worked for Walt Disney ! Typical of the adventures one might have when with Armand. Armand played keyboard over the years in places that ranged from racy watering holes to classy spots like the cocktail lounge of Basin Harbor Club, where he got me one of my first jobs out of highschool. Of course Armand was also a church organ/choir master in Milton and a few other spots and his Christmas Eve midnight service was memorable in that it went beyond the conventional mode and employed a variety of singers and instruments such as organ, guitar, cello & violins. My love and condolences go out to Marcel and Jackie, who were also part of the old gang on Main St.
God Bless, Steve Guyette Goshen, NH.
