Those who were close to Victoria musician Alan Hume knew his two passions were family and music.
“His heart was shaped like a guitar,” said his partner, Barb Quinn.
Surrounded by those two things he loved most, the beloved father, guitarist, music teacher and former manager of Old Town Strings died on Aug. 5 at the age of 70.
Hume’s talent and accomplishments were well-known in the Canadian music community, as he played with renowned musicians such as Nelly Furtado and recorded the CBC DiscDrive with fellow musician Doug Cox.
His legacy lies in his music, according to Quinn. He released his album, Flying Colour, two days before his death, with all proceeds going to his sons. The album includes one bonus track and liner notes for those interested in the stories behind the music.
Quinn added the best way to get to know Hume and feel his spirit is through his music.
“He was a very special person, and that specialness in a human being comes out as a (guitar) player. Because it’s not just the notes, and people can be technically good at playing, but it’s playing with feeling, and that was core to his artistic soul. That’s why his music was so powerful,” she said.
Five months ago, Hume was diagnosed with mesothelioma that was so advanced there were no treatment options available. While the sole cause of the cancer is exposure to asbestos, he had no idea, as a musician, how he got it.
He chose a medically assisted death and spent his last days with intention and care surrounded by friends, family and music.
“He didn’t want to be in a hospital bed hooked up to machines where you can’t speak and you’re drugged up to your mind — that was the last thing he wanted,” Quinn said.
To mark his farewell, Quinn gathered some of Hume’s close friends and family in “a circle of love.” She recounted how he placed his speaker in the middle of the circle and played “My Opening Farewell” by Bonnie Raitt, which brought everyone in the room to tears.
“Then he got up, said the love gave him superpowers and played a Mike Stern happy song, and he got everybody up in the circle and dancing, and he was telling people to sway their hips,” Quinn said with a laugh. “Spirits were up and everybody was dancing, and it just tells you the kind of person he is.”
Ron Forbes-Roberts, one of Hume’s close friends and co-worker at Old Town Strings, recalled fond memories of hearing Hume’s music wind its way through the music store. He said it would often cause people to “stop reverentially and listen.”
“I’ve been a musician all my life and I’ve known a lot of very talented people, and if I were to draw up a list, Al would be near the top,” Forbes-Roberts said. “He was a very naturally gifted person. He worked very hard to nurture that gift, but there was a lot there that a lot of us weren’t born with, including deep musical intelligence.”
While Hume was an accomplished and talented musician, Forbes-Roberts added “he never carried himself that way,” and approached his relationships with his music and his family “with persistence and passion.”
“He had a lot of depths, and you didn’t always know what those depths were,” he said.
Flying Colour, written, recorded, mixed and mastered by Hume himself, is available for digital purchase on Bandcamp.
“I truly hope you find some tunes in this album that give you some lasting enjoyment,” Hume wrote in the album’s description. “I feel fortunate to be able to have it out in the big world of music. With love and peace to you all.”
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