Hi,

Just going through the website and thought I'd add my own stories to share with you, my spell check is down and it's 2.30 AM so this could be messy... please excuse me... Maybe its too late right now to be writing this but theres something wrong with me if I can't give a few moments to share with you a few of my own personal meetings with the man who gave me so much inspirational music throughout my life. A true genius and a wonderful person. I only met him twice yet it feels like I lost a brother.

I have been a fan of death since the Individual Thought Patterns album but the only time I ever got to see death in concert was on the Symbolic tour. Luckily they came back and toured again just a month later so I got to see them in action twice. How grateful I am now for those moments. I'll never forget meeting chuck coming off of the tour bus in Preston, UK, 14/9/95. I had been waiting all day to get my albums signed etc. Allthough I must admit I didn't know what too expect. Chuck looked genuinely pleased to see me (!) and the other 2 diehards who where waiting. We spoke and hung with Chuck and the other guys (Gene, Bobby and Brian) for about a half hour and talked about everything, like friends almost. Chuck and Gene took the camera off us at one point and just took a few pics pulling faces at our camera.

The gig itself was pretty embarrassing. There was a poor turn out, the advertising had been dreadful but Death were amazing, just as you would expect. They didn't care about the turn out and put on a masterful performance. We met again afterwards and talked for a while before they left and I stayed in the train station in the cold all night!!! It was well worth it.

One month later though in Bradford, UK. We travelled down to meet the guys again. Somehow they remembered us from the Preston show and it was like a reunion. More pictures taken, more talk about tours and metal and general shit. They let us go inside for the soundcheck and that night the place was packed out and the energy was electrifying. I remember watching Chucks fingers on the guitar in awe and at one point Chuck actually saw me in the corner of his eye and said hi whilst mid-set. A moment I'll always remember. I think that was the last night of the European tour. They loved the show. Aftwards we went to get some food together, eating half of Chucks chips and asking him to sign them too since we'd had everything else signed (damn groupies!) I think for a moment he thought we where serious! Chuck went on to the bus and gave us some Control Denied stickers, demos etc., he ALWAYS had time for us, then away they went again. Never for a moment did I think that we would never meet again.

Maybe the strangest thing that happened during these meetings was me getting my photo taken with Chuck. The first time I stood with him for a pic the camera ran out of film. I was gutted. But the second time I had 2 pictures taken for good measure yet when we got the photos back there was no Chuck pic??? The negatives show all the other pictures perfectly but the 2 with Chuck where just blank??? I guess I was destined never to get my picture with my hero. It might seem stupid going on about signings and pictures but He was such a huge influence to me as a youngster (and still) that it was worth every single minute of hanging around and getting no sleep untill the 6am train the day after, missing school etc.

Calling somebody a hero or an idol seems a bit too ODD. But that's all I can say he was to me growing up but when I met him he became like a friend almost. As stupid as it may sound. I'm sure the people who ever had contact with the man know what I mean. As I sit here now writing this, behind me hangs an old Death poster of Chuck and his stealth. It is signed "to Mike ... Chuck Schuldiner". I will treasure it always but even if my house went up in flames tommorow I will always have the memories of meeting Chuck. Who, when I met him face to face was everthing I hoped he would be, above all the musical genius he possessed... a fantastic human being... and he certainly was that. Thank you Mr. Schuldiner for everything. There will never be another like you.

Mike Dee, UK