We were so very sorry to hear this news. It is such a tragedy. Our prayers are being said for his family, friends and all his wonderful co-workers. #We can only imagine how difficult this is for everyone.
Ed and Dorothy Diederich
We were so very sorry to hear this news. It is such a tragedy. Our prayers are being said for his family, friends and all his wonderful co-workers. #We can only imagine how difficult this is for everyone.
Ed and Dorothy Diederich
Without music, life is a journey through a desert.
LONG LIVE CHARLIE DERRINGTON
My heart is with the family, co-workers and all the buddies of Charlie, the greatest repair person in the history of the F-5 mandolin.
Thanks Charlie for keeping the Gibson name alive.
Bill
I am dumbfounded. I did not know Charlie personally but did have a few email conversations with him and very much enjoyed his precents here on the cafe. My prayers are with his family.
Keith
My sincere condolences to Charlie's family, friends, co-workers, players of instruments he helped craft, and those he taught along the way. It's likely that we've all heard/known instruments he built or repaired through many a concert or recording. We all benefited from his excellence. His corporal self may be without life, but he left us all with plenty of life.
Rest in peace, Charllie. I didn't know you, but thank you for what you did for us all.
-Phil
There's not much to add that hasn't been said. I didn't know Charlie, but I admired and respected his work, and from the impressions I got from my friends who knew him, I would have liked him as much as they did.
I hope his family understands and appreciates the amazing contributions he made to the mandolin community. While he'll be missed greatly, he left behind an amazing legacy.
Steve
what a senseless tragedy . as it was said before Charlie will still live on in the work that he loved doing.
Charlie's family and friends will be in my thoughts and prayers as i am sure they will be in those of everyone else here.
there is one thing you can tell for sure from all of these posts, Mr. Derrington touched alot of people by simply doing something he loved.
Wes
"i gotta fever...and the only prescription is more cowbell!!"
'87 Flatiron A5-JR/'25 Gibson A-JR
... and the willows will hang thier heads
white dove
Jim Jenigen
Baggin Maggies
Richmond, VA
"Trying to get to heaven before they close the door". Bob Dylan
Joe, Thank you for posting the sad news. It must have been difficult to let us know. My heart goes out to you, Charlie's family, and the folks at Gibson that knew him. This has created a huge vacuum in the mandolin world, and especially in his family's lives. Hopefully this vacuum will be filled gently.
its funny how the internet makes us believe we know people...never met charlie, never corresponded w/him....only knew him from this site.....but still feels like a huge loss to the community....
This news is truly tragic and deeply saddens me.
Charlie Derrington was (and still is to me) A CLASS ACT.
Even though he did not know me, he once did me a huge favour. His generosity in that act actually confused me for a few days because I could not fathom why he had decided to help a complete stranger, with absolutely no strings attached.
I learned afterwards that this was not an uncommon thing for Charlie to do.
He did this sort of thing all of the time.
What a great guy.
He didn't just know mandolins,,, he knew human kindness.
We will never know just how much he truly had to offer to all of us.
My deepest condolences to his Family and friends.
What a waste. "Be ready for tomorrow may never come" -- Flatt & Scruggs
From the Tennessean article cited above:
"Derrington was the production manager of Gibson’s mandolin division. He gained minor fame for reassembling the Bill Monroe’s smashed 1925 Loyd Loar mandolin."
MINOR fame??? Not on this board!!!
What a terrible loss. My deepest regards to the family and friends. I truly regret not getting to meet him in person, he was always so nice over the phone.
'02 Gibson master model #70327 02-01-02
'25 Gibson A-4 Snakehead #82626
'06 Hicks #1 and #2 F-5 still not done
Gibson F-5 Master Model Registry
He gained minor fame for reassembling the Bill Monroe’s smashed 1925 Loyd Loar mandolin."
4 errors here
1) minor fame
2) wrong date
3) Loar name misspelled
4) Charlie repaired 2 Loars
Another great thing about Charlie was his willingness to give advice. I learned how to correctly anchor strings around the tuning peg and how to lay down the mandolin - strings down.
Rest in peace Charlie
The world has lost a great person and craftsman
Well put, Michael.Originally Posted by (Michael Lewis @ Aug. 03 2006, 01:32)
I'll add that the way it happened is heart wrenching.
Hamlett Two-Point
Eastman MD805
Schertler DYN-M + Yellow
http://www.youtube.com/ktbriggs
https://www.facebook.com/kevin.briggs.1213
Rest easy, Charlie.
Good Pickin', Steve
Rest in peace Charlie, best regards to your family, a tragic loss of a good man.
Dave H
Eastman 615 mandola
2011 Weber Bitteroot A5
2012 Weber Bitteroot F5
Eastman MD 915V
Gibson F9
2016 Capek ' Bob ' standard scale tenor banjo
Ibanez Artist 5 string
2001 Paul Shippey oval hole
I never knew him but have heard so many good things. Please add my saddness,
Richard Wiley
I too wish to pass on my condolences to Charlie's family, friends and coworkers. There really isn't much that I could add that hasn't already been stated. God bless.
I didn't know Charlie....never met him....never talked to or emailed him, but when I read this news yesterday, I got this knot in my stomach. I truly felt like a good friend was gone. It really lets you know what a "tight-knit" family the Cafe is.
I pray God would be with his family and friends during this tragic time.
ALL OF MY FRIENDS THAT I LOVED YESTERDAY...HAVE GONE HOME
(THEY HAVE GONE HOME)
Steve Bauer
Steve Bauer
Daphne Alabama (near Mobile)
I am truly saddened by this. I always looked forward to what Charlie had to say on this list and considered his responses to be mandolin gospel.
While I never met Charlie, he was on my list of 100 things to do and people to meet before I die. This is not the way I wanted to cross his name off my list.
My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.
God Bless,
Todd Joles
Todd Joles, handyman and aspiring luthier!
San Diego's own Rock Bottom Bluegrass!
Traditional music played without talent!
The greatest band you've never heard!
For those who, like me, may be new to BG and to mandonlins, may I recommend the article at Mandozine.com. (Apologies if anyone has posted this this already. So many pages in this thread already, I have probably overlooked some bits.)
Apart from posts read here I had no idea who Mr Derrington was. The linked article alone is enough to convey some of his warmth and enthusiasm.
It is obviously my loss that I arrived too late to know and appreciate him as much as so many obviously did.
How wonderful, to have lived in a way that has left so many people so many nice things to say.
Well played, sir.
Like all others here, it is hard to express the sorrow for the loss of somebody I've never met or knew, but hope to understand his contributions to the mandolin and music community. No matter what the subject here on the Cafe, if Charlie posted, I was interested in reading and gaining some insight from Charlie's knowledge and honesty. Prayers to his family and friends. Dan
Play em like you know em!
I, too, am deeply saddened by this tragedy. #My prayers go out to Charlie's family and friends. #I never knew him personally, but his effect on our community was great.
Alan
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