Tragic end of former "Faces" / "Humble Pie" vocalist Steve Marriott

Early "Humble Pie" were so talented... I still play their classic "Rockin' at the Fillmore", loud! With former "Faces" vocalist Steve Marriott at the helm performing at 150% every night they just had to break through but that kind of light eventually burns itself out as was the case with Marriott.

On the night of his death a close friend of mine was the last person to see Steve Marriott alive. Here's what my friend recounted over the phone; Marriott was out here in the Los Angeles area on the coast drinking heavily in a local watering hole. He was consuming so much alcohol he could barely walk let alone drive, doing so at 150% as he had in his performances on stage. He and my friend, a fellow musician, began chatting about trival matters of drink as they embibed together. It was bar talk and they proceeded to get crazy as the night wore on. As my friend told me the tale he began with "you know that guy that used to sing with "Humble Pie", well I met him last night and..." All I could think was of course, Steve Marriott is a rock legend, a blue eyed soul singer with a chitlin' circuit grind that always gave 150%. I was anxious to know if he'd been able to get inside Marriotts head and pick his brain on matters of music. What inspired the early "Humble Pie" material and forming of the band? What was it like playing the Fillmore in it's early days? What was it like working with Peter Frampton in his teen hearthrob years? And working with "Faces" guitarist Ron Wood (now a "Rolling Stone") as well as "Faces" vocalist Rod Stewart? What road stories there must have been... I had so many questions. None had been answered...None would ever be answered. What a waste.

The pair visited several local bars that night and as the darkness was about to become day, my friend dropped off Marriott at his place in the Santa Monica/Venice area. As Marriott stumbled from the car and they mumbled their good byes that was the last anyone would see of Steve Marriott. Marriott was so wasted that he lit a cigarette and passed out in bed burning himself to death. The next morning as my friend relayed the tragic story, I remember being in shock and speechless. I was so saddened by his senseless death and I think he was as well. I still am. And though I was tucked away beneath the covers early that evening, sane and sober, that night has haunted me for years. And I wasn't even there... To loose a talent in such a senseless way...Marriotts flame burned bright and eventually had burnt itself out and perhaps he was ready to go...