The first time I actually met Wayman Tisdale was on the first Dave Koz and Friends at Sea Cruise.  I’d seen him on stage many times, but never actually met him.  It was lunchtime, and I was just putting my tray down on the table when this huge laugh filled the place.  It had to be Wayman.  I looked around and sure enough, there he was, surrounded by a couple of dozen people.  He was sporting that trillion dollar smile, which along with his personality, lit the place up.
                        
He was a remarkable talent on the basketball court back when the good guys got more press than the thugs did.  And when he left the pros he hit the stage the same way he hit the court… full-on, no holds barred.  But what I remember about Wayman is the way he lived life.  This was no ordinary man; Wayman was an inspiration to everyone he came in contact with.  He was a true American hero. 

SmoothViews would like to honor that hero here with the words of his fellow artists and industry friends.

Thank you, God, for lending this guy to us for 44 years.

-  Elizabeth Ware, editor

Nick Colionne - "Tisdale was not only a great athlete and musician - above all he was a great person. The times that I had a chance to be around him he made me laugh with his great sense of humor. I remember us talking about who could fish the best, and I just hate that we did not get a chance to go out and do some fishing together. His untimely passing has touched all of us deeply because I know of no one who did not dig Wayman. I recently had the pleasure of being m.c. and host at the Seabreeze Jazz Festival and when I introduced him the crowd went so wild it brought tears to my eyes.   I said to myself they "love you, Way" and I wanted so badly for him to beat that horrible disease.  My heart and my prayers are with his family because as much as we will miss him, they will miss him so much more.  I know that he is up there trying to figure out whether he will play on the heaven basketball team or in the heaven band.  Naw, Wayman will probably be on both giving each one his all.. The smooth jazz community has truly lost one of its finest but we will all remember that big smile and send a song out to him wherever we may be performing, knowing he is watching us do the thing that he loved and smiling that big smile.  Rest in peace my brother..."

Gregg Karukas - "Wayman first caught my eye as a player on the court, as I'm a basketball nut!   Such an easy going guy, and he knew his mission was to make people happy by playing melodic, funky party music on stage. Playing with Wayman was a joy; contagious good vibes are all I can think of when I remember being on stage with him.  His music, thankfully, will live on."

Paul Taylor - "Wayman used producers I had used on my early recordings and they said he had admired my music and it was so different.  I cherished the compliment and think Wayman was so multi-talented to achieve greatness in sports and music.  He didn't get a big head from all the success.  To me, he was a genuine nice guy and I'm grateful to have crossed paths with Wayman for the few times we did over the years.  I wish I could've experienced his jazz cruise.  He left us way too soon!"

Bernie Williams - "I am deeply saddened this morning to learn of the passing of Wayman. He was truly an inspiration to me, paving the way for an athlete like myself to pursue a passion for writing and performing music.   I had the honor and privilege of having Wayman perform on the title track of my new album, and was looking forward to collaborating with him again in the future. Thus, I am truly grateful for the opportunity to work with him - it is an experience I will always treasure.  My sympathy and prayers go out to his wife Regina and his entire family.  He was a true artist both on the court and on stage, and the world of sports and music has lost a wonderful man."

Peter White -" Wayman was a beacon of hope in our troubled times. Anyone who knew him could not help but get caught up in the tide of his optimism. He was a wonderful musician and a wonderful man. Rest in peace, brother!"

Patrick Yandall - "Wayman was a beautiful human being and it showed through his love of music and life. He will be missed."

David Benoit - “I have never followed any organized sports so I was not familiar with Wayman Tisdale until I met him when his smooth jazz career was just beginning to take off.

Not only was an exiting bass player and a commanding presence on stage, he was an exceptionally warm hearted and gentle soul, a true “gentle giant” if you will. I remember meeting him in the bar during a Dave Koz cruise. He was very kind and gracious to my family and had a smile that would melt your heart.

When I produced the 40- year celebration of “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, he did a bang up version of “The Charlie Brown Theme” firmly establishing my respect for him as a complete and well- rounded musician.

The loss of Wayman Tisdale is a terrible blow to the smooth jazz community a community that is already reeling from the loss of many significant radio formats. I know that I speak for everyone in saying that we will miss him dearly."

Mindi Abair - "Wayman was an inspired man...he lived about 5 people's lifetimes in his own, as a father of 4 and a grandfather, an NBA All Star, and a chart-topping solo career as a bass player.  He lived every minute of his life giving, smiling from the heart, and immersing himself so fully in everything he did.  He touched so many people, myself included.  You get to know someone on a tour bus...he's a truly beautiful soul, and I'm a better person for having known him.  He was an incredible talent, but a better friend.  I'lll miss him very much."

Shilts - "All I can say about Wayman is he was one of the nicest people I have ever met.  He always greeted me with his big smile.  He was a big man with big talent and a huge heart.  He will be very sadly missed."

Michael Lington -  “Wayman was the kind of person we all aspire to be. Loved, talented, funny, sweet and liked by all. My world is a better place because of knowing him and I will miss him dearly.”

Michael Manson  - "Oh how I will miss my Bass Brother. I had the honor of touring and sharing the stage with Wayman, many, many times. We’d compare notes on bass playing, writing, juggling family and career, bass and recording gear, life stories. Oddly enough he had been showing me how to play acoustic guitar. I still can’t play it well but I’m better and can appreciate it more. I will miss his  personality and smile the most. There is nothing like that. And I will cherish the memories of our times together. Heaven just received a lot more LOW END. I am praying so much for Regina and the kids. Miss you Bro.”
John Ertl -  “I never personally met Wayman, but it wasn't for lack of trying to get him to one of our Midwest fests. When I learned by accident that he loved fishing, I knew there was a connect possible (if I could make a living by fishing, that's what I'd do!) Our timing for either Kettle Moraine Jazz Festival or Jazz On The Vine never worked out, but there was a standing offer to take Wayman fishing on either Lake Michigan or Elkhart Lake. Now he's fishing in that big lake in the sky.

Our condolences to Wayman's family. Everyone we talked to about Wayman said he was a very special person over and above his talent as both a musician and athlete. That’s a rare combination that will be sadly missed by all.”

Darren Rahn  - “Wayman was truly one of a kind. Both as a person and as a musician. I consider it a gift to have known him as a dear friend and to have been so privileged to create music together with him. On the outside he was 6 feet 9 inches tall but on the inside he was a hundred feet tall. He had so much courage and always gave the best of himself to others. His smile and positive attitude were contagious. I never saw him in a negative mood. He was a gift from God and I send Regina and the whole family my most sincere condolences. They are a beautiful reflection of Wayman’s life and legacy. I will miss him more than words can say.....”
Dave Koz - "This is a tough one for anyone who knew Wayman — to know him was indeed to love him. No one made people feel good like Wayman Tisdale... that smile, that spirit about him — that sense of determination and focus. He had this way of making everyone feel special. He was huge in every way and took the biggest bites out of life. I feel so fortunate to have gotten to spend so many wonderful times with him, to share the stage, to laugh, to record together, just to hang out — but even if you didn’t know him, there was so much love in what he offered the world that you couldn’t help but love him back. And I can’t recall anyone fighting cancer the way he fought it — he was a hero on the court, on the stage, in his fight to live and in everything he did. I send my sincerest, heartfelt prayers of comfort to his wife Regina, the four wonderful Tisdale kids, his family, friends and the millions of fans who adored him."

Jason Miles – “I first met Wayman in 1988. We were recording at Right Track Studios in NYC. Marcus Miller asked me if I knew who Wayman Tisdale was, being a basketball fan,I did. He said, ‘He's stopping over today; he's in NY playing the Knicks and he's a bass player.’  I looked up and this very large guy comes walking through the door. Wow, he was Big - Pumped!  He had a big smile and was genuine from the minute I met him. Marcus was his bass mentor and over the years we spent a lot of time talking about music, sports. He brought me to a shoot around at Madison Square Garden one day and I got to shoot hoops with the Pacers. I realized this is how Wayman feels when he hangs out with great musicians. He was on losing teams for a while and I asked him how he was handling it. He said ‘I love music and I love to play bass. I leave the game behind when it's over and concentrate on music.’ He was dead serious about having a music career after his basketball playing days were done. He was a real strong spirit who spread a lot of love and happiness to the people who were around him.

“I hadn't seen Wayman in a few years and then saw him at a festival in Detroit where we were both performing. He saw me and gave me that warm smile and it was like I had just seen him the week before. He was in a tough game - pro sports. He managed to leave that and transition into another career. Not easy and it took determination and a lot of discipline - he had those traits. He truly loved his family and his wife Regina was a real gem. They belonged together; they were a team. I maybe didn't hang out with him that much the last few years but to watch someone grow, learn, and discover who they are was a beautiful thing to see. I hope his spirit is not forgotten and his bright light will continue to burn for all of us who dug him and knew him.”

Jeff Lorber -  “Wayman was amazing in that he was a world class performer in two fields: basketball and music.  And while he was doing that he made tons of friends; everyone who ever met him couldn't help but be impressed by his contagious optimism and generosity.  I have to admit that when I first met him I was skeptical that someone so gifted in sports could also be a great musician, but he certainly won me over.  He was great to work with in the studio especially because his approach to everything was so positive and enthusiastic.  He took music very seriously and was consumed by it, couldn't get enough.  He also had a looseness and spontaneity in the way he approached things which made practically everything he recorded sound like a party - the good vibes that emanated from him jump right off the CD when you listen.  He loved all kinds of music and played guitar very well in addition to bass.   He got very involved in all aspects of production and he introduced me to some other musicians that I hadn't met before that I'm still working with today. He loved to mentor others and gave a number of cats their start in the business including Mike Phillips. Anyone who saw his show could tell how much he loved what he was doing. His knowledge of R+B, jazz, and funk was encyclopedic - I so enjoyed listening to his reinventions of the music of Earth Wind and Fire, Ohio players, Zapp, and other R&B greats.”


Wayman Tisdale Foundation: Join The Movement