I remember when he made the transition to become No Use For A Name’s singer/songwriter and how nervous/excited he was about it. But I knew (he might have as well) how great he was going to be. The people around back then remember how important NUFAN was to the little scene we had. They were the kings.
Those years of going to Gilman and being blasted into submission by all the great shows NUFAN was a part of was the defining point in many of our teenage lives. Tony and the band were the ticket into this new limitless world outside of Sunnyvale that was just this complete eye-opener into what music/life could be. For me, and many of our crew we were never the same again.
Tony was very generous in a lot of ways as well. He was always quick to want to play music with his friends even though NUFAN was a full-time job for him. He’d be touring the world and recording tons of records, but still would take the time to hear and help me with whatever primitive nonsense I was writing. The first time I ever played live with a band, we opened up for NUFAN at The Edge. We had no reason being on that stage with them, but we were his friends and he insisted on us opening even though no one knew who the hell we were.
I was so goddamn nervous about playing I could barely see straight. And that set remains a complete blur except for the memory of Tony giving me a thumbs up midway through, and how that completely alleviated any worry of mine. If Tony thought it was okay, that was all that mattered. He was a very thoughtful guy in that way. He was very politically minded and cared deeply about injustices in the world. NUFAN played tons of benefit shows for real people that needed help, an admirable trait in this fairly cynical, self-promoting world of music today.
Tony had a quick wit, a huge heart, a big talent and a unique spirit. He was a hilariously funny guy and that’s probably what I’ll miss most. He was a devoted husband and father and had a million other qualities to look up to. It’s very rare in life that one of your heroes can also be a best friend. Whoever knew Tony well can attest to that. It’s one of the stupid mysteries of life why you’d never say these sorts of things to someone while they’re around, but in passing it’s the only thing you think about. I guess we would have been too busy laughing our asses off and arguing about fantasy football rules to bother. As I type this with a heavy heart and tear-soaked keyboard, the main thing I want to say is thanks. Thanks pal, thanks for everything.
.In Memoriam: Tony Sly of No Use for a Name
