The Quotations are deeply saddened to announce the
sudden passing of Rich Schwartz on February 6, 2006. Rich was
an original and in every sense of the word, he was the "first"
Quotation. He gave the group their distinctive sound with his
crystal clear falsetto which soared above their background
harmonies. Ironically, he was the only member of the group to
never record a lead vocal. He had an amazing musical sense and
an uncanny "ear" that could detect the slightest deviation in a
chord. Richie was a perfectionist, a “musician” who made the
sound of The Quotations "Unique." As he got older, and his high
voice faltered, he simply said “ don't worry, I'll just sing
bass”, and so he did. His talents will be missed, his presence
in our lives shall be missed even more. “The Schweebe” (his
nickname) was a sensitive, passionate, irreplaceable loving
friend who treasured singing and performing... we shall keep his
memory close and his microphone always open. As his son,
Michael so beautifully stated, “Now Dad has his perfect
falsetto back.”
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Once
again, the Quotations have been devastated by another loss with the passing of Stu Abramson. It has been less than six months since we lost Richie Schwartz,
our original tenor. Stu was the newest Quotation, having joined the group eight
years ago. He was an outstanding musician and talented songwriter.
In addition
to singing most of the falsetto parts, he was a phenomenal lead singer with a
resonant theatrical voice. His influence on our recently released CD, "Imagine
That", shines through and will be a lasting testament to his talent. He was a
gentle, passionate man with many, many friends and admirers. His family has
asked us to try to keep the group going, and we will endeavor to do so. But, no
matter what happens, it will never be the same again. We shall miss him greatly.
