Rest in Peace Tuba Man
Posted on Tuesday, November 4th, 2008 at 11:05 am by Brian Robinson
There are many things about professional sports that are non-quantifiable and quirky to the point that I do not even want to begin to explain why they matter.
The beauty of the Tuba Man is that he was always there and that he was always playing. If you think about how many rainy, dreary November nights he could have chosen to stay warm, the number is very high. I would have quit. He kept showing up until he was an absolute fixture at KeyArena.
I have nothing in common with the Tuba Man and until today never knew his name. I would, however, have looked forward to introducing my kids to him when we went to a game in the new Key. He made himself a fixture in our community and a part of my personal history simply by being there. He crossed all class lines, racial lines, and economic boundaries in a way that can only happen at public events like professional sports.
Rest in peace Tuba Man. We’ll remember to honor you when the team comes back.
November 4th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Rest in peace ed. this is the saddest ive been since we lost the team. a key arena remodel better have a tuba statue in front of it
November 4th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Seriously, have we hit “rock bottom” yet? Losing our basketball team, every remaining team is absolutely terrible, and to top it all off, now we’re losing our local icons and the people that were such a big part of our sports tradition and culture.
I hope in a couple of years from now we can finally celebrate something positive when it comes to Seattle sports. R.I.P. Tuba Man, you’ll be missed.
November 4th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
He wasn’t only at Key Arena. I saw him at every Mariners game I went to as well as some concerts. I bet he was at Seahawks games too. This is a sad day, even more so because he was killed by violence and didn’t just die peacefully in his sleep. I’ll miss seeing him.
November 4th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Sick. Just Sick. What the hell is wrong with people? The Tuba Man will be in my thoughts.
November 4th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
In a year that has been horrible for everything sports…
This is got to be the worst.
November 4th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
How much worse can it get for us in Seattle? This is awful. Incredibly sad. I have great memories of the tuba man. He will so be missed.
If anyone knows of a memorial or anything being set up can you post it so I can go? Thanks.
November 4th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
This is so sad. I loved that guy and his dry “Go Sonics” that he would yell, usually without any response from passers by.
What makes this really odd for me is that on the last Sonics home game of last year I stayed around for a long time taking tons of pictures of the Key and signs and stuff. Deep down I knew the bastards would win and I just wanted to have some memories.
On the way out after security kicked me out, Tuba man was still there playing. I walked up to him and told him thanks for all the years and told him I hoped I’d see him again. He posed for a picture then just to be funny I asked for his best “Go Sonics”. I think he found it an odd request but he laughed and did it and I took a video of it with my camera. Its very dark so the picture isn’t the best but it now means a lot to me.
November 4th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Truly a sad story. Nobody deserves to go out like that.
The cops caught two of the five attackers involved, hopefully they’ll be able to catch the rest now that murder charges will result.
A statue would be an excellent idea. Oh wait a minute I forgot, pro sports have no cultural significance to the people of Seattle.
November 4th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
My two memories of Tuba man:
1) They gave out free doritos after a game and tuba man was buried in doritos bags as he played on.
2) I am a teacher and I took a group of leaders to a game (featuring keynote speaker Howard Schultz). We had 19 students go with one extra ticket so I gave it to the Tuba Man as we got to the Arena. Midway thru the 2nd quarter my students tapped me on the shoulder and I looked down the row of 19 kids and they were all pointing to the end of our row where Tuba Man was yelling “Gooooooo Sonics”. It was a very fun and memorable moment. I can’t wait to go to my next Sonics game!
November 4th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Reposting cause he deserves it:
RIP Tuba man. I remember sitting in front of him at a game (I figured someone tossed him a ticket right before tip-off), he had that mono-tone voice and the dryest sense of humor I’d ever heard! While we all got pumped for a 4th quarter push, they played the “na-na-na-na-na-naaaaaaaa CHARGE!” sound bite and he had this booming yet completely unenthusiastically mono-tone voice as he said CHARGE! lol, it was classic. Also when they did the “kiss the girl” bit at a timeout he never failed and on ever single one you could hear him calmly yell out “LIP SEEERVICE!” lol. I’m gonna miss that guy Its truly the end of an era, and I feel like I’m getting to be one of those old guys reminiscing about the way seattle USED to be and all the great things we don’t have in this city that stand out anymore. A really sad day for me. “Gooooo Soniiics!”
November 4th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
RIP Tuba man. Sometimes it’s times like these that make you think about how cruel life can be. I recently saw him at Qwest for a Seahawks-Raiders exhibition game. I remember thinking to myself, it was nice to see him, and how terrible it was that I wouldn’t see him at Key Arena anymore since the Sonics are gone.
I took his presence for granted since I had seen him so often playing his tuba outside Key Arena. I wish I had been more friendlier now. Brian, we need to have some kind of tribute at the new Key for Tuba man. Even if just a small gesture, just something for our kids to ask “Who is the Tuba man? Part of Seattle, and Sonics history.
November 4th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
One thing I just remembered about Tuba man besides his tuba playing and “Go Sonics”.
Often he would get a free ticket and enjoy the game. During the dance times he would stand and just kind of march in place. It was so bizarre and funny. My wife and I just called him ‘marching man’.
A few years back they caught him on camera doing it and the place went nuts. They started bringing him back to do it and he and the Key Ballerina would end up at center court doin their thing.
Damn that dude was funny.
November 4th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
My brother just sent me the article about Tuba Man dying. So very sad especially since it was due to senseless violence! My brother and I carried on a tradition of having him play a song for us every time we walked by him on our way into the Key. The name of the song was “Seahunt for Victory.” Then I would always dig up some change to tip him. Sometime he would just say “Go Sonics.” : ) He will be very missed at all Seattle sporting events. Tuba Man: I hope you are playing your tuba up there for all the basketball players and fans that have gone before us.
November 4th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
OH YOU’RE RIGHT!!!! he always did that little march dance lol!!!! I still get a kick out of thinking about him slowly drawling out: “Liiiiiip serviiiiiiice” as the kiss-the-girl bit played on the Key screen. Whether it was an old couple doing a pec or some teens playing tonsel hockey, hey would always give the same exact response, lol.
November 4th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Tuba Man was the best. During these last 5 crappy Mariners seasons, the best games were the ones where I had an extra ticket that I could give to the Tuba Man. He would stand up and dance between innings and during pitching changes, he would hit on my girlfriend (but in a pleasant, innocent Tuba Man kind of way), then around the 6th-7th inning, he would leave to back and set up shop for the people leaving the game.
My other best memory was after Chuck Person hit a game winning shot for the Supes. I was leaving the game and he gave the classic thumbs up and said “Chuck Person…O-KAY!”
RIP Tuba Man. Why he has to die but Bennett, Schultz and Stern get to live is beyond me.
November 4th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
“A statue would be an excellent idea. Oh wait a minute I forgot, pro sports have no cultural significance to the people of Seattle.”
This is an excellent and vital point. While I am by no means in favor of exploiting tragedy for political purposes, this truly is an issue of significance for Seattle, and that point needs to be hammered home to Licata and others. At a minimum, privately in the form of letters or emails. Probably publicly too, although we don’t want to have the appearance of exploiting the situation, so that part is a delicate issue.
November 4th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
You’re right! I used to call him “marching guy” as well. I first started seeing him at tbirds games years ago then when my love of basketball began I saw him outside the key at every game and he became the “tuba guy.” I remember seeing him at a sonics game this year and he was doing his famous marching dance and had a group of kids and other people surrounding him and doing it with him. For a good 5 minutes straight he had a huge group of people having a great time and everyone smiling non stop. He didn’t deserve this it makes me sick.
November 4th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
there definitely needs to be some kind of memorial for Tuba Man at the Key. I do not have a single memory of going to Sonics games that doesn’t include walking past Tuba Man.
Why anyone would do this just makes me sad, sick and scared.
November 4th, 2008 at 11:04 pm
Definitely a tragic event. This guy was a given to play his tuba for fans no matter how great or terrible the team was. He was out there before and after every game, no matter what sport. May the attackers serve justice. Condolences to his family and friends. RIP Tuba Man. We’ll be missing you.
November 5th, 2008 at 12:27 am
There was nothing quite like coming out of the Key after a playoff win (2005 wasn’t that long ago), singing the “HEY!” song, and then hearing Tuba Man playing it outside.
RIP Tuba Man.
November 5th, 2008 at 8:42 am
I would love a statue and will advocate for one. Perhaps Nick Licata and his arts funding…
November 5th, 2008 at 11:23 am
very very very very very sad. The guy had a heart of gold. Not the best tuba player but who cares. He had a commitment to this city, not just sports, unlike some of our supposed leadership.
November 5th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Little punks. Very, very sad. Bus stops are a terrible place to be at any time of night, you never know what can happen.
He was a wonderful man for sharing his passion and joy with us.
His memory certainly does deserve a monument.
RIP
November 6th, 2008 at 1:55 am
My Dad and I would always stop and enjoy a tune with the Tuba Man, every Seahawks Sunday.
I will never forget him, RIP.
November 6th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
On the Seattle Times website in the sports section it says there is a public memorial for tuba man to be held at Qwest next Wednesday. Everyone should try to make it…
November 6th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
Here’s a link I found for the Tuba Man public memorial service.
http://www.seahawks.com/news/articles/article-1/fans-invited-to-public-tribute-for-tuba-man/467f4be2-c87a-4330-8cb3-cf7420d0aa4c