Memories of Cindy

[figmo]

I still remember the first time I met Cindy McQuillin. I was at a combination Oakland in 87 bid meeting and house filk at the home of flower_cat and mdlbear; I think it was around 1984. There was a filk circle, and I couldn't help but try to sneak in some listening while my then-husband was busy telling everyone how great he was. Every time this one woman with a voice so smooth it could melt Antarctica opened her mouth to sing, I noticed. That, of course, was Cindy. My first reaction to her was "she 'feels' like family." Instant comfort.

Cindy and I got to know each other over the years. She got to watch me evolve as a person, and I got to learn more about her.

When she got her first iMac I was often over her place, playing "Good Software Fairy" or just showing her how to use the software she already had. Other times I was just plain hanging out. We'd geek over food, jewelry, religion, music, and commonalities in our childhoods. I learned a lot from Cindy about a lot of things.

A few months ago I shared one of my favorite Cindy stories with the folks in my comedy class, and one of the guys modified it for his own act.

Cindy was riding her scooter down the sidewalk not far from her house in (at the time) Berkeley when some obnoxious woman approached her. "Do you realize you're morbidly obese?"

Without missing a beat, Cindy looked down at her body, then looked up at the woman. "Why no! I had no idea! Why thank you!"

Feel free to share your own Cindy stories here. I'll collect them up and forward them to Dr. James.

Comments

[jhitchin.livejournal.com]

I only got to meet Cynthia a couple of times. The first time was at the very first Consonance that I went to which was 1998. I wasn't sure I could go as I didn't think that I could afford the room. Dr. James offered to share their quarters and I gladly accepted. That way I got to talk to her a few times and get to know her a little bit. She was very sweet, and very easy to talk to. Sometimes, at other Consonances, we'd just chat in the dealer room as she was selling beads.

Prior to that, I only knew her by name only from the various filkers in the Pacific Northwest who sang her stuff. I knew her body of work reasonably well before I ever met her in person.

She will be missed.

[howeird]

I've been a fan for a long time, and was very sad to see her health failing with each successive Red Lion/Doubletree con, and to hear about what happened to her at Consonance. I don't know what year I first met her, but it was in a filk circle at the Red Lion, where she and Kathy Mar were trading tunes. I made a point of looking for both of them at cons after that night/morning. She will be missed, but she left behind a lot of fine recordings, so she will be remembered too.

"Why no! I had no idea! Why thank you!"
What? Not "No, but hum a few bars and I'll fake it."??? ;-)

Memory of Cindy....

[johno.livejournal.com]

At a Baycon many years ago, Avalon Rising was playing a concert set. They were playing one of Cindy's songs, probably Dark Moon Rising or Black Davies Ride. When one of the folks up front called out "Hey! Cindy is in the back of the room." With that call, all dancers ran to the back of the room and started dancing in a circle around her.

[wickedladybear.livejournal.com]

I remember her singing mostly, in various settings, but singing. I remember that she would sing *with* people and not at them in the open circles I went to as a young idiot girl.

One of my favorite jewelry pieces was made by her, I remember walking up and drooling over stuff I couldn't afford, and she remembered what piece I loved and handed it to my sister as she was debating over gifts for me.

She will be deeply missed.

[laurel-potter.livejournal.com]

I never met Cynthia, but I have a lot of her recordings. I used to sing them at mid-west cons, years ago.

She was a great talent.

Memories of Cindy

[harpfox10.livejournal.com]

I never had the pleasure of meeting her, though her tapes great me great pleasure over the years. I think her's was the first filk tape I ever bought, and it got played till it was too thin to breath on.

However, a few years ago I had the opportunity to speak with her on the phone. I am a storyteller by profession, and had called to ask permission to adapt one of her unicorn songs for telling. At the time, though, she was getting ready to turn it into a short story, and was concerned about copyright issues, which I could fully understand. And even though that didn't work out our conversation was a high point for me - since it was a joy and a pleasure to talk with a lady I had long admired.

She will be truly missed. My deepest sympathy to her family and friends.

[talathmeril.livejournal.com]

I only met Cynthia McQuillin once at a convention. Moonshadows was the first filk tape I ever bought. I listened to it so much that I wore it out. I was so sorry to hear that she is gone. But she will never be forgotten.

[shadowsalterego.livejournal.com]

I never got to meet her--but the news of her passing was like a punch to the stomach. I know her only through her music, and I, unfortunately, don't have very much of that. I agree that it's like another family member has passed--I didn't realize how strong the common bonds of music were until last night when I found out she was gone. The world as a whole has truly lost something beautiful. I miss her dearly, and, as I said, I've never even met her. I can only imagine what a huge loss this must be to her family and friends, who have my heartfelt condolences.

As we say every year at Samhain, what is remembered, lives.

[jilara.livejournal.com]

I first met Cindy...um, I think it was one of the early Darkover conventions, in the dealer's room. I didn't even know who she was, other than that interesting lady I was talking to about everything from religion to sexuality. It was months before someone said "Oh, that was Cindy McQuillin," and I said "Oh, doesn't she write filk? We didn't talk about that."

Cindy McQuillin

[(Anonymous)]

Cindy was a LAFA regular before she moved north to the Bay area. She introduced a lot of new songs, played lots of old ones, and was always a friend to all at the monthly filksings. Later, I saw her at the Cons in the SF Bay area I went to. One convention filksing in particular I remember, although I couldn't say exactly which convention it was -- perhaps the San Jose Westerchron? It was the first time Cindy and Jordin Kare were in the same filk circle since the debut of "Fuel to Feed the Drive" AND "Fool to Feed the Drive." Cindy sang "Fuel" first, then Jordin followed with "Fool". At the line, "McQuillin just looked sheepish, she forgot to feed the drive," Cindy ad-libbed a loud "Baaa!". It was the perfect "comment" -- and I know I have it on tape (somewhere).

Rick Weiss rickifilk@yahoo.com
Rick's Cafe Terrestrienne

Cindy

[(Anonymous)]

Here's a memory I shared on rmf:

Back in southern California in 1977, there was a series of 1-day mini conventions called "CasualCon," then "Supercon" at the old Inn at the Park Hotel (now the Hilton in the Park). Cindy was one of the dealers back then, selling miniatures she had painted (for the role playing games and stuff). Back then, I knew here simply as CMQ. She was just the nicest, friendliest person you'd want to know. Always a smile, a "hi, how are you." I never bought anything from her since I was not into the simulgames. It took me until 1984 to finally hear her as the filker we all know and love and now miss.

Michael Liebmann
Atlanta, GA
sffilk@bellsouth.net

Childhood friend of Cindy

[(Anonymous)]

I went to elementary and high school with Cindy. She was a dear friend of mine. She was treated very poorly by the teachers at St. Barnabas in Long Beach. I am so glad sh had a successful life.

People are so cruel and she was always so talented. Her father should have been arrested and put in jail for the things he did to her. I am sorry to say i didn't understand all of this until much later.

Well Rest In Peace Cindy...
Much Love,
Sara