Goodbye And Godspeed, Mr. Eddie

A friend from south Louisiana passes along some sad news from New Orleans. Eldridge Gabriel, known throughout the city simply as "Mr. Eddie," is confirmed as a victim of Hurricane Katrina. For more than 60 years, he entertained patrons of the world-famous Pat O'Brien's by tapping an aluminum tray with thimble-covered fingers -- all while keeping time to the bar's piano players.

Mr. Eddie has been missing since the levee breaks flooded his Ninth Ward neighborhood. He had refused to evacuate, despite pleas from his family. His grandson now reports that Mr. Eddie's DNA has been identified, and the family held a memorial service earlier this week. His grandson writes:

People, not levees and buildings, are the stuff that makes up New Orleans. And, my grandfather was, more than anyone I've ever known, New Orleans' stuff. He was gracious and kind, dignified and strong, hard-working, entertaining and lived life to the fullest up to the last minute. He inspired people to look beyond their own families to his family in a time of need. He was "Mr. New Orleans" to many -- certainly to me.

Mr. Eddie was small in stature, but he was big on heart. God bless you, sir, and godspeed.

UPDATE: We also have lost Lou Rawls. He died this morning after battling lung cancer. He was in his early 70s. Frank Sinatra once praised him for having "the silkiest chops in the singing game."