Steve Erickson was one of my best friends during the years I attended Deer Park High School, even though he was a year younger than me. Since he played trombone and I played the baritone in the school band, we sat together and he helped me with my score, because I could not read music.
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Steve Erickson fue uno de mis mejores amigos durante los años que estudié en Deer Park High School, aunque él era un año menor que yo. Como tocaba el trombón y yo el barítono en la banda musical del colegio, nos sentábamos juntos y él me ayudaba con mi partitura, puesto que yo no sabía leer música.
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He nicknamed me “Crooket Nose.” Eventually, when I learned that he had served 11 months in Vietnam as a lieutenant, I baptized him as “Lieutenant Dan,” as the character in the movie “Forest Gump.”
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Me puso el apodo de “Crooket Nose” (“Nariz Torcida”). Con el tiempo, cuando me enteré que había servido 11 meses en Vietnam como teniente, lo bauticé como “Lieutenant Dan”, como el personaje de la película “Forest Gump”.
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Together with his brother Curt, Steve had a rock band, which entertained all the dances of the school. They then turned professional alongside Larry Bergman and Jim Milgrad, both on drums; Randy Brown and Joe Shikany as guitarists; his brother Curt on bass and him as vocalist. The band became very successful, so much so that they shared the stage with musicians such as the “Beach Boys” and others. Unfortunately we don’t have videos of Steve’s band performances between 1969 and 1972.
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Junto a su hermano Curt, Steve tenía una banda musical de rock, la que amenizaba todos los bailes del colegio. Luego se hicieron profesionales junto a Larry Bergman y Jim Milgrad, ambos en la batería; Randy Brown y Joe Shikany como guitarristas; su hermano Curt en el bajo y él como vocalista. La banda llegó a tener mucho éxito, tanto que compartieron el escenario con músicos como los “Beach Boys” y otros. Lamentablemente no tenemos videos de las actuaciones de la banda de Steve entre 1969 y 1972.
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Steve graduated as a psychologist and decided to enlist in the Marine Corps, before he was drafted and enlisted in the regular army. He made that decision because he had heard that the “Marines” were withdrawing from Vietnam, which turned out to be “fake news.” He completed his 11 months in Vietnam and upon his return, he established himself as a psychologist in his own clinic located at 905 W Riverside Av., # 610 – Spokane, Washington, in the heart of Downtown and 22 miles from his town: Deer Park.
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Steve se graduó de psicólogo y decidió alistarse en la Infantería de Marina (Marines), antes de que fuese reclutado y enrolado en el ejército regular. Tomó esa decisión porque había escuchado que los “marines” se estaban retirando de Vietnam, lo que resultó ser un “fake news”. Cumplió sus 11 meses reglamentarios en Vietnam y a su regreso, se estableció como psicólogo en su propia clínica ubicada en la 905 W Riverside Av., # 610 – Spokane, Washington, en pleno Downtown y a 22 millas de su pueblo: Deer Park.
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When Siomi and I decided to attend the Picnic, Deer Park’s top civic-social event, we made contact with several former high school classmates, including Steve, married to the beautiful and pleasant Janice.
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Cuando Siomi y yo decidimos asistir al Picnic, máximo evento cívico-social de Deer Park, hicimos contacto con varios ex compañeros de high school, entre ellos Steve, casado con la bella y agradable Janice.
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Unfortunately, Curt, his older brother, was unable to attend the picnic. We would have really liked to share with him and his wife. I know that both are or were teachers in an American school in Germany, from where he contacted me in 2008 to give me the pleasant surprise that he had saved the recording he made of that night in the summer of 1969, when my parents, my sister – María Conchita – and I sang Cuban songs in a highly musical evening, since all the members of the Erickson family were musicians.
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My sister and I – Summer of 1969
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Lamentablemente Curt, su hermano mayor, no pudo asistir al picnic. Me hubiera gustado mucho compartir con él y con su esposa.
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Curt Erickson – 1969
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Sé que ambos son o fueron maestros en un colegio estadounidense en Alemania, desde donde me contactó en el año 2008 para darme la grata sorpresa que tenía guardada la grabación que hizo de aquella noche en el verano de 1969, cuando mis padres, mi hermana – María Conchita – y yo cantamos canciones cubanas en una velada sumamente musical, ya que todos los componentes de la familia Erickson eran músicos.
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It had been 39 years since that musical night and the material recorded by Curt became the first recording we have of my sister, who later became a professional singer and ended up participating in films in Hollywood, such as her first: “Moscow on the Hudson”, co-starring with Robin Williams.
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Habían pasado 39 años de aquella noche musical y el material grabado por Curt se convirtió en la primera grabación que se tiene de mi hermana, quien luego se convirtió en una cantante profesional y terminó participando en películas en Hollywood, como su primera: “Moscú en el Hudson”, coprotagonizando con Robin Williams.
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A few weeks ago, I received from Curt a video of what seems to be his favorite Cuban song: “Guantanamera”
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Hace unas semanas, recibí de Curt un video de lo que pareciera ser su canción cubana favorita: “Guantanamera”
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Guantanamera The Sandpipers’ version
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On the evening of Saturday, July 23, Steve and Janice invited us to a barbecue in the beautiful home they inhabit, a few miles from the center of our beloved and longed for Deer Park.
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En la noche del sábado 23 de julio, Steve y Janice nos invitaron a una parrillada en el bellísimo hogar que habitan, a pocas millas del centro de nuestro querido y añorado Deer Park.
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Today we cannot wait for us to meet next spring in South Florida, where we will serve them as they deserve.
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Hoy no nos queda esperarlos a que en la próxima primavera nos veamos en el sur de La Florida, donde lo atenderemos como ellos se merecen.
