A FAREWELL...

"MIDNIGHT" JOHN PATRICK JR. MC DONALD
R.I.P. (4/29/1962 - 7/8/2009)
by George Georgiou (song292@yahoo.gr)



So, did you have to race your demons till the huge waves of the dark sea? So, did you follow this same old twisted echo until the silent land of the gentle snow? So, did you mean every single word of it? Did you try so hard to find your world within yourself? Within your head of barking dogs and your heart of marching trains? Why did you have to choose the path of the poisoned mushrooms and the dizzy mirrors? So, did you have to bring to life the weird caves of your voice? DID YOU?...
I always remember your voice building those burning bridges of repeating loss. Some said you were pretending to be a cursed poet, a fake tragic figure... You had kissed the black lips of eternal frost with your words transcending into a universe of your own. You told me tales of lost balance racing the borders of prediction, you, my distant lunatic brother of twisted shadows. Now you've turned to be authentic with the highest price... How will i return to your open fields to race again your echoes? How will i meet your memory upon the same critical lines? How will i face your legacy, your truth, your tragedy, your myth, your world, YOU?
Why did you follow the fatal steps of your private dance till the end? If you wanted to make me feel humble and human, i am... If you tried to make me feel lonely, i am... If you thought of making me feel older, i am... If you wanted to make me sing to you through your own words, then sincerely I WILL:
"IN DEATH I'VE FOUND THE ANSWER
IN DEATH I LIVE AGAIN
FEAR NOT THE REAPER's BLADE
IT DOESN'T MEAN THE END
IT NEVER REALLY ENDS..."

NEWS REPORT
Former CRIMSON GLORY frontman Midnight (real name: John Patrick Jr. McDonald) passed away earlier today (Wednesday, July 8) from "total kidney and liver failure". He was 47 years old.

According to JON OLIVA'S PAIN guitarist Matt LaPorte, who played on some of Midnight's recent solo recordings, the singer spent his final hours surrounded by his mother, brother, daughter as well as members of CRIMSON GLORY, SAVATAGE, and JON OLIVA'S PAIN. His death occured at 3:45 a.m EST at St. Anthony's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida.

His bandmates said:

Guitarist JON DRENNING:
"Midnight and I shared so much together over the years; dreams, goals, visions, creativity... We would often daydream for hours upon hours about how we would make the most amazing music together that would "Transcend" the world. We were determined to make an impact like no other and wanted create a legacy that would be everlasting... Despite our disagreements, I loved him deeply and will miss him profoundly. We had a contentious, yin-yang type of relationship, but we respected each other's ideas, talents and creativity, and loved each other dearly; we were brothers 'til the end. Midnight was a kind, generous, spiritual, beautiful, passionate, eccentric, mysterious, stubborn old soul with the voice of both an angel and a lion. Truly, he was a rare individual with an enigmatic, angelic vioice who had a great influence on many of today's well-known and yet-to-be-known metal singers. There have been many great singers throughout the years in the metal genre, including several who have tried to copy Midnight's uniquely moving, intensely emotional style, but there can be - and will only ever be - one Midnight. He was a once-in-a-lifetime singer, one-in-a-billion, a star among stars... Indeed, the world has lost a great singer, songwriter, painter, poet and friend... but his spirit lives on in each of us who knew and heard him, as well as for those yet to discover his creative genius. In death you live again, my Brother, my friend. It does not mean the end; it never really ends..."

Guitarist BEN JACKSON:
"Words cannot express the sadness I feel today over the loss of my dear friend Midnight. Having been friends with Mid for the last thirty years has provided me with memories I will surely treasure for the rest of my life until we hopefully will meet again. Together we made music, shared laughs and good times, traveled the world to faraway places and lived life with passion.
He touched many with his unique gift and was universally loved by his many friends and fans. A gentle genius and a sweet, sweet soul. I will miss you so much buddy! I love you!"

Drummer DANA BURNELL:
"Today the world lost an incredible singer and songwriter. I lost my band mate, my friend... my brother. I've known Midnight for over 30 years; he was the gentlest, kindest and most caring person I've known, and I loved him very much. Midnight only wanted good for everyone, he was a good soul. Knowing he is at peace now brings me great peace. I love him and will forever miss him."

Bassist JEFF LORDS:
"Speaking in the wake of my friends and bandmates, I can say that they've covered, very eloquently, a lot of what needed to be said. Notwithstanding, I will offer my thoughts, because every relationship is truly unique:

What few people know, probably even some of my own bandmates, is that I knew John "Midnight" McDonald longer than most---from the seventh grade, to be precise. We sat next to each other in History class. Mind you, this was well before I ever picked up a bass or knew that he could belt out the 'Zeppelin and 'Floyd tunes. Well, Midnight ("John", then) would sleep or doodle during class. We sat next to each other in the back. Come test time, he'd want to copy my answers (that rascal!). In any event, I knew that he was a rare breed with a tendency toward the arts. Little did I know....

Fast forward 7 or 8 years, and one night at our rehearsal facility we were going to try out this guy whom we discovered on the beach playing acoustic guitar. Admittedly, I was skeptical when this shoe-less and frumpy-clothed fellow showed up to give a whirl at singing Priest, Accept, Maiden, Scorpions... all of which were bands we covered very briefly before "Crimson Glory" was born. I was once told, "you cannot tell how far a frog can jump by lookin' at it". Well, that night, and the following nights, that little adage was never so solidified in mind. The kid had a set of pipes. We later learned that he had a knack for writing creative and thought-provoking lyrics, as well. Crimson Glory was born.....

Fast forward again, and we found ourselves going from a warehouse - to the studio - to stages over seas. With the increasing amount of pressure to sing the songs as you hear those recordings today, Midnight sought to overcome this pressure by unnatural means, which would later, and sadly, become his downfall, as well as the band's. This problem put a tremendous strain on the relationships with people close to him, meaning, not the fans in this case, but with his family and bandmates (who were his second family). To my understanding, we all did what we could to help him.

In the end, I am sad: Sad, because of the loss of life and that such a talented human being never reached his full potential. I am angry: I am angry because he was out of touch with reality towards the end, and could not be reasoned with, even if that meant trying to reconcile some past mistakes made along the way, including my own. I am hopeful: I am hopeful because, while I don't believe in a hereafter, I firmly believe that John "Midnight" McDonald has touched people in this life, the life that we know for certain exists, and in that sense, he was most certainly an Earthly "Angel". Farewell, Mid'."