amandapalmer
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Rest in peace, John Forté. 💔
🕑 Added 2026-01-14 21:46:59 +0000 UTCDear Ones.
Greetings from Sydney, heading to Melbourne soon.
Didn't think I'd be spending the last day writing an obituary for a friend that I was just beginning to have, but sometimes life is like that.
I'm posting the below bit to socials in a minute.
Some of you were at the Vineyard house salon I mention, and you may have even met him (a few of you texted me, thank you.)
Oof. I'll see many of you soon in Melbourne. I can't wait. I need it.
.....
https://www.mvtimes.com/2026/01/13/john-forte-celebrated-recording-artist-dies-suddenly-50/
I am gutted to hear about the tragic death of John Forté.
He was a pillar of the community on Martha's Vineyard in so many ways, and he meant so much to so many people in a tiny community that needs pillars more than ever…especially musicians, parents…he was too young. 50. Not fair.
I was lucky enough to meet and play my new set of piano songs for John this summer when I was staying on the Vineyard; a friend of a friend brought him to this tiny music salon in someone’s house. I poured my heart out for an hour, played 9 songs. We didn’t meet or shake hands until after the music was over but then he quietly came up to me in the kitchen.
We talked for a half an hour, and he gave me feedback about the songs with an intensity that I almost never feel from another musician. He just went straight to talking from his heart. He barely knew me, but he cared so much. He skipped all formalities. He kept looking me in the eye and not letting go.
So I trusted him. And then I told him a little bit about what had happened to my life, and then he told me a little bit about what had happened to his. He told me about all the people in his life who had stood by his side for years when they could have just abandoned him. How they fought for him.
He told me about hitting emotional rock bottom and about how blessed he felt now to be living this incredible life on Martha’s Vineyard, one of the most beautiful places on earth. We pulled out our phones and showed photos of our kids at the beach, making drawings, making mischief.
Then he stared me straight in the eye and said something along the lines of my musical ship being awesome enough to get me out of hell. I remember him saying, “Listen. I saw what you just did. You know what to do, Amanda. You know what to do. Just do it. That’s gonna work, that’s the power. You got the power, I just saw it.”
He left me with a gigantic hug that I can still feel, it had so much compassion in it.
It was only a half hour conversation, but it made a permanent marker drawing on my heart. I felt honored to have met him.
I saw it too, in John.
He had this power. For the half hour, I felt wrapped in the enormity of this near-stranger’s humble and super-distilled kindness.
We didn’t take a selfie, but someone at the party snapped this photo of John sitting behind me while I spoke and played. That’s Ben Taylor sitting behind me, who brought him.
My thoughts are with John’s whole family, the Vineyard community that will feel this massive hole…and my heart especially goes out to his two little kids who I never got to meet, but god, did I feel the degree to which their father deeply loved them, if just for a moment.
Man.
Remember to be kind to everybody. Remember how fast life can end. Meet every stranger as a potential loved one, don’t let the bastards get you down, don’t ever give up, keep passing the open windows, and remember that the wheel of fortune is never stuck in one position.
On and on it spins.
I just went to my texts to see what he last wrote. His last message said:
“Magic. ✨️
My baby girl, Wren Zazie, is 8. Her little brother, Haile, is 5. I work for them!
Per our creative efforts (or the lack thereof), there is something special in and around these waters. The gravitational pull is undeniable.
See you SOON!”
Rest in power, music, waves and red-clay cliffs John Forté.
This kinda power doesn’t die. It’ll be in some other form, but yeah, John, I’ll see you SOON. Love and love and love.
........
For a cleanser, here's the Sydney sunset last night.
And this beaming queen of John's - and my - beloved Vineyard.
Keep going, keep going, keep going.
It's so short, people.
xxx
Comments
Scott Meekins
Too young. I'm sorry, Amanda.
Molly McEnerney
"...my musical ship being awesome enough to get me out of hell." This reminds me of one of the explanations for the name "Horse Latitudes" for an area without favorable winds, where a ship might be becalmed, stuck on an endless expanse of blank ocean with no land insight, running out of food and water, facing the prospect of a long living hell before a terrible death. The way out of being trapped on the ocean was the ocean itself - in the absence of wind in the sails, the ship could ride the strong currents like a horse to escape from the trap. The strong current of your deep, true, even overwhelming feelings is what can create the powerful music that you can ride out of the depths of despair, back to the world of fair winds and calm seas. A reference for this etymology for the term "Horse Latitudes": https://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-hor3.htm
Wendy S. Katz
Tiffany, thank you for sharing that.
Laura Damone
Amanda so sorry for your loss. ❤️🌹🕯️
Tamara
🕯️💔
Amanda Palmer
The way it should be. He’s gonna leave a big hole. So glad we crossed his path…the things you learn and feel…♥️
Katherine May Williams
💔🕯️
VTRADDICT
So sorry for your loss, Amanda. You don't always have to know someone for a long time to know they are going to be important to you. This sounds like it would have been the start of a very valuable friendship, but that just makes the short time even more precious.
Larissa Rook
💔💔💔
Amanda WouldGo
I’m honored to have sat in a circle talking about your music, art and life with him, Amanda. He made a pretty big impression on my Vineyard fam’s lives, which I didn’t know until after I’d met him. He showed up, sang at their birthday parties, was community. My heart goes out to a world and a community already grieving so much.
Tiffany M.
I first heard about John from a musician friend who spends his summers on Martha's Vineyard. My favorite song of his is You are Home / You are Loved. This is the official music video https://youtu.be/iP9pnYxMlIg My heart is with his family and with the MV community.
Deniz Bevan
❤️🫂❤️
