Everyone reading this knows that Brad was about as kind and considerate a man as there ever has lived.  So I hope you appretiate the irony of this story.

Around 1976 our band, American Ingenuity got a gig at an italian restaraunt in Anaheim, called Tropianos.  There was a big stage and dance floor and it was our first regular gig.  One evening we had a particularly nice crowd and the dance floor was full of enthusiastic youngsters.  After a particularly fun set some kids came up to the stage to talk to the musicians.

Brad said to one of the boys, "I can see you really like music, do you play an instrument?"  The boy looked down and said, "no I can't." 

"Of course you can," Brad responded.  "Why don't you play the clarinet?"

The boy repeated, "I can't."  But Brad would not be disuaded.  He said, "Why don't you play the piano or the trumpet?"

"I can't," repeated the boy.  "Why not?" asked Brad.

"Because I ain't got no arms," the boy said.  Brad was mortified.  He noticed then that the boy really did not have arms (Brad had thought he was just dancing around with his arms in his shirt as children sometimes do.)

Finally, in a very flustered voice Brad said, "You can be a singer."

Introductory Prayer from the Life Celebration for Brad Wallace:

Father God, Lord of Heaven and Earth; Eternal Provider, Healer, and Comforter; we are gathered here today to give You thanks for, and say goodbye to, my brother, Bradley Wallace.

We know that you have designed the role of earthly fathers to be many things: protector, provider, comforter, patient teacher, husband, lover, companion, ... In fact, we are to be examples to our families of what You are. They are supposed to be able to look at us, at our lives and character and learn from this what their perfect, Heavenly Father is like.

The fact is that we aren’t perfect; my brother wasn’t perfect, our father wasn’t and I’m not either. But he was wonderful, nevertheless. He was very aware that he probably didn’t have a lot of time to spare so he invested it wisely. He was a good provider and worked very hard to give his family everything he could. He spent as much time with them as possible. He taught them at every opportunity. He poured out love on all of us, his friends and family, and told us so. He was so proud of his family. He loved his wife, Ann, and he showed it. He taught them by example to love life, to laugh as often as possible, to make music and sing at every opportunity, to enjoy nature, to love each other and their friends, to be available when people needed them, to share what You have given to them with those in need, to enjoy being alone, to be willing to try new things, to love to travel and meet new people, to be creative and willing to make mistakes in the process, and then to learn from them and go on.

In fact, he did a good job. We are proud to have had such a man for our brother, father and friend, and we thank You for him.

Now Lord, we ask that your Holy Spirit would bring anything which remains unresolved with Bradley to our minds; any hurts, any perceived slights, any unforgiveness, in fact, anything at all that comes to mind that we need to deal with. (long pause)  And now, we release these things to You, Lord. We forgive Brad for not being perfect. And we release each of these things to You. We say that we have been truly blessed to have had him as father, brother and friend. We acknowledge that in many cases, You have used him to teach, guide and mold us into what we are. We thank you for your provision.

Thank you Lord; You are a Great and Glorious God. We love and worship You for what You have accomplished through Brad. He will live on through all of our great memories, through what he taught and modeled to us, and through his wife and children. We are better people because of him. And now we let him go.

We now release him to you, Lord. We release him into Your presence. We miss him terribly and look forward to the day when we will be reunited. We say good-bye to him for now.

Good bye, Brad. See you soon.

Amen.

This video slideshow was shown at the Celebration of Life for Brad on September 7, 2013 at the Unity Center in San Diego. It provides a glimpse of Brad's passions in life, including family, music, teaching, and travel. Thanks to all who contributed photographs, especially Brad's sister Wendy and his brother Scott. The opening tune in the soundtrack is Brad's and Dan Reed's original, "Hot Tamales." Brad plays keyboards and sings the lead on "Under the Boardwalk" and harmony vocals on "Forever Young" and "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." 

There are many funny stories about Brad because the Cooks and the Wallaces  did alot together all thru the years growing up.  We are distant cousins but we  really are like brothers and sisters because our families are so close.  So we went to Big Bear for a mountain weekend, (Don liked the mountains better than the beach, not all of us agreed!) but we were going to experience the snow being So. Cal. kids.  Brad at the time was going thru the steps to become an eagle scout and he told us that he wanted to get on the fast track.  He asked me and my sisters and Wendy and Jill if one of us would fall thru the ice in Big Bear Lake and he would come and save us quickly thereby chalking up a save, being in Boy's Life and becoming an eagle scout all in one shot!  Being Brad he probably was kidding but we took it seriously and said no way!  Wendy and Cindy, (my youngest sis) probably would have done it because they both loved Brad so much but Jill, Cathy and I just hooted and hollered about it the whole weekend.  I know he eventually became an eagle scout but we never forgot his plans to make it quick!  That was Brad, always with a plan and up for anything!  I'll forever miss our good times, love you cuz, see you in heaven!

Jeanne was missing from the High Strung picture and story that I added earlier. This photo was made around 2004 or 2005 when George, Brad, and I visited the Fortneys at their family cabin in Arkansas. 

We had a lot of fun playing music with Brad. Here's how our band High Strung came to be. George Ulrich and I were interns together at the Naval Medical Center, Oakland, California in 1985. George was from Colorado, and I was from Tennessee. We soon learned we shared a passion for music and had guitar jam sessions as frequently as we could in light of our work schedules. Our wives Paula and Emily also became good friends. Our medical training took George and me in separate directions in the Navy after internship, but we kept in close contact, recording music on little 4-track cassette decks and sending the tapes back and forth in the mail. Eventually, my Navy medical career took me to San Diego in 1993. We moved into the neighborhood where Brad and Ann lived and where Brad was a teacher for deaf children in the local school district. Brad's wife Ann and my wife Paula met soon after we arrived and became close friends. Brad's son Tristan and my son Austin entered Cub Scouts together, and Brad and I met at a campout, where we soon learned we had the same musical interests and spent a lot of time jamming around the campfire. We became close friends and from then on had many, countless music jams. Then, good fortune and George's medical career brought him and Emily to San Diego in 1998. I quickly introduced Brad and George, and we were off and running. That same year, I was back home visiting family in Memphis, where I met Lawrence Fortney at a parking lot bluegrass music jam. Although Lawrence had grown up in Memphis, his pilot career had taken him and his wife Jeanne to San Diego a few months prior. Jeanne (pronounced "Genie," like in a bottle) was also into music and is a great singer. Back home in San Diego, the five of us got together and really hit it off. We all became great friends, and it was the start of many, many musical jams, parties, dinners, recording sessions, and even the occasional paying gig. All our children grew up together with all this music running through their heads. Lawrence's career took him and Jeanne back to Memphis somewhere around 2003. The accompanying photo was made when Brad, George, and I went on a road trip to Lawrence and Jeanne's family cabin on Greers Ferry Lake near Heber Springs, Arkansas, around 2004 or 2005. We had a blast playing music and hanging out. Around 2010, George and Emily moved to Colorado Springs, where George had grown up. Brad and I continued to play music often in San Diego, and we all continued to collaborate on recordings by sending music files back and forth on the computer. You can listen to some of our recordings in the audio section of the Gallery on this website. Playing music with Brad, George, Lawrence, and Jeanne, and all the fun our families have had together, has been one of the highlights of my entire life. We will miss Brad's creativity, expert musicianship, lead and harmony vocals, and, most of all, his friendship, love, sense of humor, and positive outlook on life. But we will keep the music going. Brad would not have it any other way. 

For a few years in a row between 2004 and 2010, Brad, George, and I played at the Vaquero Days festival in the mountains in eastern San Diego County. The event was an authentic Mexican cowboy festival, complete with riding and roping competitions, a "horse whisperer," western arts and crafts, and musical acts. We had a great set of cowboy songs, such as Git Along Little Doggies, I'm an Old Cowhand, Streets of Laredo, Ghost Riders in the Sky, El Paso, Tumblin' Tumbleweeds. and Happy Trails. We played a good original song that George wrote, called Yo Soy Vaquero. Brad wrote a good song called Cowboy's Promise that we played. You can hear it in the audio gallery. Brad loved to sing El Paso, and a recording of that one is also in the gallery. We had a lot of fun with that festival, putting on our cowboy hats and boots and rocking those western songs. 

My earliest memory of cousin Brad is when I was 16 years old. Brad and Ann graciously welcomed me and another high school friend into their home in San Diego for an entire week! I remember Brad being so good looking and so much fun to be with and I thought Ann was lucky to have such a great husband.

I remember Brad and Ann being the most unbelievable hosts that week. We cooked wonderful dinners and had fun, long interesting deep conversations. Brad and Ann took us to Mexico, we went to the beaches in La Jolla. I had asked Brad to drive me around San Diego cause I wanted to see what a prostitute looked like since we did not have those in Iowa which Brad and I recently laughed about. Brad and Ann were unbelievably generous, they even gave us their car to use for the week we were visiting them. I will always remember Brad's fun sense of humor, generosity and kindness. I remember Brad teasing me and my friend cause we had met a boy that we hung out with all week. I remember experiencing something magical that week with Brad and Ann. They had a powerful love and respect and constructive communication in their marriage and I remember what a positive impact that had on me and that someday I would want a marriage like theirs. I will never forget that week with Brad and Ann which has always been very special memory of my childhood and of them.

I remember being so impressed with Brad's musical talent at Aunt Mary's 80th birthday party. When I heard that he and his band were playing, I thought, OK they will play a couple of songs. OMG, they were unbelievably talented and entertaining and passionate about music. I am so glad I got to experience his musical talent. 

I remember recently seeing Brad in Iowa and he teasted me about that week in San Diego and how much fun we had. I also remember seeing him recently at my mom's birthday party at my sister's in LA. He continued to joke around wearing the goofy wig that we were all trying on and doing a fun impersonation. Brad was a gifted man in every way possible, has been a wonderful cousin to me, and I will miss him dearly. 

God Bless His Soul.
Love,
Mona Aossey (Cousin) 

I met Brad around 1994, soon after my wife Paula, my sons Austin and Tyler, and I moved to San Diego. Austin and Brad and Ann's son Tristan were the same age, and Tyler and their daughter Laura were the same age. Tristan and Austin started Cub Scouts together, and Brad and I met on our first Cub Scout campout, at Cuyamaca State Park in the mountains of San Diego County. I'll never forget how that campout started. A few of the scouts' parents were...well, let's be kind here and say they liked to party. A lot. We arrived at the group campsite to find that they had an entire tent canopy dedicated to a full-on bar. A shelf was set up with all kinds of liquor--Costco size bottles of Jack Daniels, fifths of tequila, beer on ice, etc., etc. Mind you, this was a Cub Scout campout, not the Burning Man festival. Some of the parents had gotten an early start on the party that day. Anyway, we took the kids fishing at Lake Cuyamaca that afternoon, and Tristan caught the good size trout in the accompanying photo. When we got back to the campsite, Brad took out his banjo and I grabbed my guitar. I had heard Brad was into music, but had no idea about his musical interests. We started playing and realized we knew many, many of the same songs. Not just standards from the American songbook, like Beatles and Eagles tunes, but obscure bluegrass songs, old time folk ballads, and fiddle tunes. I was blown away. I think we missed dinner for playing music and kept it going around the campfire that evening. We may or may not have even had a sip of that Jack Daniels. Brad and I have laughed about this a million times. The absurdity of a group of parents boozing it up at a Cub Scout campout! However, it was the first of many countless jam sessions and nearly 20 years of music collaboration and a whole lot of fun.

July 24, 2013 was George's and my last jam session with Brad. This photo submitted by Emily was made that night. George and Emily came to San Diego from their home in Colorado Springs, camping in a little pop-up trailer, to see Brad. Brad was having a tough time, but was very excited about the Ulrichs' visit and a chance to play music. He was very upbeat, laughing and talking. As always, he did not dwell on the problems he was having, but was very interested in what was happening in all our lives. He was positive about getting started with rehab and getting back onto the golf course. George rode up and down the stairs on Brad's stair lift. We laughed. We had a good dinner. Then we had one of the best music jams I can remember. Brad sat at the piano, playing and singing strong, as usual. We played some old favorites and some we'd never played before. Brad chose one we'd never played, "Crazy Love," by Van Morrison. I'm not a great singer, but Brad said he liked my harmony vocal on the chorus. Brad and Ann's living room has extraordinary acoustics, and the music always sounds great there. Our last song was "Stand By Me." The last thing Brad said as we left was "I love you guys." I'm very grateful for George and Emily's visit and Brad's rallying to play that night. 

Working for school districts Brad, Bill Millar and I had the summers off. Each week we enjoyed playing a different course in San Diego County. On this momentous occasion we chose a challenging venue called Carlton Oaks in Santee. The second hole is a straightforward par 3 about 145-155 yards with an undulating two tiered green. Brad launched his tee shot right towards the pin. Unfortunately, our view was obscured by the morning sun. We knew it was a fantastic hit and would probably be a few feet from the hole most likely a birdie putt. However as we approached the green we were dismayed not to see Brad's ball. Jokingly we said "you better check the cup Brad." His scream for joy set off car alarms and woke up sleeping dogs. Brad had accomplished every golfer's dream - a hole in one. The rest of the round was inconsequential. However, the beer at the 19th hole never tasted any better.  

I first met Brad when Scott and I got married. We were living in Laramie, Wyoming and he came from California with the rest of the family to be the best man at our wedding. Who knew all the Wallace men were so 'hot', not to mention the fact that they are stellar people through and through.

I am going to miss you Brad, especially at our family get-togethers. 

(Pictured are my sister Lee Ann, Phyllis (me), Scott, Andrea and Brad)

Brad got information somewhere for a song writing contest in 1973 so we scrambled to enter a song since the deadline was in 2 weeks.  We needed a trombone part played so we found a friend and went to his house with my tape recorder, set up, and got the trombone part we wanted.  We finally got the song done and copied to a cassette and while Brad was getting the mailing information, he noticed on the form we were a year late!  The contest was the previous year!

Again, in 1976 we entered a CB (citizen band radio) song contest as in 1976 CBs were very popular...a fad at the time.  Brad put together a song "CB Sweetheart" and for some reason my cassette machine broke so we had to figure how to get the song to a cassette quickly because the deadline was 2 days away.  
I came up with the brilliant idea of taking the song to Pacific Stereo (a chain of old stereo retail stores in the old days) and we asked the salesman if we could try out his cassette decks.
The Salesman had no idea we were transferring music for a contest.  We quickly put the label on the package and ready to send when Brad again realized that we were a year late! ...(he had his eyes checked  soon after so he could see the fine print)

Brad started recording this song and decided to put a cello part in it.  So, brother Scott brought his cello over and played the parts.  Then, Brad realized later that if he had put the song a half pitch higher, it would of been a whole lot easier for Scott to play.  

Brad, Terry and I collaborated on many recording sessions.  At any given time we were working on something.  Generally, we had time limits and a target date for getting a project done. So, there were times we recorded late into the night to meet a deadline.  Even with pressure, we always had fun.  Still, we were consistently pretty serious and focused. 

One evening Terry and Brad came over to record.  On this occasion Terry brought along a six-pack of beer. None of us are particularly hard drinkers, so for us, this was alot of beer.  We decided we'd share them and record.

Recording went really well.  We worked late into the night and were really excited about what we had done.  Finally it was just too late to continue, nearly 1 AM.  We listened to the playback of what we had recorded.  Slapping each other on the back and shaking each other's hand we congratulated ourselves on having recorded something of the quality of Sgt. Peppers.  The guys finally went home, and I went to bed.

It was a week night, and I had to get up the next morning for work.  I set my alarm to go off about 30 minutes earlier than usual.  I was anticipating giving our masterpiece another quick listen before leaving, and I would need that extra time in the morning to savor it.  It would energize me for the day knowing we had created something exceptional.

I popped right out of bed early and went straight out to the garage.  I flipped on the power to the playback equipment.  This was going to be great to hear what we had done.  I was uncharacteristically excited for 5:30 AM.  The song started.

The bass was distorted, Terry's guitar was out of tune.  Brad's singing was off.  It sounded terrible.  I went back to bed.  It was a long, drag of a day at work.  I felt irritable and distracted.  All I wanted to do was go home and fix the recording.

The next time we got together we all listened to our masterpiece.  We were not mad or disappointed.  More than anything, we were amused.  It was amazing what two beers could do to your performance and to your judgement.  We all learned something over that, and in truth, we were delighted to learn things together and laugh at ourselves.

I would say that was a great quality of Brad's.  He could laugh at himself and his humanity.    I am so glad to have shared so many moments and projects with Brad. He enriched our lives in such a good way.

Between 1998 and 2013, our American roots music band High Strung, including Brad, George Ulrich, Lawrence and Jeanne Fortney, and I, recorded ten full lenth albums. Most of the recording sessions happened in George's garage at his home in Scripps Ranch in San Diego. Our first two albums, in 1998 and 1999, were Christmas music. For most of the others, also, we had the goal of finishing in time to get the CD's mailed out for the Christmas holidays. We spent many hours on many late nights in November and December in George's garage, working to finish the recording project. Often, we were pushing the Christmas deadline, finding us in the wee hours, trying to get those last few tracks recorded. It would be cold late at night, and we'd have on ski jackets, gloves, and Santa hats, trying to stay warm and keep our fingers moving. One night, Brad and I arrived at George and Emily's house while they were still out. I think George told us to crawl in the doggie door into the garage and wait for him to get home. We got in the garage to find that the plumbing had a big leak, and water was flooding from the back door into the garage. Brad and I went in, stopped the leak, found some towels, and mopped up most of the water before George got home. We started the recording session without missing a beat.

I played golf with Brad too.  He was a delight to play a roundf with.  Brad was very focused, but always completely aware of his companion fellow players.  He liked to do well on a round.  He laughed easily at what could happen.  He was never fazed by adversity.  He always stepped up to it with determination and humor.
Brad delighted in a good shot whether it was his own or someone else's.  He was encouraging when another player was in a tight spot.
Stess and concerns just fell away when you were with him on the golf course.  Every time I ever played with him I had a wonderful time, and I was grateful for life and being out on the course with my friend.
This is about how he was when golfing, but I think it describes how he was in general. 

This is a clip of Brad and I playing at my house.  I think it is early 2010.  It was a spontaneous, un-rehearsed pick-up blues song.  Terry is off-screen on acoustic guitar.  It starts out with me on the electric stumbling through an instrumental verse.  Then it goes to Brad for a piano break verse.  Brad could play any blues song in any key on the piano. Most of the chord changes he just heard coming.  If a song was more complex you would just show it to him once, and he had it.  He never missed a turn-around and never dropped a beat.  If you ever missed a beat or dropped a note, he would help you recover.
Brad was an instinctive and generous musician. His timing and rhythm were always on. He was very focused. He played very well alone. But he was ONE OF THE BEST GUYS EVER TO PLAY WITH.  He always played in a way that made the whole sound better.  It was never about him.  It was always about blending and working together.
Brad a very competent multi-instrumentalist. His piano playing was very supportive in the rhythm mode and his lead lines were taseful and balanced.  On bass he was very, very good.  Although I was the regular bassist and played bass much more often, I have to say he had a better natural feel for it than I.  The songs on which he contributed the bass track have great lines.  He had an instinctive sense of bass support.  He was really very dexterous on it too.  He had really good hands.
Brad added something to every song I ever played with him on. He was adventurous.  He was always open to suggestions on a keyboard sound.  He delighted in collaborating on getting a good band sound and a good groove.  I tended to play well whenever I played with him.  He had a way of bringing you up a notch.
I'm describing how he was as a musician, but I realize - this is how he was as a person.  What a great guy. 

Brad and I met in high school and had Geometry and Spanish together in 10th grade.  We were both 16.  We were also in band together.  We both went to a band outing at Disneyland and that's when we started our great friendship.  Afterwards, Brad came over and we had this cassette deck and we tried our voices on Surf City with a little organ help.  (our very first recording together)  I was laughing so hard because Brad was trying to sing low.  A year later, we began a tape for the Papes in Denmark and I love Brad's attempt at singing the soprano part in Battle Hymn of the Republic.
Nobody could do it this good...I had to develop a special skill of not laughing when recording with Brad...I usually failed miserably--D.reed

Brad discovered this true story and had to write a song.  There are three versions:
One with just his voice and no sound effects, one with sound effects, and one with Brad singing as a duet.  He liked it without effects and I thought it added interest for the listener...since he can't argue with me, I added the one with effects--but eventually, I will be reprimanded--D.Reed

Andy Pape was visiting Brad and I from Denmark.  He was staying at my house and on the day he was leaving and going out the door, we convinced him to play Ain't Misbehavin...and he did in one take!...and then left!  Brad put the voice in, and I finished putting in everything else.  I never told this to Brad, but I accidentally erased the piano part at the end of the song.  It is at the end after Brad sings last time  "Im saving my love for you..(and then I came up with the last piano part, I think I recorded two pianos for the full sound)  Brad never picked up on the change in piano tones...I never would of heard the end of it --D.Reed

We put our 8mm movie together with free movie samples we sent away.  Original sound track was on a cassette (but long gone) so we re-did the sound in 2010.
This was shot with a crude 8mm camera with the view finder off so you didn't really know what you were shooting.  It was the type of 8mm camera where you shot the film and then opened the camera to turn the film over and shoot the other side.  We accidentally turned the film over 3 times and that is why we have the double exposure scenes.  It was not planned and we did not know this happened until we received the film back from processing.  Back in the days where you had to send the film out and get if back in 2 weeks.  Way before video cameras and editing facilities.  We only had the 8mm camera and Scotch tape to put scenes together.
My Dad had a Keystone projector which had a film splice mechanism built in to the base.  The bonding cement for splicing was out of date (by 25 years)  so we used scotch tape.  ---D. Reed
 

It was so very special each time the Wallace family came to PA.  My earliest memories of the visits includes spending one-on-one time with Brad.  He sat out on the swing set in our back yard with me.  We just talked and talked about what was happening in my elementary-age life.  From that moment to this day, I found it so special that my cousin, 8-years older than me (who, by the way,  looked exactly like Kurt Russell in our favorite 1970's Disney movies) made me feel so special on that day.  But on a lighter note, my other favorite memories of Brad are related to his role as the older brother to Jill and Wendy.  I can still hear them saying, "Guy Brad!" in response to his teasing.
As an adult, it was so nice to get to know Ann, Tristan & Laura during a 2-day tour of NYC.  I still can remember the day at Ellis Island, and the picture perfect view with the twin towers still standing in the NYC Skyline as we returned to Manhatten.  But best of all....I am so grateful to Brad & Terry for performing at the 2010 Bowen Cuzunion, and am forever blessed that Brad and Ann joined us for dinner during my quick unplanned trip to CA May 2012. Very special memories of a very special man!  

In the early 2000's, Brad, George, and I played a few years in a row at the Poway Train Song Festival in October at Old Poway Park. It was a nice festival in a big park, complete with multiple music stages, mock western "shoot-outs," and a passenger steam train that ran around the perimeter. Most of the artists kept their song lists to very traditional railroad worker songs. We had a few of those, also, but added some more contemporary train themed numbers, like the Monkees' "Last Train to Clarksville," the Beatles' "One after 9:09," and Jethro Tull's "Locomotive Breath." I think we ruffled some feathers among the traditional crowd with those, perhaps leading to our not being invited back, but we sure had a lot of fun!

Terry Harrison 

Waiting 3 years for the Wallaces to visit family in PA was a VERY long wait as a child. BUT, it was never a disappointment. And Brad was one of the highlights... the stories are great. Finding 'Macadam"road, getting lost in Uncle Harold's woods, sleeping out under the stars with no tent... all Brad related.Then, as an adult, I got to visit CA and get to know Brad and Ann... and just a few years ago, got to bring my little family to stay with them for a few days.  Treasured memories.

 

Brad and I had a blast playing some songs for Brad's family in his backyard at the reunion in 2010. It was always fun playing music with Brad. His harmony vocals were magical.

Terry