Gregory Baker

Gregory Baker was a fan and long time (20 years +) filker (and the author of "A Starship Named Bob"). He often worked with fan, filker, and singer Roberta Rogow. He, along with Roberta Rogow, organized the 1980 Augustrek event and frequently performed at Shore Leave conventions.You can read his 1999 Shore Leave filk convention report here. He also wrote fan fiction. He died on April 1, 2012.Farewell, Dear Fen: In Memorium, dated April 1, 2012.
He embraced the fandom culture of sharing fanworks, writing in 2001: "Having filked for over 20 years, I've done stuff to original tunes, public domain tunes, and copyrighted tunes. I figure, frankly, I have zero chance of making money on anything I have, so I plan to distrubute it for free, using the GNU Copyleft. I also plan to make MP3 files as soon as I can get
a decent recording studio set up in my apartment, again, for free distribution. You want it, you take it... only hitch... credit me! I do it for the egoboo."post to rec.music.filk dated July 7, 2001.
== Notable Works ==
* Zaphod Beeblebrox and Me (sung by Roberta Rogow)
* My Old Man
* Rebel Pilot's Lament
* The Linux-Nationale
==Memories/Recollections==
* "As the "Star Trek" experience grew and evolved, the concept and tradition of "filking" was introduced to a whole new audience of listeners, and new performers cut their teeth on this genre. Very early on, at what I think was an August Party convention at the University of Maryland, I listened to filker Greg Baker sing his ditty called "Let Me Be Your Pon Farr Doll." (to the tune of "Let Me Be Your Party Doll")". . .Seven years or not at all/Baby, let me be your pon farr doll. . ." It was a rollicking tune and a barrel of laughs!"Nancy Kippax in Reminisce With Me/The Music of the Spheres.
* "Greg was full of music, and bluster. He spoke his mind and stomped on a lot of fannish toes."Greg Baker, in Winter posted in the filk LJ community April 3, 2012; WebCite.
* "Shortly after hearing the news about losing Greg Baker, I learned that New York area reporter Gil Noble had passed on this week. He became well known for his African-American oriented program Like It Is, which as a kid I had always wanted to correct to the more proper AS It Is. Then just this mourning I learned that CBS reporter Mike Wallace just died after 93 years. 60 Minutes will never be the same. I can just imagine the three of them chatting in the waiting room on the other side, playing with their pencils and waiting for their exit interviews. Greg would likely come up with a new filk as a result."More Passing News dated August 7, 2012; WebCite.
* "I have known Greg for more than 20 years. We have filks songs we wrote together long ago. While I had lost touch over the years outside of Facebook, this is still a shock. We recite every High Holiday that: "A man's origin is from dust and his destiny is back to dust, at risk of his life he earns his bread; he is likened to a broken shard, withering grass, a fading flower, a passing shade, a dissipating cloud, a blowing wind, flying dust, and a fleeting dream." Yet still it is a shock when the moment comes."RIP: Gregory Baker 1955-2012 dated April 1, 2012; WebCite.
* "Greg kept alive the noble tradition of having a civil discussion about a difference of opinion. Greg, you were a totally decent human being." Facebook Memorial Post dated April 1, 2012.
==References==
Category:Deceased
Category:Fanwriters
Category:Filkers
Category:2012 Deaths